V10 R8 - Older manual vs newer S-Tronic?

[Zippee]

Just thoughts at the moment but if you had a choice between a 2010/11 manual for around £60-65k and a 2014 S-Tronic for a similar price which would you choose and why?
I've noticed a few like this now, 3-4 year newer car with S-Tronic over manual for similar prices.

I know to steer clear of the R-Tronics but are the manuals still better, even given you'd have to 'make do' with a car 3-4 years older? Are there many differences in running costs/reliability between the 2 gearboxes?

[Trev450]

Personally, I would have the manual - but I'm a tad biased . It really depends on the 'experience' you want. I don't want to enter into the manual/semi-auto argument, but from my perspective the manual is far more suited to what is now a relatively old school car. I would recommend you drive both, and don't write the R-tronic off as it's not that bad once you get used to it. Running costs and reliability are much the same, but prices for manuals are much firmer as you've already established. Finally, the S-tronic is only available in the facelifted car if that's important to you.

[BlackR8]

If it was a case of same year Manual Vs R-Tronic then I would recommend the manual personally, but if it is older Manual Vs newer S-tronic as you say then I would recommend you drive both and see which you prefer. There is a view that longer term the manual V10's will be the ones to have and with this in mind I would expect they will hold their value better. Either way its a nice choice to have, so good luck

[PompeyReece]

Zippee said:

Just thoughts at the moment but if you had a choice between a 2010/11 manual for around £60-65k and a 2014 S-Tronic for a similar price which would you choose and why?
I've noticed a few like this now, 3-4 year newer car with S-Tronic over manual for similar prices.

I know to steer clear of the R-Tronics but are the manuals still better, even given you'd have to 'make do' with a car 3-4 years older? Are there many differences in running costs/reliability between the 2 gearboxes?

I'm surprised manuals are generating such a massive premium over S-tronic models. That has me questioning if we're comparing apples with apples, especially when the devil is in the detail.

For example, comparing a black V10 with 15,000 miles on the clock suggests the price above is slightly optimistic for the S-tronic! 2011/10 manuals are going for £55k-£60k tops, the same 2014 S-tronic are another £10k on top, at least £70k.

As such it really depends on your budget can afford buying/maintaining, how much you prefer one gearbox over the other and how much of a risk taker you are with on-going maintenance.

Personally I'd choose the manual as a) I prefer the manual and b) I prefer the manual. But personal choice, drive all three as the R-tronic is marmite

[Nano2nd]

i really wanted a manual (had a manual 430 before), however i also wanted to buy a car with a proper warranty from a main dealer, the manuals are now pretty much too old to be sold via Audi.. so i ended up with an s-tronic, no regrets so far, really makes the car easy to drive which i think suits its usability well, i've done mundane stuff in mine that i wouldn't of dreamed off in the Ferrari.

in terms of values, when i bought earlier in the year manuals were a lot cheaper and s-tronics carried quite a premium, has that changed? i made a fair bit on the 430 as i bought it when manuals were less desirable, i did wonder if manual R8s would follow the same pattern and manuals become the more expensive/desirable models as they got older.

[Nano2nd]

just had a quick look and there still seems to be £10k gap between a decent early manual and comparable s-tronic, the manuals are not fetching the asking either.. i was after the silver v10 spyder that had done about 11k miles. up at £58k, owner wouldn't negotiate, it then went up SOR at £65k, slowly dropped to £58k and has now sold, i guess for less than 58 but who knows

[NewNameNeeded]

Zippee said:

I know to steer clear of the R-Tronics ...

From personal experience or from what you've read?

If you've never tried one I'd recommend you at least trying one (but only in manual mode). They take a bit of getting used to - which is why I think journalists without much time in the car criticised it - but it's more involved than the S Tronic and suits the car perfectly.

Given the choice I'd choose R over an S Tronic. The R Tronic is basically the E Gear from the Gallardo.

[Pioneer]

NewNameNeeded said:

F The R Tronic is basically the E Gear from the Gallardo.

Which once you've mastered is an absolute joy to use. A kick in the back when you want it and oh that down shift ... I've had two egear models and driving them smoothly under 30mph generally proves ownership over rented! Does take a few miles to gel with though

[Superleg48]

Pioneer said:

Which once you've mastered is an absolute joy to use. A kick in the back when you want it and oh that down shift ... I've had two egear models and driving them smoothly under 30mph generally proves ownership over rented! Does take a few miles to gel with though

Totally agree. The egear is not an automatic (even though it has an Auto mode, you should never use it). Rather it is a manual without a clutch pedal. If you use it correctly it is insanely fun. I think the problem with comparing these gearboxes with dual clutch automatics with paddle shift is that you are actually comparing apples with pears, in so far as they are both green, look vaguely similar but are in fact quite different fruit.

[andrew]

Superleg48 said:

Pioneer said:

Which once you've mastered is an absolute joy to use. A kick in the back when you want it and oh that down shift ... I've had two egear models and driving them smoothly under 30mph generally proves ownership over rented! Does take a few miles to gel with though

Totally agree. The egear is not an automatic (even though it has an Auto mode, you should never use it). Rather it is a manual without a clutch pedal. If you use it correctly it is insanely fun. I think the problem with comparing these gearboxes with dual clutch automatics with paddle shift is that you are actually comparing apples with pears, in so far as they are both green, look vaguely similar but are in fact quite different fruit.

+100%

[NewNameNeeded]

andrew said:

Superleg48 said:

Pioneer said:

Which once you've mastered is an absolute joy to use. A kick in the back when you want it and oh that down shift ... I've had two egear models and driving them smoothly under 30mph generally proves ownership over rented! Does take a few miles to gel with though

Totally agree. The egear is not an automatic (even though it has an Auto mode, you should never use it). Rather it is a manual without a clutch pedal. If you use it correctly it is insanely fun. I think the problem with comparing these gearboxes with dual clutch automatics with paddle shift is that you are actually comparing apples with pears, in so far as they are both green, look vaguely similar but are in fact quite different fruit.

+100%

Completely agree, and for me a super smooth full-auto like the S Tronic just doesn't seem right to me in a car like this.

[Roof down]

Zippee said:

Just thoughts at the moment but if you had a choice between a 2010/11 manual for around £60-65k and a 2014 S-Tronic for a similar price which would you choose and why?
I've noticed a few like this now, 3-4 year newer car with S-Tronic over manual for similar prices.

I know to steer clear of the R-Tronics but are the manuals still better, even given you'd have to 'make do' with a car 3-4 years older? Are there many differences in running costs/reliability between the 2 gearboxes?
This is very similar to the thread on Ferrari v8 forum, ie newer car newer more reliable gearbox, instead of old school manual etc.
I do wonder if the newer cars will start to impact the desirability of the older ones.
For me it would be the later R8 with the newer gearbox. Mike

[scoobyc]

Nano2nd said:

just had a quick look and there still seems to be £10k gap between a decent early manual and comparable s-tronic, the manuals are not fetching the asking either.. i was after the silver v10 spyder that had done about 11k miles. up at £58k, owner wouldn't negotiate, it then went up SOR at £65k, slowly dropped to £58k and has now sold, i guess for less than 58 but who knows

Are you still looking for a low mileage V10 manual spyder? If so drop me an email.

[jakesmith]

For me the Mark 1 is a much nicer design, I also think as you're getting the V10 it is a true supercar and part of the appeal is the glass engine cover of the coupe and open gate of the manual.
If I won the lottery tomorrow the first car I would buy is a manual V10 R8

[Guffy]

My Gen 1 V10 Plus is S-Tronic, whilst it's sublime when in traffic on full auto, this only accounts for about 5% of my driving, the rest of the time i'm on the paddles..

.. however i would give that up in an instant for a manual box, i really miss the interaction and full control a stick shift offers.

The S-Tronic often gets flustered if you make changes it's not anticipating, that annoys me too.

[Gameface]

So the gearbox options are:-

Manual.
R-Tronic - single clutch.
S-Tronic - dual clutch.

Is that correct?

[PompeyReece]

Gameface said:

So the gearbox options are:-

Manual.
R-Tronic - single clutch.
S-Tronic - dual clutch.

Is that correct?

Yes

[Gameface]

What year did S-Tronic supercede R-Tronic?

[Zippee]

Thanks all - I've driven a manual V10 and loved it, sounds like I do need to try both the R & S boxes though.
Gut feel is still manual as theres a niggle in my head it will retain value as paddles become more common but my crystal ball has never been too accurate.
Either way it's a little way off, just doing some prelim homework

[PompeyReece]

Gameface said:

What year did S-Tronic supercede R-Tronic?

Think it was around 2012.