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Hi all,

Seems to be a lot of chatting and test drives but from a quick scan of the forum I cannot see anyone has one yet.

I currently have a 911 991 GTS which I bought in January and is not sitting well with me; I just think I am not a Porsche guy, epic handling and a great noise, super fast but somehow lacking something. Looks too much like a Cayman / Boxter too until you get close.

So I will change it to whatever I will order this weekend which I have narrowed down to:

- Mercedes AMG GTS
V8, long bonnet, great looking car, just as fast as Porsche but much quieter inside, more modern interior and more refined.
£125k list, £120k after negotiation

- Audi R8 V10+
No description necessary as you all know the car but my spec comes in at £147k, I reckon I can take 10% off that so around £132k. Ara blue, 20 inch wheels, laser lights, assistance, performance pack and a couple of other things.

Residuals are slightly higher on the AMG over 3 years so Audi will cost around £72k (excluding finance costs) and the AMG £60k (again excluding any finance). Interestingly they both end up at ~£60k after 3 years.

Now this is an Audi forum, but people seem not to love the new R8 too much and I would agree at list prices it is way too much.

I considered upgrading to a 911 Turbo S but don't want another 911. I looked at the McLaren 570S but to be honest you want version 2 of that, there are too many niggles for a car of that cost. Ferrari / Lambo all out as I just couldn't pull it off. F-Type I drove and hated sadly (nasty steering, really cheap interior). Have had Aston's and won't buy another until they sort reliability out (the new Vantage will basically be a re-bodied AMG GTS ironically).

Any views before I drive both at the weekend and decide?

My wife thinks Mercedes are only good for Taxis.....

I'm amazed the GTS doesn't sit well. That's the pinnacle of the non-GT n/a cars. But I get they aren't for everyone.

New R8 is nice, but only nice, doesn't match it's price, even at 10% under (which I don't think you'll get near, more like 7%). It makes a great noise, but for me, was just too Audi. There was nothing particularly special about the cabin. The 991 is better in this respect.

Interesting comparison with the Merc, I don't get the Merc interiors at all, too fuddy duddy for me. For me, I'd take the 991 over the Merc. Performance comparison at this price is really 991 turbo, which I'd guess would exceed the Merc.

R8 > Merc

Sometimes 911's need time to grow on you. You can take em anywhere though, and like mini's people tend to like em. Turbo S will be nice. I like the Merc however.

I'm with doodles on this one

Thx for feedback.

Having lived with 911 for 5 months I do like it but just don't love it. Maybe it is the lack of V8/10/12. Prior to this I had two V12 Astons, a B8 RS4 and a V10 RS6 C6.

Handling wise it probably wins and round the track it would be the fastest.

But on my regular 200 mile weekly airport round trip it just doesn't feel so nice.

Mercedes is quite rare and way nicer shape.

R8 V10+ is just mental. I need to sit on the motorway for a while at 77mph to see how it is on the cruise.

Of course one V8 and one V10.

A nice first world problem to have.

PS my offer on the R8 is 10% off but I spare the dealers blushes by not naming them. I have bought 3 brand new Audis for the family in last 6 months so am a v good customer which helps.

In real terms the AMG and R8 cost almost exactly the same.

10% is good, but not enough IMO. It's 150k with right spec and I cannot reconcile that! I'd be waiting until the inevitable factory finance support arrives.

I cannot see how any of these would be different on a 200 miles round trip. That's about comfort not experience. Wrong car?!

Yeah get a mondeo for the daily grind (or Leaf - check my sig!) which will make the fun car even more fun and appreciated.

Having had new v10 R8 for a couple of days it is way overpriced.

I have a Q7 for when it is raining/ too cold or early for the Porsche...

Anyhow, drove the AMG GTS today. Rubbish. Unbelievable how these things are hyped by the magazines.

The steering is as light as on a cheap Citroen, bags of power but no idea what the front wheels are doing. Rattles and squeaks from inside, really poor build quality and plasticky switchgear. Aside from the exhaust note the 911 is a million times better!

If nothing else the test drive made me love the Porsche again.

The R8 I was going to drive was sold yesterday, so sat in the one in the showroom. The buckets in the V10+ I think would be impossible to live with so would have to order with downgraded sports seats, ironically it will cost even more to do that.

So will drive the R8 in a couple of weeks back to back with the Porsche and see how it compares....

To be honest I can't see how the R8 would make a better daily driver than the GTS. Quicker yes, louder yes & certainly more drama, but for the 200 mile slog I think that epic sound would soon grate which was why I chose the Porsche. The badge aspect does play a part at that price point & as above, although the interior is very nice it's not that different to a decent spec TT.

I think you may be right

Maybe I will buy a TVR for the Sunday mornings when I need a V8 fix and my 400 bhp Defender 110 Double Cab doesn't quite fit the bill (e.g. when it comes to a corner)....

W8PMC let me know how you get on with your Turbo S, my GTS is the last non-Turbo 991 (except the R which I missed out on) and 2 wheel drive which makes it in my mind more fun, but a Turbo S is quite a temptation for early next year if I don't go for an R8.

The real thing which surprises me is how different these cars are to how they are portrayed in car magazines which I naively trusted for impartiality. They love the AMG, they love the F-Type and honestly for driving pleasure and hooning around tight roads they are both terrible. My DB9 was more involving and handled / steered better.

Yes I know I change my mind more often than a 4 year old.....

If you want a Turbo S early next year you need to be getting in the queue now. There's a bit of a wait.

You had zero chance of getting into an R!!

Respect your opinion

But I love mine, coming from every mk1 R8 iteration possible

And before a bun fight ensues, I do not think a F-TYPE competes in this sector.

R8/570/911 sit above it.

The F straddles the Cayman and 911, and therefore offers a good proposition between those.

But it will definitely fall short of cars with £100k+ entry points and there is nothing surprising in that!