why don't they just build the frickin' car and sell it already - and not 200 the first year BS. No offense intended, but jerking off with Audi ain't my thing.

told by dealer car wont be in my hands till april. Im thinking about screwing it. Plus my lambo dealer told me my superleggera will be here in the summer. Rather have that than the r8. Not so sure now.....choices choices....

what is known as a soft launch (to sort out any bugs in the cars or production line) which means they ramp things up slowly, I think we're lucky to see any cars this year.

Doesn't help the folks who have that tingly feeling they used to get on Christmas Eve as a kid;_)

infrequently - more on Rennteam

do it for several reasons:

1) they do it to "freeze the market" (to get customers to hold up on imminent purchases of products in order to get the "next great thing") - this is especially useful when the companies products are not ready for the general marketplace
2) to hype up investors/analysts in an attempt to increase stock price value
3) to generally create " pr buzz"

In any case, my message to Audi execs who are reading this board (and they do) - either get the products out or shut up already.

exotic car production numbers. The CGT was pre-announced how far ahead? You see Lamborghini and Ferrari gradually ramping up production as well at the start. Since the R8 has more in common with the production techniques of those cars than an A4, my expectations are in line with that.

Porsche built 4 356 in '48, and in '49/50, less than 60 left the factory. From such beginings, it was possible to build a thriving company. Audi doing a soft launch is not surprising, nor is showing the car at the major Winter/Spring shows, as the Fall shows would be too late, whith cars showing up in dealer showrooms ahead of the announcement. There is no Summer auto show - just Frankfurt and Paris in Sept/Oct.

the R8 has been shown at every major show and event and internet and blah blah for the past what, 4 months or so - and the best customers can expect is delivery of 1 or 2 cars in "the fall".

I also reject the idea that comparing business models of today with those of 40+ years ago is valid. The car world moves a rapid pace and Audi is no boutique manufacturer

They are squeezing every iota of "halo-hype" out of this car - it's enough already.

and when did he say this to you? dealers haven't been given allotment to the best of my knowledge.

Audi isn't the only one to announce a car at the Paris Auto show and deliver a year later. The E60 M5 was introduced in 2004. It came to North America late in '05 as an '06 model, and it's only been since Oct 2006 that a manual tranny has even been an option. And this is a car using a normal production line with a body shell and chassis already in production!

Just was curious, felt like I read your writing style somewhere before.

I heard you mention a 911 turbo as well sometime earlier so I thought I would ask.

I want an R8 now

(as opposed to the the BMW M5 and M6, which offend my eyes everytime I see one)

and stop being so darn rational ;)

a bunch of us North NJ folks who post on 6speedonline got together this weekend at the local Starbucks - 20 Porsches (10 997tt/996tt, a GT2, a supercharged 996, etc), 1 highly tuned S4 and one orange Mucie.

The local cops went nuts when we went for a ride up to a nearby Porsche racecar preparer - we got an "escort" for about 30 miles - they must have been radioing ahead - a State Trooper did a U-Turn over a grass medium when he saw the Mucie followed by a 1/2 mile long parade of Porsches - really didn't need him to join us!

Great fun, though - if there are any North NJ enthusiasts who want to meet up with us in the Spring, we're going to do it again. You can e-mail me (photonscience@aol.com) if you're interested.

of the experience? ;-P

Just trying to put a spin on it for ya;-)