<center><img src="http://gallery.audiworld.com/albums/album236/R8070024_medium.jpg"></center><p>Audi of America's Johan de Nysschen recently asked me whether I'd rather see an R8 Targa or an R8 Cabriolet.
What's your opinion?<ul><li><a href="http://www.audiworld.com/news/07/march-2007-news-notes-rumors/">Link to the article (R8 discussed on page 2...)</a></li></ul>
123Thumperer®
03-24-2007, 11:18 PM
torsional rigidity will be an issue in either topless version, but hopefully weight will be less, and lines will be better in a targa.
PhoenixGTS
03-24-2007, 11:50 PM
dangola
03-24-2007, 11:59 PM
Alan(NJ)
03-25-2007, 02:55 AM
the answer is cab, not targas. The 996 and 997 cabs were/are the best selling Porsches (better selling than even coupes)- targas ha! - they typically discount to get rid of them. Also, the demand for turbo cabs is huge and Porsche will be releasing the car soon.
But, me personally, I'd much rather see them forget cabs and targas and bring in the the R8-10 cylinder and then a RS8 asap. The dealers will have to beat the customers away.
Ferrari completely missed the boat on understanding the advance of global personal wealth - there are now many more people world-wide who can and would spend upwards of $200K on a Ferrari - if they could - but they can't because Ferrari never ramped up production. Ferrari will tell you that they want to keep their exclusivity, and so they don't produce enough to fulfill the need. I say B.S. - the real reason is that they have traditionally been barely profitable and didn't put money into building manufacturing capacity. 15 years ago the U.S. got a couple a thousand cars a year - we still do, and now Ferraris will be tougher to get because they are diverting cars to fill the demand in China. And the result of all of this is that Ferrari could be as profitable as Porsche if they wanted to be instead of forcing the dealers and customers to run the famous Ferrari "Ponzi scheme" in the U.S. They are finally just "getting it" - witness the soon-to-arrive Dino which will be built in more significant numbers and will be priced in the 150K range.
The point of all this ranting is that Audi could step into the $130K - $175K market (where there is a big hole) and make a killing with high performance versions of the R8. Imagine a 550hp RS8 that sells for a base of 150K - tell me where to sign on the dotted line!
RS4-2007
03-25-2007, 05:38 AM
Cabriolet is way sexier and would appeal to a larger market.....
RMN
03-25-2007, 07:23 AM
Or just a V12TDI version.
Breene
03-25-2007, 07:41 AM
Inclined
03-25-2007, 10:18 AM
You don't have 50 years of enthusiasm where 50s and 60s significant cars have changed hands among the mostly same group of monied collectors for decades.
In countries like China , Russia and India , it's just about acquiring a name plate, whther a Prada or Ferrari. So a starter model below their traditional mid-engine V8 is not stigmatized in those markets like it might be in US and Europe. These new money 30-somethings wouldn't have a clue what a Testarossa is nor would they care , whether a 50s pontoon fender or an 80s Miami Vice-moble.Ferrari is shrewdly targeting most of the " Dinos" for these countries for it's increased volume and profits so as not to disrupt the US "Ponzi -scheme" for their dealers and first owner flippers .
Audi-Sav
03-25-2007, 10:29 AM
nirad
03-25-2007, 11:29 AM
which, to my mind, is basically a large, and heavy, sunroof, or do you mean the old style (pre-993). IMHO, the old style basically gave you the benefits of a cabriolet with out the weight.
I think a great 21-century implementation of this would be a glass roof that slides completely out of place (including the pillars).