Buying The Cheapest Audi R8 Proves to Be an Expensive Nightmare

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Automotive YouTubers sometimes make it seem like buying and rebuilding wrecked exotic cars is a dream life, but you don’t always see the hundreds of hours of frustration and hard work that comes along with them. When it comes to failures, many of them are rather honest, especially when it comes to major unexpected hangups that can actually be entertaining for viewers. For this automotive YouTuber, buying the cheapest Heffner Performance twin-turbocharged V8 Audi R8 in the country turned into a total nightmare that’s had us on the edge of our seats.

The cheapest twin-turbo Audi R8

An Audi badge | John Keeble, Getty Images

The wrecked supercar in question was, in fact, the cheapest twin-turbo Audi R8 recently sold in the US market, but it was still pretty expensive for a nonrunning vehicle. The YouTuber, JR, did have the vehicle professionally inspected prior to purchasing but wasn’t aware of just how much of a money pit the vehicle would turn out to be. Part of the issue with the rebuild was initially part of the appeal of the vehicle — although it was only the V8 model, typically frowned upon by Audi R8 owners with the V10 engine, it was supplemented by Heffner Performance twin-turbochargers, making it a fast and fun project car — or, so you might think. But, rebuilding wrecked supercars never really goes as planned.

What all was wrong with this wrecked Audi R8

The Audi R8 was a V8 engine, making it harder to get the parts needed, especially when it came to resolving issues with tuning and the turbocharger system. Cosmetically, the car was in perfect condition, needing almost exclusively mechanical repairs to get it back up and running. As an exotic car, however, it proved to be quite difficult for JR to find a local shop that would be willing to do the necessary repairs on the engine — probably something he should have looked into prior to purchasing the car, but, when it comes to buying wrecked exotics you never really know the extent of the damage until you start taking them apart. All in all, the R8 needed a new engine to be tuned once again by Heffner Performance, as well as miscellaneous other parts that need replacement when a car’s engine is blown.

What is it like to buy and rebuild wrecked exotic cars

Rebuilding wrecked exotic cars and supercars is always a gamble, and while sometimes things turn out OK, sometimes they don’t — and, when YouTubers like Tavarish start to get intimated by a build, you know things are really going south. The market for used and even wrecked versions of these cars is up astronomically this year, meaning it isn’t the right time to buy a wrecked exotic if you’re interested in giving this a shot. While JR is in this vehicle for what it would have been worth to buy it already driving — without the Heffner turbochargers, mind you — it can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars more, so it isn’t always the best plan of action for buying affordable supercars.

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