The Audi R8, the breathtaking new supercar from the German manufacturers, is already being sold through UK dealers a month ahead of the car’s official launch at £10,000 above the listed price.
Redline Motor Company based in Tamworth is among the first specialist UK dealers to advertise the R8, which is officially sold out in Britain for the first three years of the supercar’s production .
Redline currently has a high-spec manual edition of the R8 which will be sold on for £96,000, even though it carries a list price of £86,000.
Sharif Sheen, owner of the motor company, has another two R8s being delivered later this year, although he suggested the premium will have started to disappear by then.
An Audi spokesman commented, "We can’t stop people selling their cars on, although we will be checking names of customers against our list of people who have put down deposits."
"We count that as a new order and the buyer will have to start over again."
"Apart from that we can’t do anything to stop speculators. It’s just something you have to expect with a new sports car that’s in-demand." added the spokesman.
American Audi dealerships are asking R8 buyers to sign a legal statement that promises to offer the dealer first refusal on the car when they decide to sell. Although voluntary, if a car is in hot demand with two or three buyers chasing a position on the waiting list, the dealer is able to pick and choose early deliveries for customers willing to comply.
"We haven’t heard of that before, and we won’t be trying that in the UK," said the Audi spokesman.
This year 450 of the supercars will be delivered between June and December, with the figure rising to 750 by next year, giving the R8 the perfect blend of availability while also being a rarity in the UK .
