I'm new to this forum - currently have a 2007 M6, but it's feeling too big and cumbersome and am looking at buying an F-type. Trying to decide between the 2015 S and R - I know the difference in the engine, just wondering if any of you had grappled with this decision and how you ultimately decided, and whether you had any regrets?

Thanks for any input...
Ian

 

Your question is ambiguous because it's unclear if you're talking 2014-15 V8S (convertible only) or the V6s.

If you're talking V8S, it should be a fairly easy choice--do you prefer AWD or RWD? The 2016Rs are only available in AWD in the US. The V8S cars are exclusively RWD. However, you don't list your country of residence. RWD Rs are still available in certain countries other than the US and Canada.

When you're at 500HP, the extra 50HP in the R isn't going to make a lot of difference on a street driver.

 

I'm sorry - I should have clarified. I'm looking at 2015's - pre-owned - perhaps 2014 as well. Coupe. I'm in California. I believe in these years they're all RWD, with the difference between the S & R being the additional HP?

 

2015 was the first year for the coupe. Those of us with base or V6S models love them (as do R owners). You should test drive an S to see if it's enough for you.

 

If you're considering just V8s, a V8S Coupe does not exist. The 15 S Coupe is a V6.

If you're talking V8s, as I said, the extra 50HP isn't going to make much, if any, difference on a street driver.

If you're looking at V6 cars, there is a huge difference, but I'm completely satisfied with the power in the V6, which is plenty enough for a street car. I drove both, and I have no regrets.

 

Thanks - that's helpful. I'm not considering only V8s - I understand that's the difference in the engines between the 2015 S & R - I won't track it; it would be a personal daily driver, and was wondering if people were satisfied with the power, pick-up, etc., of the S or had regrets that they didn't buy the R...
Thanks again!

 

Zero regrets on choosing the V6. I've owned several cars over 500HP and found them to be complete overkill on the street. I got very tired of them as daily drivers.

I purposely chose the V6 for that reason, but everyone has different priorities. Only you can decide what you want.

 

Thanks - very helpful - that's how I feel about my M6, so it's good to hear your thoughts about the S...

 

The V8 sounds amazing, no two ways about it. Its great for impressing friends and selling cars at the showroom. It puts a smile on my face when I drive it, but I've heard from multiple people who own it as a daily driver there will be days when you wish it wasn't so loud and shouty.

The V6 base which I have with an active exhaust gives me the same sort of pleasure when I want it with the active exhaust on and with the exhaust off it provides a pretty smooth not so shouty daily experience. No regrets here as well getting the V6, though many have suggested the V6S is better than the base V6. Having driven both multiple times, I personally couldn't tell the difference but maybe I'm just tone deaf!

 

thanks for that comparison - I appreciate the difference in sound, and seems like the S sounds tamer (and is user-controllable!) - hoping the V6S performance as a daily driver is sufficient :-)

 

I drive my V8 coupe daily and always on loud mode ... the sound never gets old to me. The few times I've driven with the active exhaust off (usually with the wife and she's trying to nap in the car) and i really couldnt hear the exhaust at all over the radio at a comfortable level.

 

Thanks - good to know it's not overbearing (nice color, by the way!)

 

I felt the same way initially with all my previous 500HP beasts. The power was simply staggering and made me giddy. It was always about year 2 or 3 that it started getting old.

It's not so much the volume of the exhaust, its more about the power is just completely unnecessary on the street if you have a strong desire to preserve your license and/or good driving record.

 

I thought the 2015 V8 coups were all Rs. Also, no awd in the US before 2016. Either way, with an R you get added suspension enhancements. I think they also come with a more advanced form of traction/stability control called "brake vectoring" where they use the brakes to control steering/handling. (Yes, I'm over simplifying.)

 

Just to clarify...

For 2015 these are the options I believe (all RWD+8-speed auto):

• V6 Coupe or Convertible 340 hp
• V6 S Coupe or Convertible 380 hp
• V8 S Convertible 495 hp
• V8 R Coupe 550 hp

For 2014 there were no coupes (all RWD+8-speed auto):

• V6 Convertible 340 hp
• V6 S Convertible 380 hp
• V8 S Convertible 495 hp

Obviously for 2016 you have AWD options, 6-speed manual options, and the R is available in convertible as well. Though it sounds like the 2016 isn't something you're considering.

 

You get the suspension enhancements in both the S and the R trims. The S models come with mechanical LSD (limited-slip differential), and the R comes with electromechanical LSD, plus TVB (torque vectoring by braking.) You can also get TVB on the S models as an option.

 

Thanks for clarifying - I was attempting to write that I'm trying to decide between the 2015 V6-S coupe and the 2015 V8-R coupe. Was hoping to find a nice pre-owned 2015 F type at a discount to the 2016 models (recognizing that I can't then have AWD or 6MT) - and was wondering if anyone here had buyer's remorse for not buying the more expensive R instead of the S.

Perhaps for a daily driver the S would be fine - and probably I'll just have to bite the bullet and decide for myself :-)

 

If you shop around you can find 2015 floor models with deep discounts... some reported upwards of 10% off MSRP in some cases. For 2014 models you can see upwards of 20% off. If you can find used vehicles, you can see even deeper discounts.

I was originally looking at getting the V6S myself... I would have had no regrets with that I'm sure, but I wanted AWD and TVB and wasn't able to find any dealers with a V6S available in the configuration I wanted. There was this nice R sitting at the dealership with everything I wanted, so I ended up buying this instead. I don't mind the extra power and deeper engine note, but I really don't need it.

380 hp is more than enough for a DD... if you don't track and don't make yourself ticket bait, you will never use more than that anyway.

 

I came out of V8 AMG and I'm perfectly happy with V6S, sounds like a bigger engine! Thats not to say I couldn't talk myself into a conv. R on the right day! I would probably question myself later as I did on the AMG.

 

Thanks - if I'm correct, to get AWD you'd need to buy a 2016 model - maybe I just need to figure that the price difference between the S & R over 5 years is not enough to worry about - and I like making myself ticket bait, so maybe the R ....