Yeah, but if you "downgrade" to Dura-Ace you can save almost 5 grand too. Some buyers just want to spend money because money = greatness. Add in Campagnolo to the exclusivity club & you've got a recipe for big $$$ sales.

They sell A LOT. The Outlaw (of any trim level) is their most popular bike & the limit is really how fast they can make 'em.

$8500 really is in the same range as any reasonably high end carbon bike & priced consistant with the high end bike market. How many here paid ~5-6k for a bike & put $3k worth of wheels on it?

You can buy just the frameset & build it up any way you like too. That's super cool if you have particular tastes or an above average parts bin as well. That's what I'd do if ever my R5 needs replacement. It'd be easy to just swap the parts over.