The Audi RS 3 LMS: Perfect for getting started in touring car racing

Those interested in getting started in touring car racing will find a compelling offer at Audi Sport. The Audi RS 3 LMS has been created by leveraging Audi Sport customer racing’s entire motorsport expertise, so ensuring the high quality standards of all Audi race cars. Even so, it remains favorably priced, offers high levels of safety and, with up to 257 kW (350 hp), plenty of driving pleasure. A component kit for the 2020 season enhances the touring car once more in diverse details.

The TCR class combines spectacle and proximity to production cars like few other motorsport categories do. Due to the voluminous, flared fenders, the production-level bodywork grows from a width of 1.80 meters to 1.95 meters. The steel body has been adopted from the production version nearly unchanged. For use in racing, the body produced at the Győr plant was only made lighter, reinforced in some areas, and provided with a steel-tube safety cage for maximum protection of the driver. For the 2020 season, Audi has omitted individual elements of the production model that are not needed in racing. For instance, polycarbonate windows have replaced the previous glazing of the windshield, rear window and the two rear side windows. Via modified outside mirrors more air flows into the cockpit, which enhances the driver’s comfort.

The four-cylinder two-liter TFSI engine stems from the production version unchanged too. In the TCR version, the power plant delivers up to 257 kW (350 hp). A change in the regulations for the 2020 season requires an additional temperature sensor in the intake system and adjustment of the engine characteristics. The Audi RS 3 LMS accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in about 4.5 seconds and achieves top speed of up to 265 km/h. As stipulated by the regulations, the car has front-wheel drive.

Installed at the front are McPherson struts. At the rear, the Audi RS 3 LMS uses a multilink suspension. Ride height, toe and camber are infinitely variable. The front and rear stabilizers are three-way adjustable.

The sequential six-speed racing transmission of the Audi RS 3 LMS, like the S tronic double-clutch transmission, has a proven track record in other race cars of the Group, as does the multi-plate limited slip differential. A modified clutch and new joints on the drive shafts improve durability for the 2020 season. The braking system benefits from better cooling air supply, which improves durability and reduces wear.

To keep costs low, driving aids are prohibited in the TCR category. That is why the Audi RS 3 LMS has neither traction control (ASR) nor an active differential.

In the development process, Audi Sport attached particular importance to safety, in terms of which the Audi RS 3 LMS sets standards. The extensive safety package includes an FIA-conformant safety fuel tank, a safety cell for racing, the PS03 safety seat, FIA safety nets on both sides of the seat and a rescue hatch in the roof like the one used in the Audi R8 LMS.

Unlike many competitors, Audi Sport customer racing, in the Audi RS 3 LMS, has opted for a sedan, which means a classic touring car. In order to offer customers a race car with perfect aerodynamics, intensive wind tunnel tests were conducted with a so-called 60-percent model. They have resulted in aero components which are visually attractive as well. They are made of CFRP and contribute to the Audi RS 3 LMS achieving a dry weight of only 1,145 kilograms.

Like the GT3 category, the TCR class includes a Balance of Performance (BoP) rating. In pre-season rating tests, the TCR organization determines the individual performance potential of every race car and subsequently establishes vehicle weight, ride height and engine power output.

For the RS 3 LMS, Audi also offers an attractive accessories package that encompasses diverse components. An electric air condition system using the Peltier effect enables helmet cooling for the driver. The longitudinally adjustable pedal box together with the axially and vertically adjustable steering column allows optimum ergonomic adjustment of the Audi RS 3 LMS to all driver physiques. This pays off particularly in endurance races in which drivers of different heights frequently take turns at the wheel.