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That’s why the Audi R8 must now, in the intervening period, manage with less power (approximately 550 instead of the original 610 hp) and a narrower rear wing. Nonetheless, the Audi R8 is still in a class of its own particularly over the race distance. The importance of the model designation “R8” was puzzled over for a long time. The explanation is simple: Since the legendary original quattro, Audi has numbered all internal vehicle projects consecutively. With the R8, the project name also became the official vehicle name and is now synonymous for the world’s most successful Le Mans prototype.

The chassis of the Audi R8 LMS is produced at the “Böllinger Höfe” site on the same manufacturing lines as the Audi R8 production model. There is a close kinship between the two sports cars as the race car uses 50 percent of the components and component assemblies of the production model, including the near-unchanged V10 FSI engine.

For Consani/Lariche, this is their first title with an Audi R8 LMS GT4. This customer racing car was also among the best performers in its class in the fifth round of the GT Cup Series at the Slovakiaring. The Slovenian team Lema Racing fielded the production-based sports car for Grega Simunovic. In the first sprint, the Croatian won his class with a 3.5-second lead, and in the second race, he crossed the finish line with a 16.4-second lead. In the endurance race, Grega and Zak Simunovic together took third place in the GT4 classification. An Audi R8 LMS GT4 took overall victory in the fourth round of the German amateur racing series DMV NES GP. Bernd Schaible/Tobias Erdmann won the two-hour race in Oschersleben for Seyffarth Motorsport with a one-lap lead. The DMV Super Touring und GT Cup also held its fourth race at the same event. Tobias Erdmann finished third overall and was a class winner in the first sprint in his Audi R8 LMS GT4, while his teammate Bernd Schaible repeated exactly the same results in the second sprint. Audi R8 LMS GT3 Class successes and good positions in the title race: The Audi customer teams celebrated four podium finishes, including a class victory, in the fifth round of the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS. At the Okayama circuit in Japan, the Uno Racing Team secured its second Silver Cup victory of the season in the second race with the Audi R8 LMS. The driver pairing of Rio/Shaun Thong secured the class victory with a four-tenths of a second lead. Second place went to Congfu Cheng/Yu Kuai, who started from pole position in the Silver class in the Audi of the FAW Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom. However, Yu Kuai had to avoid an accident early on and fell behind on the outside lane. Nevertheless, the number 45 Audi caught up again and Cheng Congfu was at the top of the Silver class until he was overtaken by Rio ten minutes before the end. The day before, Cheng/Kuai had finished second in the Silver Cup ahead of Rio/Thong.

I don’t think that anyone would have thought it possible for the two cars to end up in the top ten after those heavy crashes.“ Le Mans results 1 Ara/Capello/Kristensen (Audi R8) 379 laps 2 Davies/Herbert/Smith (Audi R8) + 41.354s 3 Lehto/Werner/Pirro (Audi R8) - 11 laps 4 Ayari/Comas/Treluyer (Pescarolo-Judd) - 17 laps 5 Biela/Kaffer/McNish (Audi R8) - 29 laps 6 Gavin/Beretta/Magnussen (Chevrolet) - 34 laps 7 Lammers/Dyson/Kaneishi (Dome-Judd) - 38 laps 8 Fellows/O’Connell/Papis (Chevrolet) - 45 laps 9 McRae/Rydell/Turner (Ferrari) - 50 laps 10 Maassen/Bergmeister/Long (Porsche) - 52 laps

The race winning Audi R8 at Lime Rock spotted a sticker saying “My other car is a diesel”. Quotes after the race at Lime Rock Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “This is a big achievement to stop a great career with a victory and especially with the 50th victory in the American Le Mans Series which for sure is again something that comes into the history books. It’s great to finish a big story of a great car. Thanks to the drivers, thanks to the team – this was an excellent performance.” Dindo Capello (Audi R8 #2): “I was surprised just how good and fast we were after the opening three laps, just like at Houston. Our pit strategy was absolutely perfect and the team did a great job. Allan was very fast throughout and despite the misunderstanding by the pit lane marshal on our final stop, nothing was going to stop us with the R8 this good today. Apart from this race, other highlights with the R8 for me include claiming pole-position at the Nurburgring in 2000 – the first time the Audi R8 had raced in Germany – and of course my 2004 Le Mans victory.” Allan McNish (Audi R8 #2): “It’s a very proud day for the team, Dindo and I – to personally give the R8 a final win here is unbelievable. We all had to pull out 110% to score this victory – the car, drivers and team – but the R8 stood up to it as she always does. I’ve had so many other highs with the R8. My first R8 win – with Dindo – at Sears Point in 2000, Adelaide that year where we clinched Audi’s first ALMS title, my victory for Audi UK at Sebring in 2004 and last year’s Silverstone 1,000km victory in atrocious weather conditions. If I enjoy the same kind of success with the R10 TDI that I have enjoyed with this car, I’ll personally be highly delighted.” Dave Maraj (Team Director, Team Audi Sport North America): “It was an amazing race. Great driving and great team work.

New customer racing car can now be ordered Victories for Audi Sport customers in New Zealand and Australia Season closes on a positive note for Belgian Audi Club Team WRT in Blancpain GT The new Audi R8 LMS GT4 which complements Audi Sport customer racing’s offering by a third model range can now be ordered on four continents. Audi R8 LMS GT4 Sales launch of most recent addition: In April, Audi Sport customer racing presented the Audi R8 LMS GT4 as its third model range for customer sport. The GT4 sports car delivering up to 364 kW (495 hp) can now be ordered. The company offers the race car at a price of 198,000 euros (excluding VAT). Deliveries are planned to begin in December. Prospective buyers can order the race car in Europe via Audi Sport customer racing, while Audi Sport customer racing North America, Audi Sport customer racing Asia, Audi Sport customer racing Japan and Audi Sport customer racing Australia are handling sales on three other continents. Hendrik Többe is available as the central point of contact: hendrik.toebbe@audi.de Audi R8 LMS GT3 Dream weekend on Phillip Island: Matthew Stoupas won all three races in the finale of the Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships in Australia. At the fifth racing event, the Australian in his Audi R8 LMS ultra not only remained unbeaten on the circuit of Phillip Island, but also in the Sports Cars Championship. As a result, Stoupas has been confirmed as the driver succeeding Steven McLaughlan who had decided the racing series in the Australian state of Victoria in an Audi R8 LMS ultra in his favor last year. Ross Lilley completed the successful weekend of the Audi Sport customers with a second place in both the first and third race. One-two win on South Island: Team International Motorsport in round two of the South Island Endurance Series in New Zealand celebrated a one-two victory.

Audi Sport UK finished its dress rehearsal for the Le Mans 24 Hour race with another Audi R8 in sixth position despite having to change the rear section of the car during the race.

Wolfgang Ullrich, under whose leadership the R8 LMS was developed. “I think we managed this exceptionally well.” The Audi R8 LMS cost 298,000 Euro (net). Audi Sport customer racing guarantees worldwide spare parts supply via the Audi groups logistic department and is on location at the most important European races with technicians and service trucks. Furthermore, the Audi race experience offers Audi customers the unique possibility of achieving a racing license and booking cost-effective races with the R8 LMS around the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife. The 100th win for the Audi R8 LMS was recorded by Hitotsuyama Racing in the GT3 Asia Series at Suzuka.