Want to know which is the most hardcore model Audi
makes? That would, without a doubt, be the R8 LMS – the GT3 racing version of
Ingolstadt’s mid-engined supercar. And it just revealed a new version here at
the 2018 Paris Auto Show.
A further evolution of the customer racing car Audi
Sport has been making since 2015, the updated R8 LMS features a wide range of
enhancements aimed to keep it out ahead of the competition on tracks around the
world.
That includes substantial
aerodynamic improvements aimed not only at increasing downforce and decreasing
drag, but also providing better cooling to the brakes. The small design changes up front
are expected to be featured in the road-going version of the Audi R8 facelift
as well, as the German company has been out testing a few prototypes for quite
some time now.
The engine remains essentially unchanged: a
5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 capable of producing as much as 585
hp and upwards of 550 Nm of torque. Such are the
strict standards with which the R8 LMS and its competitors have to comply. But
the six-speed sequential transmission, three-plate racing clutch, and locking
differential have been extensively revised to provide increased performance while
reducing the effects of wear over the course of the grueling endurance races to
which these vehicles are often subjected.
Safety has also been increased surpass the level
mandated by the FIA for GT3 racing and meet the standards for Le Mans prototypes
(like the R18 that Audi fielded at the top level until 2016). And despite all
the improved equipment, the new R8 LMS is actually 25 kilograms lighter than the first-generation model employed until now – all the while
increasing torsional stiffness by an impressive 39 percent.
It’ll cost you a
substantial € 398,000, before taxes – or about US$ 459k at current exchange rates.
But teams already in possession of the existing model for € 28,000 (US$ 33k).
Deliveries will commence in January once homologation is completed, after which
you can expect to see the evolved R8 LMS challenging for checkered flags and
podiums in series like the FIA GT World Cup, ADAC GT Masters, Blancpain GT
Series, and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, to name just a few of the
racing series in which it will be eligible to compete next year.
