What's all this about?
Hot on the heels of the new Audi R8 road car comes the R8 LMS, designed and built to meet the 2016 GT3 race regulations. The new race car is lighter and safer than its predecessor and will make its first competition appearance at the Nürburgring on 16th May. Only time will tell if it can beat the old car's competition record of 26 GT3 championship victories and seven wins in 24-hour races in a five-year period.
What's new?
Safety features include a modified front-end structure and carbon fibre reinforced plastics crash element at the rear. Hence the R8 LMS meets crash-test requirements that apply to the lighter Le Mans Prototype (LMP) racing cars. A safety feature borrowed from the company's LMP cars is the Audi Protection Seat PS 1, which is attached to the chassis for greater stiffness - the pedals and steering column adjust to accommodate different drivers. A first for the GT3 class is the rescue opening in the roof, borrowed from DTM racing machines, which allows the driver's helmet to be removed after an accident with reduced risk of spinal injuries.
Even with the new safety features, the new car weighs 25kg less than its predecessor at 1,225kg. Yet, the chassis is 39 per cent stiffer than before.
What about the exterior?
Plenty of work has been done on the aerodynamics; there is a fully lined underfloor with integrated rear diffuser and as a result the rear wing has been reduced in size. The wider wheel arches are open at their trailing edges to improve airflow too. A larger grille allows more cooling air to pass through the radiator and attention has been paid to improve the flow of fresh air to the interior.
And the mechanicals?
The 5.2-litre V10 engine has a maximum power output of 585hp and comes off the same production line as the motor fitted to the production R8. Rebuild intervals for the race powerplant are set at just over 12,000 miles (20,000km), which is long for a racing unit. Drive goes through a new, lighter and more efficient six-speed racing gearbox. Also new is the control system that manages the engine, traction control and electro-hydraulic gearshift.
John Lambert - 4 Mar 2015