Audi Sport customer racing on course for growth
AUDI In the run-up to the New York International Auto Show, the AUDI R8 LMS celebrated its premiere in its GT4 version. Audi Sport GmbH's customer sports program is thus growing rapidly. Audi has offered the Audi R8 LMS GT3 race car since 2009, followed by the second generation of this successful model in 2015 and the Audi RS 3 LMS for the TCR category in 2016. [...]
Audi has been offering the Audi R8 LMS GT3 race car since 2009, followed by the second generation of this successful model in 2015 and the Audi RS 3 LMS for the TCR category in 2016. Now the Audi Sport model portfolio is expanding once again.
Close-to-production racing
The Audi R8 LMS GT4 stands for near-series racing. It is directly derived from the street-legal Audi R8 Coupé V10, is powerful and offers a high level of safety. At the same time, it is economical to buy and maintain. It is the ideal race car for amateur drivers and thus fully in keeping with the spirit of the GT4 regulations, which hark back to a great sports car tradition.
Use at the Nürburgring
The public will experience the production-based Audi R8 LMS GT4 in racing action for the first time at the Nürburgring 24 Hours from May 25 to 28. The brand thus occupies another growth category in international racing. The GT4 class, which originated in Europe, will be consistently marketed internationally from 2017 and offers opportunities for use in America, Asia, Australia and Europe. There are already 13 racing series worldwide in which GT4 models can compete.
Identical parts from R8
The Audi R8 LMS GT4 shares more than 60 percent of its assemblies with the street-legal Audi R8 Coupé. Customers of the new race car benefit from these synergies in terms of acquisition and maintenance costs. Audi Sport is developing the GT4 model with up to 364 kW/495 hp, depending on the classification, over the course of the 2017 season before a final homologation status is reached and sports certification is applied for. In the second half of the year, the team of Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing, will prepare the production of the race car. This will allow the first customers to take delivery of the new Audi R8 LMS GT4 from the end of the year.
