2015 Geneva Motor Show: New Audi R8 LMS race car unveiled

The ongoing Geneva Motor Show has played host to the debut of Audi’s new race car. Based on the recently unveiled 2015 R8, Audi says the R8 LMS already meets the requirements of the new GT3 championship regulations to be introduced in 2016.

Thanks to a modified structure of the front end and a CFRP crash element at the rear that is being used for the first time, the R8 LMS meets the crash test requirements that apply to the much lighter Le Mans prototypes (LMP) such as the R18 e-tron quattro. This new vehicle also benefits from a slight weight  shedding as the overall load has been reduced from 1,250 to 1,225 kilograms. The mix of aluminium in the space frame and the steel roll cage alone make the chassis about 30 kilograms lighter – now weighing 252 kilograms.

Audi says it has used a lot of production parts in the new R8 LMS.  The engine, for instance, is the same 5.2 litre V10 unit found in the production- spec R8. Developing 585bhp of power, it remains nearly unchanged and, with a scheduled rebuild interval of 20,000 kilometres, quite long lasting too. 

The R8 LMS has already been scheduled to run the 24-hour races at the Nurburgring in Germany and at Spa in Belgium. Audi has revealed that it is planning to deliver the first models of the new R8 LMS to the teams by the end of 2015.