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The Audi R8 is a Sports Prototype race car introduced for Sportscar racing. GTP sports cars racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 1991 Sports car racing is a form of circuit racing, with purpose-built cars that nevertheless have enclosed wheel wells and often have closed cockpits. ...
It was introduced in 1999 as a redevelopment of their Audi R8R (open top LMP) and Audi R8C (closed top LMGTP). The 2000 and later version Audi R8 was very successful, winning many races and championships until it was retired during the 2006 season. It is considered by some to be the most successful sports cars cars ever (alongside such greats as the Porsche 956/962) having won the prestigous 24 Hours of Le Mans 5 times since 2000. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
A Honda NSX sports car A TVR Tuscan sports car A sports car is a car designed for sporting performance above utility. ...
The Porsche 956 was a race car built by Porsche which designed it in 1982 for FIA Group C racing. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
The gasoline-powered Audi R8 race car has been replaced from 2006 onwards by the new Audi R10 Diesel, however, the need to further develop the R10 has meant that the R8 has seen action in a few races leading up to Le Mans. Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ...
Audi R10 racing car, static, from the front right The Audi R10 is a sports-racing car prepared for sports car racing in the LMP1 class of the Le Mans 24 Hours. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
The name Audi R8 will also be used by the future production road sports car/supercar Audi R8 Road Car. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
The Bugatti Veyron 16. ...
Audi has announced in 2005 that the name of the successful Audi R8 race car will be used for a new road car in 2007, the Audi R8, based on the Audi Le Mans which was a concept car at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show. ...
Audi R8 behind its trophies Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x676, 144 KB) Summary Audi R8 sportscar behind its 50 trophies source Audi press photo via infocourse. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x676, 144 KB) Summary Audi R8 sportscar behind its 50 trophies source Audi press photo via infocourse. ...
1998: The Challenge
In 1997, sports car racing and especially the Le Mans 24 Hours was popular among factories like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota, Nissan Motors and others. At that time, Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich started to evaluate the options of joining. GTP sports cars racing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 1991 Sportscar racing is a form of circuit racing, with cars that have two seats and enclosed wheel wells. ...
24 hours of Le Mans (24 heures du Mans) is a famous sports car endurance race held at Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France, near river La Sarthe. ...
BMW AG (an acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ...
This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ...
Dr. Ing. ...
Toyota redirects here. ...
Nissan redirects here. ...
With the upcoming American Le Mans Series also providing a stage for the US-market, Audi announced in 1998 to compete in 1999, with a car called R8 and powered by a 550hp V8 turbo. As required by the rules it had simple RWD drive, which was a kind of surprise as Audi used to insist on its quattro all-wheel drive in touring car racing, or else stay away at least as a factory entrant. The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) is a series of automobile races. ...
Rear wheel drive was a common form of engine/transmission layout used in automobiles throughout the 20th century. ...
This article is about the Audi all wheel drive system, for information on the Audi coupe of the same name, see Audi Quattro. ...
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct automobile racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. ...
As it was considered the better choice for a whole race due to less weight and wider tires, Audi ordered an open top roadster from Dallara, to be developed and run by Joest Racing, similar to their Le Mans-Winner of 1996 and 1997 as well as to the 1998 BMW V12 built by WilliamsF1 (which would go on to win in 1999). Dallara was a Formula One constructor from 1988 through 1992. ...
Established in 1978. ...
The BMW V12 LMR was entered in Sports car racing from 1998 to 2000. ...
WilliamsF1, formerly Williams Grand Prix Engineering, is a Formula 1 (F1) motor racing team formed and run by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head. ...
Yet, during the fall of 1998, after the necessity of GT1 homologation was dropped in favour of LM-GTP prototypes, regarding the speed and success of these closed GT coupés like Porsche 911 GT1 ('98 Le Mans Winner), the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR ('98 FIA GT champion, beating the 911 GT1 in all GT races) and the Toyota GT-One (considered fastest), Audi also ordered their newly acquired Norfolk based RTN (Racing Technology Norfolk, led by Tony Southgate) to build such a car using the same drivetrain. The Porsche 911 GT1 was a racing car designed for competition in the GT1 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and sold as a road car for homologation purposes. ...
Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR AMG, once recorded as the most expensive production car ever built, with a price of $1,573,000 it certainly deserved its title. ...
The FIA GT Championship is a sports car motorsport series organized by the SRO at the behest of the FIA. The championship is mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents, most lately visiting Asia. ...
The Toyota GT-One, also known as the TS020, was raced in the 1998 and the 1999 Le Mans by Toyota in the GTP category (known as GT1 prior to 1999). ...
Norfolk (pronounced IPA: ) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ...
The GTP rules allowed to have more power (about 600hp), which results in a higher top speed in combination with the lower drag. To compensate this advantage over the duration of a race, the GTPs were limited to smaller tires and smaller fuel tanks.
1999: The R8R and R8C At the 1999 12 Hours of Sebring, two R8R cars showed up, painted in silver, to revive the 1930s Silver Arrow rivalry with Mercedes — which was absent, as was Toyota and the brand new closed-roof R8C which needed to be tested first. Also, Porsche took a year off to develop a V10 car. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x800, 354 KB) Summary Audi R8R endurance racing car at Le Mans 24 Hours 1999 Source Photos courtesy of Audi AG via AudiWorld Licensing This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organization to promote their...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x800, 354 KB) Summary Audi R8R endurance racing car at Le Mans 24 Hours 1999 Source Photos courtesy of Audi AG via AudiWorld Licensing This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organization to promote their...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x800, 111 KB) Summary Audi R8C endurance racing car at Le Mans 24 Hours 1999 Source Photos courtesy of Audi AG via AudiWorld Licensing This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organization to promote their...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x800, 111 KB) Summary Audi R8C endurance racing car at Le Mans 24 Hours 1999 Source Photos courtesy of Audi AG via AudiWorld Licensing This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organization to promote their...
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race held at Sebring Raceway, a former Air Force base in Sebring, Florida. ...
Silver Arrow – 1939 GP Silver Arrows was the name given to Germany’s Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix cars between 1934 and 1939, as well as to the Mercedes-Benz Formula One cars in 1954/55. ...
The BMW V12 won, which was a strong sign towards the race in France. The already tested open-top Audi R8R, entered by Joest Racing was not fast enough to challenge for a win, finishing 3rd. The BMW V12 LMR was entered in Sports car racing from 1998 to 2000. ...
Established in 1978. ...
After further tests and modifications, the Audis returned for Le Mans, with the R8C only looking fast, even while standing still in the RTN pits, which it did too often. Lap times were 10 seconds down, too. Joest made their cars run steady, yet still was too slow to run for P1. After a race which saw the spectacular flights of the Mercedes-Benz CLR as well as leading cars of Toyota and BMW crashing out, the Audi R8R took 3rd and 4th behind the surviving #15 BMW and the Japanese-driven Toyota. The Mercedes-Benz CLR was a Le Mans Prototype racing car created for the 1999 race. ...
Based on the experiences, Audi decided to regroup for 2000, and built a new R8 roadster together with Joest and Dallara. The British-built R8C GTP was retired, but Bentley developed the concept and entered the Bentley Speed 8 at the 2001 event, and after more work again in 2003, this time as a winner. The Bentley Speed 8 is a LMP class race car that competed in the Le Mans series from 2001-2003. ...
1999: Retiring Competitors After the 1999 Le Mans shame, Mercedes retired from GTs to focus on the return of the DTM touring cars in 2000, as well as on F1. Toyota and BMW also went to F1, with BMW at least continuing to race for two years in the ALMS, where the open roadster of Bill Auberlen also suffered a "back flip" during the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in 2000, as the closed-cockpit Porsche of Yannick Dalmas had done in 1998. Despite the BMW V12 not receiving further development, the German team Schnitzer Motorsport was almost as effective as Joest. They returned to race BMW M3 touring car since, dominating in the ALMS and in WTCC as well as at the 24 Hours Nürburgring. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM, German Touringcar Masters) is a motorsport series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe. ...
Alms Bag taken from some Tapestry in Orleans, Fifteenth Century. ...
Bill Auberlen Bill Auberlen is a race car driver born in Redondo Beach, California, USA on 12 October 1968. ...
Petit Le Mans is a sports car endurance race held anually at Road Atlanta in Georgia, using the rules established by the Automobile Club de lOuest (ACO) for the 24 hours of Le Mans. ...
Road Atlanta is a 2. ...
Yannick Dalmas was a Formula One driver from France. ...
Schnitzer Motorsport is a successful Motorsport Team based in Freilassing near Munich, Germany It was founded in 1967 by the brothers Josef and Herbert Schnitzer, born in 1939 and 1941. ...
The BMW M3 is a sports version of the popular compact BMW 3-Series automobile, made by BMW Motorsport. ...
The World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) is an international Touring Car championship organized by the FIA. The WTCC was first held in 1987 to replace the long-running ETCC (European Touring Car Championship) in a Group A format, with races held in Bathurst and Mount Fuji. ...
The 24 Hours Nürburgring is antouring car Endurance racing event on the Nürburgring, inspired by the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Spa 24 Hours and the 24 Hours of Daytona. ...
This left only Porsche as a major possible challenger for 2000 — which never showed up, though. Rumors at that time, which where confirmed since, said that Ferdinand Piech himself made them stay away, using his influence as a co-owner of Porsche as well as his manager positions at Volkswagen, which would develop the upcoming SUV VW Touareg in cooperation with the Porsche Cayenne. The Porsche V10 racer was turned into the Porsche Carrera GT instead. Ferdinand Piëch (born April 17, 1937 Vienna) is a car engineer and manager. ...
Volkswagen (Ger. ...
VW Touareg The VW Touareg (Pronounced Toe-waar-egg) is an automobile manufactured by Volkswagen. ...
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Porsche Cayenne The Porsche Cayenne is an SUV automobile made by Porsche since 2002. ...
The Porsche Carrera GT is a sports car, regarded as a supercar, manufactured by Porsche of Germany. ...
2000: The R8 The Audi R8 is a sports-racing car prepared for sports car racing in the LMP900 class at Le Mans and in the American Le Mans Series. The car was developed by Audi Motorsport and Joest Racing and first debuted in 2000, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring. Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) is a series of automobile races. ...
Audi is a German automobile maker with headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. ...
Established in 1978. ...
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race held at Sebring Raceway, a former Air Force base in Sebring, Florida. ...
The R8 has won Le Mans five times (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005) and the overall season championship in the American Le Mans Series six times in a row (from 2000 to 2005). The 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 68th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 17 and 18, 2000. ...
The 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 69th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 16 and 17, 2001. ...
The 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 70th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 15 and 16, 2002. ...
The 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 72nd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 12 and 13, 2004. ...
The 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 73rd Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 18 and 19, 2005. ...
The R8 won a hat trick at Le Mans (three wins in a row) campaigned by Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest and driven by Tom Kristensen, Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela during the 2000-2002 seasons. First time out in 2000, the team won a 1-2-3 finish, which was just a small preview of what this all-new Audi was capable of. Since then, the Audi R8 has won numerous championships and races, including wins at Le Mans in 2004 and 2005. Image File history File links Cd13-0601ow. ...
Image File history File links Cd13-0601ow. ...
Infineon Technologies is a German manufacturer of integrated circuits and related products. ...
Tom Kristensen (born 1967-07-07 in Hobro) is a Danish racing driver. ...
Emanuele Pirro was a Formula One driver from Italy. ...
Frank Biela is an auto racing driver from Neuss in Germany, born in 1964. ...
The R8 is powered by a 3.6 L twin-turbocharged and intercooled Audi FSI V8. FSI stands for Fuel-Stratified Injection, which is a variation on the concept of gasoline direct injection developed by VW which maximizes both power and fuel economy at the same time. FSI technology can be found in products available to the normal public, across all brands in the Volkswagen Group. Air foil bearing-supported turbocharger cutaway made by Mohawk Innovative Technology Inc. ...
Volkswagen has moved boundaries for petrol technology with its FSI unit. ...
Gasoline direct injection or GDI is a variant of fuel injection employed in modern four stroke petrol engines. ...
Volkswagen AG (DE0007664005) (TYO: 7659 ) is a German automobile manufacturer. ...
The power supplied by the R8, officially limited to about 580 hp (about 430 kW) during the 2004 race, is sent to the rear wheels via a Ricardo six-speed sequential transmission with an electro–pneumatic gear change. That means it has a computer-controlled clutch that allows the driver to make gear changes without touching the clutch pedal. These gear changes can be done by the computer far quicker than even the fastest human being with a conventional manual transmission. Sequential transmission may mean: Semi-automatic transmission, a method of mechanical power transmission used in motor vehicles Serial transmission, a method of data transmission in telecommunication and computing This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...
Rear side of a Ford V6 engine, looking at the clutch housing on the flywheel Single, dry, clutch friction disc. ...
However, while the R8's speed was quite dominant during the races, speed is but a minor factor in winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The main key is reliability. The R8 was a reliable car, yes; but not far more so than its competitors. The real reason for the R8's dominance at La Sarthe was its ingenious design. The Audi R8's structure was designed from the very beginning to expedite parts changes during the race. The car has a chassis that has been likened to a Lego model — anything on the car can be changed and changed quickly. During its campaign, the Joest pit crew was able to change the entire rear transaxle of a damaged R8 — a process which usually takes between one and three hours — in four and a half minutes, a feat that was unprecedented in its efficiency and speed. The ACO, organizers of the races the R8 competed in, quickly voided this advantage, by mandating the gearbox casing be the same item through the duration of the race, with only the internals being allowed to be changed. However, the R8 still had quicker access to the gearbox internals than any other car. Lego Group logo The classic red 2x4 Lego brick. ...
The R8's structure and body are both composed of carbon fiber, a lightweight polymer material which is extremely lightweight and strong; however it is very expensive and time-consuming to mould. Carbon fiber composite is a strong, light and very expensive material. ...
As amazing as the R8 is, its time at the front of the pack is drawing to a close. Cars from other manufacturers and teams are catching up to it quickly, and even sometimes winning, though still rarely, since in later years the ACO has reduced the restrictor size on the engine and stipulated the R8 carry ballast to make the races more competitive. At the 2005 Le Mans, the Audis failed to qualify for first; the fastest R8 started the race in third position.
2003: The Bentley It should be noted, however, that the Bentley EXP Speed 8, which ran at Le Mans from 2001 to 2003, and won in 2003, utilised a heavily modified 4.0 L version of the engine taken from the Audi R8, campaigned by Team Bentley (Apex Motorsport) with assistance from Joest Racing and Audi Sport, and even driven by the drivers who had won in the Audis the previous three years. Some even say that the works Audi teams quit to give victory to the Bentley team due to their recent addition to the Volkswagen Group in that same year. The Bentley Speed 8 is a LMP class race car that competed in the Le Mans series from 2001-2003. ...
Bentleys winged B badge and hood ornament Bentley Motors Limited is a British based manufacturer of luxury automobiles and Grand Tourers. ...
Volkswagen AG (DE0007664005) (TYO: 7659 ) is a German automobile manufacturer. ...
2006: the R10 Diesel In response to the new level of competition, development of the successor, known as the Audi R10, has been completed. The V12-Turbodiesel won at its race debut at the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring with both cars starting on the front row. Unfortunately the pole sitting R10 had to start from the pit lane due to the need to rectify heat exchanger issues. Peugeot is expected to build a Diesel powered rival in 2007. [1] Audi R10 racing car, static, from the front right The Audi R10 is a sports-racing car prepared for sports car racing in the LMP1 class of the Le Mans 24 Hours. ...
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race held at Sebring Raceway, a former Air Force base in Sebring, Florida. ...
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën. ...
Emanuele Pirro, Frank Biela and Marco Werner made history by becoming the first drivers to win the Le Mans 24-hour race in a diesel-powered car. The Audi R10 Diesel completed a record 380 laps of the La Sarthe circuit, with Pirro at the wheel for the finish. French trio Sebastien Loeb, Eric Helary and Franck Montagny took second in the Pescarolo Judd No 17, four laps adrift. Scotsman Allan McNish was third in the other Audi, which came in 13 laps down after suffering mechanical problems. The venerable R8 continued to campaign the American Le Mans Series through the first half of the 2006 season, and made its final US appearance on July 1, 2006 at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut, piloted by McNish and Capello. The R8 ended its career in style by winning the race, the 50th American Le Mans Series win for the Audi R8. The R10s will participate in the rest of the ALMS season, beginning with the next race at Miller Motorsports Park, Utah. The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) is a series of automobile races. ...
July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Lime Rock Park is a road course auto racing facility located in Lakeville, Connecticut. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Hartford Largest city Bridgeport Area Ranked 48th - Total 5,549 sq. ...
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) is a series of automobile races. ...
Motorcycle race at the Miller Motorsports Park Miller Motorsports Park is a road course auto racing facility located in Tooele, Utah. ...
Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area Ranked 13th - Total 84,876 sq mi (219,887 km²) - Width 270 miles (435 km) - Length 350 miles (565 km) - % water 3. ...
2007: the R8 Road Car The name Audi R8 will also be used by the future production road sports car/supercar Audi R8 Road Car which will be based on the 2003 Audi Le Mans Quattro concept car, not the R8 race car. Audi has announced that this car will be built in 2007 or later. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
The Bugatti Veyron 16. ...
Audi has announced in 2005 that the name of the successful Audi R8 race car will be used for a new road car in 2007, the Audi R8, based on the Audi Le Mans which was a concept car at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Automotive design. ...
Audi is a German automobile maker with headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. ...
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