Audi Sport Archives

Audi Sport Introduces Unique Colours For Limited Edition R8 LMS GT2!

Not content with just winning, Audi Sport customer racing has launched a small series of its race cars.

This took place shortly after the company’s first two major victories with the Audi R8 LMS GT2 at Monza.

This six characterful colours transform the most powerful model of the R8 LMS into unique individual collectors items.

The colours also have unique names: Kyalami Green, Misano Red, Nogaro Blue, Sebring Black, Tactical Green, Vegas Yellow.

These unique colours for the R8 LMS GT2 marks the first time in the 13 year history of Audi Sport customer racing where such a colour concept is made available to Audi customers.

These cars in such a unique colour are a one-off and guarantees pure individuality and will never be available again.

The cars retain the ‘made-in-Hungary’ 640hp V10 that also powers the production R8 while the chassis is the same aluminium-CFRP composite that lays the foundation for the racing R8.

The ready to race Audi R8 LMS GT2 is available at 349,000 Euros (plus VAT).

New Audi RS 3 LMS model for customer racing around the planet

Audi Sport has unveiled the second generation of its successful RS 3 LMS model, with a season of testing ahead before going into production and being ready for customers at the end of 2021. The second generation of the entry-level touring car has been improved in many areas to offer more benefit to customers.

The RS 3 LMS, which has been available since the end of 2016, has made 3,105 appearances in a total of 1,051 races around the world to date. On average, there were almost three RS 3 LMS cars on the grid in each race. This is impressive considering that Audi has not been directly involved, with the exception of a 2-year program in the FIA WTCR in 2018 and 2019.

In the four years since its launch, the racing car has collected a total of 764 podium places in Africa, North and South America, Asia, Australia and Europe, including 279 overall wins. This is a win rate of 26.5% in an extremely tough competition in which TCR race cars from up to 14 manufacturers compete. It was considered the global ‘TCR Model of the Year’ in 2018.

More racing character
The second generation presents itself with new developments in all areas that serve two goals: To make the near-production entry-level even better and to optimize customer benefits in all areas. Despite this, the model remains inexpensive to buy and maintain, offers an even higher level of safety and, with up to 340 bhp available.

Visually, the second generation differs significantly from its predecessor. At 1.95 metres, it still meets the maximum width defined in the regulations, but the body extensions are integrated into the contours in a more harmonious and aerodynamically favorable way than before. The front apron incorporates the air intakes as part of a significantly revised cooling concept for the engine and brakes. The rear wing, suspended from the rear for the first time, completes the optimized aerodynamics of the TCR racing car.

New engine generation
For the new RS 3 LMS, the fourth generation of the 2-litre 4-cylinder EA888 engine replaces the predecessor series. The engine block and cylinder head, crank drive, valve train, intake manifold, fuel injection and the new turbocharger remain absolutely standard in the racing car. Only the valve cover breather with its oil separator differs from the standard component, as does the exhaust system. Also, the standard engine management system from Magneti Marelli specified by the regulations is new.

The adoption of the engine from volume production has proved highly successful in TCR racing. In many cases, Audi’s power units already achieved tens of thousands of racing kilometres in the previous generation in the hands of the customers. Together with the standardized hardware, this guarantees transparency and equal opportunities for all manufacturers.

Benchmarks in safety
No other TCR touring car offers as many optional safety components as are on board as standard in the RS 3 LMS. The roll-cage consists of steel tubes that add up to just under 25.8 metres in length. A 6-point safety belt serves as restraint system for the driver.

The Audi Sport Protection Seat, unique in the TCR class, with its robust construction and elaborate upholstery offers maximum accident safety. For better occupant protection in the event of a side impact, it is moved closer toward the centre of the car. Optionally available seat-wrapping safety nets on the right and left provide additional protection for the driver.

The standard roof hatch facilitates recovery of the driver after accidents. It allows the helmet to be gently removed upward and, if necessary, a rescue corset (Kendrick Extrication Device) to be inserted vertically from above to stabilize the driver’s spine.

For the first time, the rear window in every car is made of polycarbonate ex factory at no extra charge. This material reduces weight and is extremely impact-resistant. The safety fuel tank complies with FIA FT3 regulations and has a capacity of 100 litres. A fire extinguishing system completes the safety equipment.

Improved ergonomics in the cockpit
The cockpit is even more driver-oriented and easier to operate. The steering wheel features a control panel specified for TCR purposes. In the centre console, 12 functions are ergonomically optimized and logically grouped in a clearly arranged keypad. The ignition and various light functions can be activated there, as can the cockpit fan or the optional windshield heating. The brake balance and, if necessary, the fire extinguishing function are also within easy reach below the centre console.

Adaptable chassis
The McPherson design on the front axle makes it possible to implement changes to the kinematics faster than ever before. Whereas the previous bolting system always required a chassis measurement for changes, spacer components known as shims can now be inserted in the control arm and track rod in a matter of minutes. The track rods are standard on the 4-link rear axle to achieve bump steer effects. They support the agility of the car when turning in.

“Our new Audi RS 3 LMS thus takes on a great and responsible legacy,” says Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. “The focus of our development goals for our latest model was on the customers. Whether it’s about running times or setup options, safety or cockpit ergonomics: we want to offer the teams a car that’s even more of a racing car than before, that has many practical advantages in everyday use and that can be operated economically thanks to long running times.”

Final year for Audi in DTM series after three decades of successful racing

Like other factory teams, Audi is preparing to rejoin the postponed 2020 DTM season in July. However, this will be its final year in the series which has been an integral part of the carmaker’s story since it first participated in the series in 1990.

The DTM – which are the initials for Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters or German Touring Car Masters – ran from 1984 to 1996 before resuming under a new format in 2000. To date, Audi has won 23 DTM Championship titles, including 11 Driver titles.

As the series has travelled not just through Germany but across Europe and as far as Moscow and Shanghai, Audi has taken 114 victories, 345 podiums, 106 pole positions and 112 fastest laps to date. The 2019 season was Audi’s most successful ever and, hopefully, when the 2020 series gets underway, there will be more victories to celebrate.

It has been strongly supported by the German manufacturers who have spent huge sums of money developing racing cars for the series. Compared to the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), the cars are much more powerful and spectacular to watch. They are constructed from carbonfibre and are closer to Formula 1 cars than the road-derived touring cars in the British series.

According to Jamie Green, a British Audi Sport DTM driver, it’s extremely competitive, and one of the hardest championships in the world. “Compared to a BTCC car, the performance of a DTM car is stratospheric. Our cars have 600 ps, and the speed and sound are awesome,” he said. “The series is incredibly technical, too. If the ride height at the front of my car is adjusted by just 0.6 mm, I can feel the difference.”

“Audi has shaped the DTM and the DTM has shaped Audi. This demonstrates what power lies in motorsport – technologically and emotionally,” said Chairman of the Board of Management, Markus Duesmann. “With this energy, we’re going to drive our transformation into a provider of sporty, sustainable electric mobility forward. That’s why we’re also focusing our efforts on the race track and systematically competing for tomorrow’s ‘Vorsprung.’ Formula E offers a very attractive platform for this. To complement it, we’re investigating other progressive motorsport formats for the future.”

Audi V8 quattro 1992 — **Audi V8 quattro DTM (1990-1992):** In 1990, Audi entered the DTM with the 4.8-metre long luxury V8 sedan which was longer than the BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz 190 E. Within 18 months of its debut, the V8 quattro captured two DTM titles. In its ultimate guise, the naturally aspirated 3.6-litre V8 engine delivered 470 ps/380 Nm. The car’s weight fluctuated between 1,220 kgs and 1,300 kgs as competitors demanded it carry extra ballast in an attempt to slow it down.

Audi 80 quattro DTM Prototype — **Audi 80 quattro DTM prototype (1993):** Audi began planning its return to the DTM in 1993 by developing a car to comply with the new FIA Class 1 Touring Car regulations. These were designed to level the playing field among the manufacturers, with every team forced to use a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated engine. Audi chose to base its DTM car on an 80 sedan – but it was unlike 80 model ever seen before. The combination of a massive front air splitter, bulging wheel arches cloaking substantial 19-inch wheels with ultra-low-profile tyres, ground-hugging side sills, a triple-deck boot-mounted spoiler and an aggressively styled rear bumper package produced a fearsome-looking track weapon. A new V6 engine, tuned for racing, produced a lusty 388 ps and revved to 10,500 rpm, all the power going to four wheels.

**Abt-Audi TT-R DTM (2000 – 2003):** In 1996, three years after Audi left the DTM – then known as the German Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft or German Touring Car Championship – the series ended. It returned in 2000, with DTM now standing for Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters or German Touring Car Masters. Audi rejoined although not initially as a factory team. Instead, the privately run Team Abt Sportsline developed and fielded the Abt-Audi TT-R. All-wheel drive was prohibited in the new DTM, as it was for most touring car series. The TT-R was powered by a 463 ps 8-cylinder engine, with drive to the rear wheels.

**Audi A4 DTM (2004 – 2011):** Between 2004 and 2011, Audi Sport fielded seven different versions of the A4 DTM. After only three races of the 2004 season, the car had claimed its first victory, and gave Audi the Manufacturers’ crown and a Drivers’ title during its debut year. In compliance with the DTM regulations, the A4 DTM featured a steel space-frame chassis with a carbonfibre monocoque and was powered by a front, longitudinally-mounted 460 ps naturally aspirated 4-valve V8 engine. It had rear wheel drive via a triple-plate carbonfibre composite clutch and a 6-speed sequential manual-shift gearbox.

Audi RS5 DTM — **Audi A5/RS 5 DTM (2012 – 2020)**: For 2012, Audi shifted the shape of its DTM racer from the A4 Saloon to the A5 Coupe. The car retained the V8 engine used to such good effect in the A4 DTM. However, the drivers were now able to change gear using paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Unlike the A4, which had a steel roof, the A5’s entire body was made from carbonfibre. In 2019, when the DTM abandoned its V8 engine formula and downsized to 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged engines and new Class 1 regulations, Audi responded with the RS 5 Turbo DTM. Th engine develops around 580 ps and over 650 Nm with an additional 60 ps available via a push-to-pass system (which drivers can use 24 times per race).

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Secrets of the Audi V10 engine

At its 8,700 rpm limit, each one of the pistons found in the 10-cylinder Audi R8 engine is traveling approximately 27 metres every second. Or you can put it another way: adding up all 10 cylinders’ worth of work, the engine’s pistons can cover more than 950 km/h. That’s about as fast as your standard domestic commercial aircraft. Each piston outpaces those found in today’s Formula 1 cars.

The 90° 5.2-litre V10 Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) engine was born from the necessity that its performance exceeded the greatest expectations of a supercar customer while still providing refinement and smoothness. Its FSI system was refined through development in Audi’s original Le Mans endurance cars.

Compared with a V8 engine of similar size, the V10 has smaller, lighter pistons, allowing it to rev more freely. Compared with a V12, it has fewer moving parts, reducing complexity and internal friction.

For the US market, the current street-legal R8 V10 Performance is able to generate up to 602 ps at 8,100 rpm and 560 Nm of torque at a 6,700 rpm. That speed and the firing pattern of the cylinders – 1 – 6 – 5 – 10 – 2 – 7 – 3 – 8 – 4 – 9 – give the R8 a hissing tenor exhaust note that builds to a crescendo. Where in turbocharged engines, a turbocharger can act as a sound muffler in the engine, the naturally aspirated V10 wails, with its exhaust baffles opening at higher rpm for full effect.

The V10 engine went into production in 2009, initially making 525 ps and serving as a higher engine option for the R8. Like the entry 4.2-litre V8 engine at the time, which made 420 ps, it was developed by what is now Audi Sport GmbH, the performance sub-brand of Audi.

Like the V8 of the era, the basis of the V10 engine could be found in other Audi models, such as the S6 and S8 sedans. Unlike its sedan counterparts, however, the V10 in the R8 had a different engine crank, designed for a lighter weight, freer-revving engine and adopted dry-sump oil lubrication, which eliminated the need for a traditional oil pan.

In its place, the R8 had and continues to have a baffle plate below the engine that collects outgoing oil and serves as a reservoir for cycling oil through the engine. The oil pump module consists of a suction and feed pump for filling the oil reservoir and a suction and pressure pump for supplying oil to the engine.

This allowed engineers to mount the engine lower, which drops the centre of gravity of the car. It also allows the engine to withstand higher lateral forces as the oil pump will never be starved from cornering too aggressively. An oil cooler is run from the left-side air intake blade to keep the engine running cooler.

The dry-sump lubrication system is identical from the road-going R8 to the R8 LMS GT3 racing car, which can see much higher G-forces on tracks like Daytona and the Nurburgring due to extreme banking, slick tyres and aerodynamic changes increasing downforce.

Extensively re-engineered from the first to the second generation, the current R8 V10 performance engine still retains 40 valves (two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder), but its springs and the roller-type rocker arms are now made of ultralight and ultra-high-strength titanium, versus steel alloys in previous applications, among other modifications.

The latest V10 also features cylinder on demand (COD) technology, which also contributes to the engine’s efficiency. Under low to intermediate load conditions – when one of the four upper gears is engaged – it shuts down the cylinders of one bank by deactivating their injection and ignition processes. The driver does not notice the transition; at stronger acceleration, the cylinder bank is activated again immediately.

The gripping story of Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system

Covid-19 — *Fighting COVID-19 is our joint responsibility. Protect yourself and others: make these 6 simple precautions your new habits.*

Audi Sport readies championship-winning car to defend DTM title

It’s interesting that even with the push towards electrification of cars, Audi’s Head of Motorsport, Dieter Gass, says that for the foreseeable future, Audi will sell more cars with internal combustion engines than with electric drive. He made this remark by way of explaining why the company supports a racing series (DTM) with modern, efficient combustion engines in parallel with its involvement in the Formula E all-electric championship.

So in 2020, Audi Design has given its six factory-entered cars a fresh look, starting with the RS 5 DTM of title defender, Rene Rast. The designs of the other five RS 5 DTM cars, which will be driven by Loic Duval, Robin Frijns, Jamie Green, Nico Muller and Mike Rockenfeller are following.

Audi Sport has been relying on the RS 5 Coupe in the DTM since 2013. In accordance with the new regulations, last season’s championship winning car will contest the 2020 season with a number of detailed changes aimed at making the DTM even more exciting and cost-effective.

Fundamental technical changes are not allowed by the Class 1 regulations introduced for the series in 2019, which are designed for a level playing field and cost-efficiency. Therefore, the basis of the 2020 model year RS 5 DTM corresponds to the 2019 champion’s car. With the Class 1 regulations, which will also form the basis for the Japanese SUPER GT Championship from 2020, DTM last year technically started a new era.

The introduction of turbo technology has given DTM a stronger connection to road car development. The TFSI engine of the RS 5 DTM of model year 2020 has an engine output reduced by around 5% compared to the previous year. For the 2020 season, DTM has reduced the amount of fuel that may flow to the engine per hour from 95 kgs to 90 kgs. By means of the ‘Push-to-Pass’ function, the engine output can be increased to around 640 bhp in the short term, as in 2019.

Therefore, from the 2020 season onwards, DTM drivers will be able to use the ‘Push-to-Pass’ system – for overtaking, for example – twice as often during the race as before. During 24 race laps (previously 12), the additional power may be switched on for up to five seconds at a time.

This new qualifying rule also applies to the use of the DRS function (Drag Reduction System) which flattens the rear wing, reduces the car’s drag and increases top speed. From 2020, DRS may be used in races more often than before. With the combined use of DRS and ‘Push-to-Pass’, the RS 5 DTM reaches a top speed of almost 300 km/h, depending on the track.

Audi DTM 2020 — *New Audi Sport RS 5 DTM of Rene Rast, the title-defender.*

Alongside Formula E and customer racing, the DTM forms the third pillar of Audi’s motorsport program. DTM’s spectacular Class 1 racing cars feature highly efficient 4-cylinder turbo engines with a displacement of 2 litres. This type of drive is used by Audi in many production models with various performance levels worldwide and is a pillar for increasing efficiency and reducing fleet emissions.

Audi’s new all-electric Formula E racing car previewed before public unveiling

When the next Formula E season starts in November, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler drivers Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi will pilot a new e-tron FE06 all-electric racing car with a spectacular new look. The car will be unveiled publicly for the first time at the Frankfurt International Motorshow next week but Audi is giving a preview of its new colours and evolutionary technology. Its first race will be in Ad Diriyah (Saudi Arabia) on November 22/23.

With plenty of visible carbonfibre and a conspicuously bright orange livery to accentuate the lines across the whole car, the e-tron FE06 clearly appears even more aggressive than its predecessor in Abt and di Grassi achieved the runner-up position in the championship during last season.

“Compliments to the design team at Audi,” said Abt, the most successful German Formula E driver. “I’ve been keeping track of the visual development over the last few weeks and think the result is brilliant – the car simply looks aggressive and fast.”

New appearance but continuity in all other respects
While Audi pursued new paths with the design, including the selection of the orange that takes cues from the colour palette in which the road-going Audi e-tron was previously presented, the team relies on continuity in all other respects.

A new partner of the team is SONAX, a manufacturer of carcare products which has been closely linked to motorsport for decades and also supported Abt during his still young career. “We’re delighted that a new chapter is being opened in our long-standing partnership with ABT and that we’ll be able to present ourselves as a partner of the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team in Formula E in the future. The fascinating environment of the series provides our brand with great prospects of reaching even more potential customers worldwide,” said SONAX Head of Marketing, Franz Fischer.

The schedule before the first race is tight. Following the intensive private testing phase in Germany and Europe and the preparation of the two racing cars during the next few weeks, the team will travel to Valencia in the middle of October for the official 3-day Formula E pre-season test for all of the teams and drivers. At the beginning of November, the cars and equipment will then be loaded to be air-freighted to Ad Diriyah.

2020 Audi R8 LMS for the new GT2 class on sale now for RM1.6 million

The most powerful Audi racing car in the company’s 11-year history of its customer racing program makes its debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend. With a base price of 338,000 euros (around RM1.6 million), deliveries of the new Audi R8 LMS GT2 will start from December.

From the 2020 season on, they will be able to compete in the new GT2 class that will open up a new stage in racing to the world’s most beautiful super sportscars.

“This sportscar with its emotive high-performance V10 engine marks the top end of our customer racing program. The legendary event at Goodwood is the ideal venue for unveiling such a fascinating sports car,” said Oliver Hoffmann, CEO of Audi Sport GmbH.

Created for the new GT2 category
The racing car has been created for a future racing category which will come to life in Europe and North America in 2020. It will fill a gap between the existing GT3 and GT4 categories and specifically feature cars with high longitudinal dynamics.

Consequently, this type of car addresses gentleman drivers who have been the backbone of GT racing for decades. It is the fourth model for customer racing from Audi Sport.