Audi Le Mans quattro


The Audi Le Mans quattro is a concept car, developed by German automobile manufacturer Audi, for presentation at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, in order to celebrate Audi's three successive wins at the arduous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 2000, 2001, and 2002. It was the third and final concept car designed by Audi in 2003, following the Pikes Peak quattro and the Nuvolari quattro.
Audi's subsidiary quattro GmbH subsequently decided to produce the Audi Le Mans quattro as a production road car, calling it the R8, naming it after their very successful R8 LMP race car, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times.

Design and technical

The Audi Le Mans Quattro has a number of high-tech features, including the headlights which are composed entirely of light-emitting diodes. The structural framework of the body, the Audi Space Frame shared with the Lamborghini Gallardo, is made entirely of aluminium, while the outer skin is made out of carbon fibre and aluminium. The car also features an electronically controlled rear spoiler which raises at.
The Le Mans quattro featured the magnetic ride magneto rheological dampers, also installed in the latest TT, which gives the car a firmer and more responsive drive and improved handling characteristics. In Audi tradition, the car features quattro permanent four-wheel drive to optimise traction and handling.
The Le Mans quattro's engine was a development of the Gallardo's, with the same displacement but utilising different cylinder heads as well as twin-turbochargers and Fuel Stratified Injection technology, resulting in the high output of, and of torque. The transmission is the six-speed sequential manual transmission also shared with the Gallardo.
The car showcased various Audi styling cues and technological details, planned to be used in future production Audi models.

Specifications and performance

The LeMans quattro is featured prominently in 2006 arcade racing video game as the game's antagonist, Darius' car.