From the Racetrack to the Road: the Audi R8 |
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Although Audi had produced its sporty Audi TT on a Volkswagen platform and purchased Lamborghini in 1998, Audi had never designed and built its own production sports car until recently. Given its reputation for quality and motorsport success in the similarly named R8 LMP race car, expectations for the new R8 were high, and Audi did not disappoint. Appearing first at the Paris Auto Show in September 2006, the R8 was strikingly similar to the Audi Le Mans Quattro concept car. The vehicle was well received in the automotive industry and went on to be named "World Car Design of the Year" by an international panel at the New York Auto Show in 2008. Although its mid-engine and all-wheel-drive layout is similar to that of the Lamborghini Gallardo, which was designed after the Audi takeover, very few parts are shared between the models - except the motor. The 4.2 liter direct fuel-injected engine, shared with the Audi RS4, combined with dynamic handling, a lightweight chassis and the sure-footed Quattro all-wheel-drive system, earned the car even more prestige, being heralded as Automobile's Car of the Year and winning the "World Performance Car" title at the 2008 New York Auto Show. When paired with Audi's dual-clutch paddle shift system, the motor can propel the R8 to 60 miles per hour in just 4.3 seconds and drive a quarter mile in 12.8 - stunning figures for a company's first foray into sports cars. Both the R8 and R10 TDI Le Mans racers have enjoyed wild success, with the R8 winning the ultimate test of endurance - the 24 Hours of Le Mans - five of the seven times it competed. The R10 TDI picked up right where the R8 race car left off. Running on Shell V-Power® Diesel race fuel, the R10 TDI won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three consecutive years to become the first diesel car to win the historic endurance race. Shell and Audi Sport are pioneers in the modern diesel revolution and have proven that the combination of Audi TDI engineering and Shell V-Power Diesel racing fuel technology has set a new standard for success on the Le Mans track. Shell V-Power Diesel is a performance diesel fuel designed to help modern diesel engines deliver more power for longer. Already available at about 7,000 service stations across Europe, Shell scientists have used the same fuel technology behind Shell V-Power Diesel to create this special racing fuel for Le Mans. For more information about Shell Motorsports, check out http://www.shell.com/home/content/motorsport-en. |