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| Audi R8R Prototype, Photo Credit nakhon100 on Flickr |
When it comes to supercars, there’s one that stands out compared to the rest. The Audi R8 is a vehicle that has shook the automotive industry, and inspired supercars we see today. And from Le Mans prototypes to the cars on the road, it has evolved significantly over the years.
Let's take a look at the Audi R8’s history, beginning with where it all started and how much it has changed.
December 14, 1998
It was in 1998 that that Audi considered participating in the Le Mans. They started work on the vehicle, but kept all the details hidden. Eventually the R8R was showcased in December, alongside an Auto Union Type C silver arrow to show where the inspiration was taken from.
At this point, it was clear the focus was on a racing form, featuring non-functional headlights and bulging wheel covers. They were revolutionary at the time and went on to inspire the “Rosemeyer” and “Avus” concept.
March 20, 1999
Yet again, no information was disclosed on the Audi R8R. That is, until March 1999 when the model arrived at Sebring. The aesthetics had completely changed, going from white to black, and appearing overall more slimlined. When it came to the engine, a 610 bhp 3.7 liter twin turbo V8 complimented the vehicle.
Although qualifying didn’t go as smooth as anticipated, the R8R did well in its very first 12 hour race achieving 3rd place.
April 16, 1999
Even though there are strict rules about how to develop a car for racing purposes, Audi began to create a closed-canopy R8 with an incredibly short production of six months.
The brakes, transmission, engine and rear suspension remain unchanged, but the biggest difference was found on the monocoque, bodyshell and front suspension.
Due to the rules that apply to closed top cars, the newly titled R8C was allowed 50 bhp more than the R8R when racing.
June 13, 1999
Eventually, Audi made their way to Le Mans with these two vehicles after even more development. Two of each took part, and it was very much like a trial by fire, being put against some of the more well established brands and vehicles. They performed well, but none made it in the top three.
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| 1999 Audi R8R, Photo Credit Brian Snelson on Flickr |
June 18, 2000
After a full year of development and essential changes made possible thanks to the 1999 Le Mans, Audi showcased three brand new R8’s in 2000. They completely blew away the competition, achieving first, second and third place respectively.
September 27, 2006
Over the years the R8 managed to perform incredibly well at races, mostly coming in first, second and third place.
A few weeks after the final race at Lime Rock, the Audi R8 Road Car was showcased in Paris. It instantly caught car enthusiasts attention due to Danish driving legend Tom Kristensen.
January 13, 2008
Although there was a standard model available, Audi knew that there was a market for those craving even more speed. For that reason they developed the R8 V12 TDI. Fans fell in love with the production version,
but unfortunately, it never made it to series production.
January 12, 2009
Regardless of the first additional R8 model never making it to production, focus was turned onto a V10 version. Although not as powerful as the previous concept, it still gave car enthusiasts access to hair raising speeds.
September 15, 2009
There had been hints towards a targa version of the R8, and it was eventually released at the Spyder unveil event. This was at the Frankfurt IAA alongside an all electric Audi e-tron. The electric vehicle was purely to show off new technological developments whereas the Spyder was shortly added to the R8 range.
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| Audi R8 Spyder, Photo Credit t f on Flickr |
June 12, 2010
Although the Audi e-tron had previously been a concept vehicle, the 2010 Le Mans race saw a full functioning version. It took part in a pre-race exhibition lap with other electric cars from various manufacturers to show how far they had come in terms of technology.
September 30, 2010
Using the success of the R8 LMS, Audi introduced the edgiest production car they’d debuted yet. It was called the R8 GT and was incredibly light. Weight had been shed by removing non-essentials and choosing to mainly use carbon fiber during construction. Power was increased to 560 bhp, and the aerodynamics were improved by changing where the rear spoiler was fixed.
To this day the R8 GT is highly sought after and there are only 333 in existence.
March 3, 2012
Around this time, the FIA GT3 class of racing was proving to be popular, and Audi felt their R8 LMS was becoming slightly outdated. They made various changes to keep a competitive edge with the most notable one being a reduction in weight. Audi decided on the name R8 LMS Ultra.
June 29, 2012
The e-tron was still in the production phase and hadn't been cancelled. Audi felt as if it needed to be tested properly, so was sent to the Nurburgring to set a lap time. Interestingly enough, it managed to set the fastest lap for a production vehicle with an electric drivetrain.
October 23rd 2012
Even though an impressive time had been set by the e-tron, only a few months later it was cancelled yet again. This was due to Audi having a lack of confidence in battery technology. It is still used as a learning platform, but more towards other models other than the R8.
April 18, 2013
Production of the e-tron may have been cancelled, but that wasn’t the end. It was featured in Iron Man 3 as Tony Starks personal vehicle. We believe this was the sending off and seal of acknowledgement that this car deserved.
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| Audi R8 e-tron, Photo Credit Chris Droesch on Flickr |
The Audi R8 Today
The impact of the Audi R8 is unprecedented with experts believing it was the catalyst for the supercar industry standard today. Nowadays it is looked upon as a cult icon that changed what was once a stale market into something more exciting. It’s for these reasons that we are eagerly anticipating the next Audi unveiling, hoping it will be a revival for the R8.
This article was written by Rachel Jensen on behalf of Stratstone, the UK’s leading premium automotive retailer.
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