One year on from the dramatic victory clinched by the all-new R8 LMS on its race debut at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, Audi is paying homage to the GT3 car that can lay claim to no less than 323 overall wins with a special edition of the all-new, road-going R8. A total of 24 exclusive R8 V10 plus ‘selection 24h’ models will be built for the world market, combining competition-inspired styling enhancements with an exceptional specification that includes Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping, a sport exhaust for further amplification of the R8’s much-loved ten-cylinder soundtrack, and laser lighting.
The Audi R8 V10 plus selection 24h is immediately distinguishable as a special edition by way of its tricolour exterior, which closely resembles its GT3 LMS counterpart. The multi-material Audi Space Frame body with its predominantly aluminium content and carbon fibre elements is finished in Suzuka grey, while Mythos black detailing with eye-catching Misano red accents draws inspiration from the classic Audi racing livery.
The front spoiler, exterior mirror housings, engine compartment cover, rear wing and diffuser are made from gloss-finish carbon fibre, as are the sideblades which feature a unique ‘R8 24h’ logo in a matt finish. The tailpipes of the standard sport exhaust system feature black trims and the 20-inch forged aluminium wheels in 10-spoke Y design are painted gloss anthracite black.
Exclusive interior
Inside the cockpit, which employs a driver-focused monoposto arc to mirror the feel of a racing car, the limited-edition supercar offers full-leather upholstery and trim in rotor grey, with an Alcantara headlining.
The extended inlays for the surround of the Audi virtual cockpit and the air vents are made from gloss-finish CFRP. The inlays bear the matt-finish “R8 24h” logo, while the illuminated door sill trims, which are also made of gloss-finish carbon, display the serial numbers 1 to 24 for each of the limited-edition cars. As an exclusive feature, the entry lights on the doors project the Audi R8 logo onto the road surface. In future, every R8 customer will be able to personalise their car with a near-unlimited range of lettering and logos from the Audi exclusive offering.
Motorsport DNA
Based on the Audi R8 V10 plus, the selection 24h shares its 610PS output and intoxicating performance potential, dispensing with 62 mph in a mere 3.2 seconds before rapidly advancing toward a top speed of 205mph. A newly developed quattro drive distributes its power fully variably between both sets of wheels. The suspension, the aerodynamics configured to handle high downforces and the operating concept featuring the Audi virtual cockpit are all motorsport-inspired.
The foundation for that inspiration is the fact that Audi developed the second generation of the R8 in parallel with the GT3 racing model R8 LMS, with both models sharing around 50 per cent of their parts. There is even more synergy in terms of the powertrain; their V10 engines are virtually identical with only the manifold fuel injection omitted on the R8 LMS. Close cooperation between race car engineers, motorsport specialists and developers has brought a significant boost in performance to both models.
The technical package in the selection 24h special edition comprises dynamic steering, the adaptive damper control system Audi magnetic ride and Audi laser lighting.
And while these sophisticated updates and new models keep popping up from Audi, you may be wondering just which version to choose for yourself. If you purchase a brand-new option then you can opt for all the specifications you want, but if you want all that an Audi has to offer without the brand new price tag, it may be worth taking a look through the array of used Audi cars available on the market. There’s quite the selection out there and grabbing yourself a year or two old version rather than one straight from the showroom floor may spare up a little cash to make some customisations perfect for you.
The selection 24h special edition of the Audi R8 Coupé V10 plus commemorates Audi’s remarkable achievements in endurance racing. In the Le Mans 24 Hours alone, the brand with the four rings has celebrated 13 overall wins in the past 15 years. Last year, the new generation of the Audi R8 LMS made a dream debut and won its first 24-hour race on the Nürburgring at the very first attempt.
