Set to be made available in coupe guise only, Audi’s new R8 LMX will be produced in a limited run of just 99 vehicles.
With 570 bhp and 398 lb‑ft of torque, its 5.2 litre, V10 engine powers the car from 0 to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds. Top speed is 199 mph, and average consumption is claimed to be 22 mpg. The engine is mated to a seven‑speed S tronic that transfers the power to the quattro permanent all‑wheel drive system.
Exterior mods include a large, fixed rear spoiler. Like the front spoiler lip, the flics on the sides, the engine compartment cover, the exterior mirror housings, the sideblades, the rear wing and the diffuser, it is made of carbon-fibre with a matte finish. The ‘Singleframe’ grille, the air inlet grilles up front and the outlet grille at the rear are finished in titanium grey. The exhaust system has high-gloss black tailpipes. Completing the look are 19‑inch wheels that are combined with carbon‑fibre ceramic brake discs, which at the front measure 380 mm. The wheels are wrapped with 235/35 R 19 tyres up front and 305/30 R 19 tyres at the rear.
The new R8 LMX is also claimed to be the first production car in the world to come equipped with laser high beams.
Audi says its engineers have worked closely with their racing colleagues on the development this latest lighting technology. The combination of LED and laser high beams, for example, will be used for the first time on the new Audi R18 e‑tron quattro at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next month in June.
With the new laser high beams, one laser module per headlight generates a cone of light with twice the range of the all‑LED headlight. Each module comprises four high‑power laser diodes. With a diameter of just 300 micrometres, these generate a blue laser beam with a wavelength of 450 nanometres. A phosphor converter transforms this into roadworthy white light with a colour temperature of 5,500 Kelvin – said to be ideal conditions for the human eye that enable the driver to recognise contrast more easily and help prevent fatigue. The laser spot, which is active at speeds of 37.3 mph and above, supplements the LED high beam in the R8 LMX and enhances visibility and safety as a result. A camera‑based sensor system detects other road users and actively adjusts the light pattern to exclude them.
Back in 2008, Audi’s R8 became the first production car in the world to feature all‑LED headlights; this was followed in 2012 by dynamic turn signals. Audi subsequently developed Matrix LED headlights, which debuted in the updated A8 last year in 2013.
The Audi R8 LMX will take to the streets this summer.
