Audi R8 LMS has been a great success in Europe. And now they hope to experience the same in America by entering it in Grand-Am series.
The R8 LMS customer sport model will be homologated for the the Grand-Am Endurance Series in the USA and will make its debut at the Daytona 24 Hours January next year.
The American R8 LMS is based on the GT3 car but comes with modified chassis, body, engine and suspension. The chassis is stiffened by a roll cage with wall thicknesses being increased to two millimetres according to the regulations.
A new front splitter, a modified rear diffuser and a standard Grand-Am rear wing change the aerodynamics of the sports car. The rated output of the engine has to be reduced to a lower level of about 331 to 346 kW (450 to 470 HP) by an air restrictor and the engine electronics. At the same time, the capacity of the fuel tank, which can now be filled on both sides of the vehicle, is limited to 83.3 litres. In the area of the wheels and suspension three-part rims are used. The standard anti-lock system and traction control of the R8 LMS are prohibited as driving aids in the USA.
Audi Sport customer racing will accompany the entire 2012 season in the USA with a technical crew and provide consultancy to the race teams. They have not revealed the price of the car though.
