Win on Sunday, sell on Monday? That’s close enough to Audi’s plans, with their bonkers R8 LMS GT3 racecar winning overall at the Nürburgring this year. Now they’re selling 45 of the new R8 race cars just in time for next year’s season.
That’s right, for the low-low price of just about $400,000, before tax, you too can race an Audi R8 LMS GT3. Order now and get it just in time for the motorsports season.
For a bump in price, about $446,000 before tax, Audi will throw in a nice little starter package with parts for you and your team. You may be wondering what separates this from a street R8.. so here is Chris Harris testing out both the street and race cars of the outgoing model early last year:
So it’s like that - but new.
We covered all the details back at launch in March, but the basics are that the new car dropped some weight, increasing aero and engine efficiency, as well as getting a boost in the reliability of the car and going for a strong focus on improved safety. More from our earlier report:
The R8 gets an LMP1-esque carbon fiber rear crash structure, which is a first for a GT3 car. The R8’s seats are built like the R18’s. The R8’s roof has some kind of rescue opening, as used in DTM, for pulling injured drivers right out of the car without disturbing their spinal cord.
GT3 is very much customer racing, and building GT3 cars is very much a business. It makes sense that Audi would pitch their new car on safety — that would sound pretty attractive to a new billionaire wanting to race Monza for the first time. It’s a smart move, and a reassuring one as well.
A smart move indeed, unless you want what money can’t buy.
For a 585hp proven race car, it sounds like a good enough deal. Production begins September 21, and if you’re quick you can receive it as early as October 26th. Audi claims the car will match regulations through at least the 2018 season.
Claimed increase in reliability or not, I’d go ahead and opt for the starter package.
Somebody buy me one of these. Because race car.
PHOTO CREDIT: JALOPNIK