Audi Sport has announced that the development of its next customer sport race car has been completed and will be delivered to the first customers by January 2012.

The new Audi R8 Grand-Am is based on the successful R8 LMS that has scored more than 110 victories and 13 titles. From this GT3 race car quattro GmbH developed a vehicle for the Grand Touring class of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series in the United States and subjected it to final testing at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

After track tests in Europe, the R8 Grand-Am, which features significant modifications compared with the GT3 race car, underwent its final test at Daytona. On  two test days, driver Frank Stippler completed about 1,000 kilometres in the visually conspicuous test car, which sported a stars-and-stripes design. The Daytona circuit with its banked turns served to prepare for the Daytona 24 Hours during which private racing teams will compete with the R8 Grand-Am on Jan. 28 – 29, 2012.
Audi says the R8 Grand-Am clearly differs from the GT3 and required a fundamentally new set-up. Downforce, for instance, is drastically lower. About 70% to 80% of aerodynamic grip is lost because the Grand-Am series regulations prescribe modified body components. For example, the new front splitter may only protrude from the front contours by 38 millimetres. The front underbody must have a flat design. The rear diffusor corresponds to the production car component, while the standardized rear wing is only 152 centimetres wide (260 mm slimmer than the rear wing of the R8 LMS).
Audi R8 race car ready for North American series in January 2012
National Post Staff  Dec 13, 2011 – 10:24 AM ET | Last Updated: Dec 13, 2011 10:38 AM ET

 
Handout
Audi is preparing an R8 race car for customers to contest the 2012 Grand-Am sports car series in North America.

.Comments Email Twitter inShare.0.Audi Sport has announced that the development of its next customer sport race car has been completed and will be delivered to the first customers by January 2012.

The new Audi R8 Grand-Am is based on the successful R8 LMS that has scored more than 110 victories and 13 titles. From this GT3 race car quattro GmbH developed a vehicle for the Grand Touring class of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series in the United States and subjected it to final testing at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

After track tests in Europe, the R8 Grand-Am, which features significant modifications compared with the GT3 race car, underwent its final test at Daytona. On  two test days, driver Frank Stippler completed about 1,000 kilometres in the visually conspicuous test car, which sported a stars-and-stripes design. The Daytona circuit with its banked turns served to prepare for the Daytona 24 Hours during which private racing teams will compete with the R8 Grand-Am on Jan. 28 – 29, 2012.
Audi says the R8 Grand-Am clearly differs from the GT3 and required a fundamentally new set-up. Downforce, for instance, is drastically lower. About 70% to 80% of aerodynamic grip is lost because the Grand-Am series regulations prescribe modified body components. For example, the new front splitter may only protrude from the front contours by 38 millimetres. The front underbody must have a flat design. The rear diffusor corresponds to the production car component, while the standardized rear wing is only 152 centimetres wide (260 mm slimmer than the rear wing of the R8 LMS).

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The rating of the R8 Grand-Am is still an open issue, says Audi. By January, a balance of performance is to be achieved between the various vehicles in the GT class. Audi has made one of the 5.2-litre V10 FSI engines used in the  R8 Grand-Am available to the series’ engineers for a precise performance analysis. The engine’s power output and homologation weight will only be defined once this rating is available.

One of the customer teams for the 2012 season has already been determined. APR Motorsport from Opelika, Ala. will be the first team to field the Audi R8 Grand-Am. The squad is planning to contest the Daytona 24 Hours and the remainder of the races. Negotiations with three other teams are in the closing stage, says Audi.

A maximum of four  R8 Grand-Am cars will be delivered for the 2012 season to ensure individual support and coordinated logistics, Audi says.