Audi R8 LMS Ultra 2014

The competitiveness of the Audi R8 LMS ultra in GT world championships lends itself to the widely known belief that the car is as good a racer you can get. 

That competitiveness is expected to continue in the 2014 season, specifically at the Nurburgring 24 Hours where as many as eight R8 LMS ultra cars are tipped to compete.

Ahead of the actual 24-hour race this coming June, the R8 LMS ultra was put through the paces over the weekend in qualification for the endurance race. 

While it failed to upend the BMW Z4’s dominance, don’t expect for one second that the R8 LMS ultra won’t be a contender when the real race at the "Green Hell" commences this coming June.

All in all, five teams will be fielding the R8 LMS ultra at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, with some notable drivers in the mix, including Le Mans winners Frank Biela, Marcel Fässler, Stéphane Ortelli, and Marco Werner. 

These four drivers have accounted for 11 wins at the ’Ring, and will be complemented by former GT1 World Champions Marc Basseng and Markus Winkelhock, defending FIA GT Champion Laurens Vanthoo, and three-time Porsche Supercup Champion René Rast.

That’s as good a lineup to drive the R8 LMS ultra at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. It’s going to face some stiff challenges, especially with the BMW Z4 and the defending-champion Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 in the fold. 

But don’t expect the R8 LMS ultra to just sit idle and let the rest get the spoils. The racer is tipped and ready to make some waves when the endurance race kicks off this coming June.

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Audi Wants RS Hybrids In The Next Generation

Last week in our coverage of the new 2016 Audi R8, you may have read a cryptic remark from Audi’s board member for technical development Ulrich Hackenberg, expressing his desire to see some level of electrification in every new Audi. 

It seemed a bit outlandish, at least for the company’s short-term product lineup, but now some new information has surfaced to back it up.

It looks like Audi’s high-performance RS range could embrace electrification soonish. Speaking with Top Gear at the launch of the new RS3, Quattro GmbH Technical Director Stephan Reil discussed the work his division has been doing with hybridization as a means to enhance performance, but his remarks suggest it could be a while longer before we see an RS e-tron.

“We know that it could give us more in terms of straight line performance," Reil told Top Gear. "But it is not just about straight-line performance. 

It is about performance in the bends, how it feels as well. At the moment there are more negatives than positives."

For Reil, another big hurdle is battery weight, but the more it’s reduced, the more likely an RS hybrid becomes. "The next generation will be very interesting," Reil said when discussing current battery tech. "They are getting smaller and lighter. We don’t rule it out."

The highly complex and expensive electronic wizardry needed to make these systems work makes sense for the current crop of hypercars — Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 andPorsche 918 — but we’re still a few years away from seeing it in mainstream performance cars. 

Current rumors suggest you’ll be able buy a next-generation R8 with internal combustion or electric power, but not both.

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Audi R8 V10 Spyder 2014 - 2015

In a span of 24 hours, Audi has dropped not one, not two, not three, not four, but five new variants of their mighty supercar, the R8 . So even if the new lot of R8 models have descended upon us in record-breaking fashion, you won’t find any complaints from us. As a matter of fact, we love it!

For this particular space, the onus is on the R8 V10 Spyder , considered the sexiest of them all thanks to its rich looks, throaty power, and yes, that fold-able top. Unlike the coupe versions of the R8, the R8 Spyder can dress up in more ways than one.

And trust us, that’s a very good thing.

In any case, the new R8 family does have plenty of surprises, including new aesthetic features, a plushier interior, and engine upgrades that will literally give you that proverbial "I-want-me-some-of-that" itch.

Don’t’ feel too bad though because we’ve been scratching for quite some time now so you’re certainly not alone.

Updated: 08/30/2012 Today we have added a new set of images for the facelift version of the Audi R8 V10 Spyder. Check the picture gallery to see them all.

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