'British' Audi Team Victorious In America's Biggest Sportscar Race
Published: 22nd March 2004
This year’s round-the-clock race, run in scorching 80 degree temperatures, and at an average speed in excess of 110mph, also notched a number of “firsts”. AUDI AG’s British importer, Audi UK, has been a multiple race and rally winner in Britain thanks to various quattro four-wheel-drive derivatives but Sebring earned the Milton Keynes-based importer its first international motorsport success.
Audi UK’s new motorsport partner, Veloqx Motorsport, scored its first prototype class sportscar win while McNish, a sportscar “veteran”, claimed his maiden Sebring win. Sportscar “rookie” Kaffer, driving on his Audi and Sebring début and in his first sportscar race, quickly adapted to the powerful twin-turbocharged 550-bhp Audi to earn himself a memorable motorsport “landmark”.
Following home an American-entered Audi R8, British trio Johnny Herbert, Guy Smith and Audi “rookie” Jamie Davies added to the Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx’s joy with third place - the Northamptonshire-based team achieving first and third places in its first race.
The Audi R8 made its race début in the 2000 Sebring race and has gone on to become the most successful “open top” sportscar of the modern day era. For the past five years, an Audi has started from pole-position and finished at least first and second in the Sebring race complimenting Audi’s three Le Mans victories.
Audi V8 power spreads across the range
Both Audi R8 sportscars compete in 2002 specification and are powered by a 3.6-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine featuring FSI (petrol direct injection) fuel-saving technology with an organiser imposed restricted output of 550bhp.
Eight-cylinder power also features strongly in the current road-going Audi range, which includes a total of 12 models powered by advanced V8 engines. These include not only the A8 luxury saloon, equipped with 3.7-litre and 4.2-litre V8 petrol units and the exceptional 4.0-litre V8 TDI, but also the allroad quattro and S4 quattro with their ultra compact 4.2-litre V8s. The all-new A6 executive saloon, on sale from June 12 2004, also features 4.2-litre V8 power, as does the most extreme interpretation so far of the high performance Audi road car – the 450PS bi-turbo RS 6 Avant quattro.
The V8 engine powering the R8 sports cars is the first of its kind to feature FSI petrol direct injection, using high pressure common rail injection technology to improve performance and fuel economy while minimising emissions. The power output of this unit is higher, and its fuel consumption around eight per cent lower, than an equivalent V8 using conventional technology, bringing obvious performance benefits combined with longer running time between fuel stops - both major advantages in arduous endurance races such as Sebring.
These same underlying direct injection principles have filtered down from the race track to road-going A2, A3, A4 and new A6 models. The technology can be found in A2 and A3 1.6 FSI hatchbacks, A4 2.0 FSI Saloon and Avant models and the latest A6 3.2 FSI with its 255PS V6.
Audi R8
Our Audi R8 Guide lists the full specification of the current UK R8 range, including car prices, fuel consumption, dimensions and other vital data.
Price : £78,300
Body Style:
Fuel:
Model in the range: 1
We have road tested the Audi R8, to read our in-depth car review:
Audi R8 Review - Oct 2007
Our Car Buyer’s Guide covers all of the UK’s major new cars and includes CO2 ratings and car insurance groups. Data updated on the 21st Sep 2008
