Audi Is Selling Its Fastest Race Cars

There are “uncommon alternatives” and there are genuinely uncommon alternatives. That is the latter. Audi introduced that it is promoting examples of its quickest, most technologically superior race vehicles ever: The Le Mans-winning R18 LMP1 and the RS5 DTM. If you should buy it, you must.

Audi Sport calls this the “racing legends mission,” and the purpose is to promote these unbelievable race vehicles to a choose few clients, in addition to present technical help for his or her operation. This information got here to us by way of Sportscar365. Each had been from an period in racing the place constructors pushed expertise to its limits, with little regard for value. The LMP1 Hybrid method or DTM’s Class 1 had been completely unsustainable. At present’s top-flight sports activities prototypes are far more tightly regulated and cost-controlled, and whereas Class 1 lives on as GT500 in Japanese Tremendous GT, DTM has switched to utilizing available and comparatively inexpensive GT3 vehicles. 

Despite the fact that each vehicles are over a decade outdated, technologically, solely present Components 1 vehicles surpass them.

Picture by: Audi

The R18 E-Tron was the final of Audi’s dominating LMP1 vehicles, an all-wheel drive diesel hybrid that received Le Mans in 2012, 2013, and 2014. If you did not have Audi manufacturing unit help, you in all probability would not have the ability to run the automobile, so superior is its engine and hybrid expertise. And you may need to know what you are doing behind the wheel as a result of an R18 E-Tron is quicker than as we speak’s Le Mans Hypercars. 

Audi is first presenting R18 Chassis #207, which received the 2012 Spa 6 Hours, got here fifth at Le Mans, and podiumed at each subsequent World Endurance Championship spherical that 12 months. Presumably, Audi will promote extra R18 examples, but it surely hasn’t introduced which, or if it’s going to half with any Le Mans winners.

The RS5 DTM just isn’t a hybrid, however do not be fooled by its appears to be like—that is no typical sports activities automobile, it is extra like a prototype carrying RS5 bodywork. As with all later Class 1 DTM vehicles, it has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making round 600 horsepower, and every kind of loopy aero bits. On a observe, a GT3 automobile would not see the place this factor went. That is chassis 107, which received the 2015 DTM finale at Hockenheim. 

Audi Sport says the primary buyer supply is about for the summer season. In an announcement, the corporate stated:

“[The handover marks the start of comprehensive support: regular technical inspections, the offer of repairs, but also a spare parts service and expert advice from former developers complete the attractive range of services provided by Audi Sport racing legends. Audi Sport provides support during the events. With this sale of a limited number of drivable prototypes from LMP1 racing and the Class 1 era of the DTM, Audi Sport racing legends offers an exclusive clientele high-caliber one-offs from an unforgettable motorsport era.”

Audi isn’t the first automaker to offer something like this. Ferrari has its Corse Clienti program for old F1 cars and FXX track-day machines, and McLaren offers similar services if you know who to talk to. But as far as we’re aware, this is the first time members of the public are getting a chance to own and use a top-flight LMP1 Hybrid. They are incredibly complicated and expensive to own, run, and maintain, but as I said earlier, if you can, you should.