Audi's Le Mans concept car appeared for the first time at the 2003 Frankfurt auto show. Now the company is about to develop a production version of the super sports car, to be dubbed R9.



The first prototype mule has been sighted testing at the Nürburgring. It is based on the Lamborghini Gallardo and scheduled for launch next year. Production is set to start in the beginning of 2007. The V-10 engine from the Gallardo has been de-powered to 450 hp, and the two-seater will be available with a six-speed manual transmission. The basic model will be equipped with a V-8 engine - the same one already being used in the Audi RS4.



The Audi R9 is said to be an everyday car just like the Porsche 911, yet even more comfortable. It is expected to compete also against the Aston Martin V8 Vantage.



Our photos show a prototype for the production version, as well as an illustration based on the 2003 concept Le Mans.

Audi has made it official, its new high-end sports car will be called the Audi R8, a clear nod to the Audi R8s that have pretty much had their way at every sports car race they’ve entered in the last four or five years. That includes multiple victories at Le Mans as well as various ALMS successes.

The car began life as the Le Mans quattro concept, which was first shown at the the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. Audi will produce the R8 at its plant in Neckarsulm starting in late 2006, with Audi subsidiary quattro GmbH responsible for production. Official launch of the vehicle is scheduled for the second quarter of 2007.

Work has already begun on the R8, Audi says, with development and test construction at quattro GmbH and technical development at Audi underway.


The Le Mans quattro concept AutoWeek took for a test drive in 2004 (Feb. 16) was powered by a 5.0-liter, 40-valve 90-degree V10, the same block found in the Lamborghini Gallardo. Also used on the Le Mans concept was Lamborghini’s E-Gear six-speed paddle-shift transmission; a mid-engine configuration; all-wheel drive; double wishbones front and rear and an aluminum space frame.

Volkswagen said last year that the Le Mans concept, if built, would have far less horsepower than the Gallardo’s 500, as well as a significantly lower sticker price to avoid competing with the Lamborghini. Gallardos sell for about $160,000 to $170,000. So, significantly lower than that, in the $80,000 and $120,000 range, would also open up the market to a lot more Le Mans buyers.

These are the FIRST ever shots (and will likely remain the only ones...) of the future Audi R8, the showcar of which was called the "Le Mans". It'll be Audi's answer to the Mercedes SLR and be based on the Lamborghini Gallardo. Customers will have the choice between a V8 engine featuring around 400 bhp and a bi-turbo V10 with an output close to 600 bhp and a top-speed of 345 km/h. The car's official debut will be in around one year's time. Our pictures were taken at Volkswagen's secret test-base in the north of Sweden.

a bi-turbo V10 with an output close to 600 bhp and a top-speed of 345 km/h

Rumors abound about the upcoming mid-engined Audi R8 sportscar. About all that has been confirmed officially by Audi is the name ‘R8’, shared with the all-conquering racecar that contested and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans this past summer for the last time. The car’s design is known to be based heavily on the Le Mans quattro Concept from the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Like the concept, the production ‘R8’ will share components with the mid-engined Lamborghini Gallardo, meaning an aluminum space frame and more than likely manufacture in Audi’s Neckarsulm plant – home to production of all aluminum-based automobiles from Audi and Lamborghini thus far.



Rumors have circulated in the press about what engines will power the car, though Audi has remained tight-lipped on those details. The running favorites amongst the auto industry theorists include the high-revving 4.2-liter V8 from the RS 4 and the FSI-equipped V10 shared with the S8 and just-shown S6.

Other hinted at, but less likely, powerplants that could happen include a biturbo V10 like the Le Mans concept or some sort of diesel-engined variant. The latter rumor comes from speculation that a diesel-sounding Gallardo has been seen in Lamborghini’s home of Sant Agata Bolognese puttering around, and there are currently no plans for diesel powerplants in the Lamborghini range. However, Audi with their diesel-powered R10 racecar set to hit tracks this season, have more than a good reason to begin marketing diesel with high-performance.



Just this week, spy photographers nabbed what appears to be the R8 undergoing some winter testing near Volkswagen’s top-secret test facility in northern Sweden. If this is it, and there’s no reason that it wouldn’t be, then Audi appears to be bringing the R8 to production nearly as true to the original concept car as it did with the TT back in 1999.

Note the lines of the body and the distinctive snout could literally be the original concept car if there were any good reason for Audi to bring the show car to the remote and frigid climate of Sweden… and there’s not.



The only disguise appears to be covers on the area around the body panel that was satin aluminum on the show car. Whether that design element makes production still remains to be seen. Audi could opt to add a rear quarter window as it did on the TT Coupe or keep the large aluminum segment and remain true to the original design. Neither possibility can be confirmed from the photographs.

Lighting at the front appears to be changed from the LED headlights on the concept car to something with a more conventional pattern, though it’s a lot more likely that rearward lighting might remain true to the car from what we can see in these grainy photographs.

That there will be a road-going R8 is no surprise. Audi boss Dr. Martin Winterkorn has alluded to it several times, and the company has put out a press release of its official ‘R8’ nomenclature. There’ve been several mules spotted since that time, from an A6-bodied beast to a production-looking X-files style shot from far away and through a fence. Then today, Audi decided to give more than a peak by running this black polka-dot liveried mule around the Nurburgring.

Audi seems to be the masters of the reveal, netting more and more PR for their new models. First come the spy photos, then the microsites like the current ‘TT Lounge’, and finally the final production model. They do tease us so, and frankly we seem to love every minute of it.

The new R8’s design appears strikingly similar to the Le Mans quattro concept – so much as to make even the concept-true TT a bit jealous. Unlike the TT coupe that lost some of it’s C-pillar design in order provide better rearward vision, the R8 appears to retain the aggressive C-pillar line and maybe even the alloy accent panel of the original Le Mans concept car.

Structurally, the car will be built of an aluminum space frame, sharing some chassis components with Lamborghini’s Gallardo. The most commonly believed rumors on engines include the 4.2 FSI from the RS 4 and possibly the FSI V10 from the S8 and S6 models. Don’t be surprised to see a new 7-speed DSG such as the one in the recent Roadjet concept either.

No pricing has yet been announced, though some rumors point towards a base price of 95,000 Euros – squared off against rivals such as the Porsche 911 and Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

When will it appear for its official debut? Previous rumors have suggested September's Paris International Auto Show, which might make sense, Paris being the next major European show. However, we've heard further detail of a June debut around the 24-hours of Le Mans. Le Mans has become Audi's second home over the last few years, and the launch of a sportscar named after one of the most dominant Le Mans racecars in history might make sense. More importantly, the car wouldn't get lost in the crowd of typical auto show launches. And, as mentioned above, Audi has shown itself to be a master of the reveal.