| Audi Le Mans quattro | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Audi AG |
| Production | 2003 |
| Assembly | Neckarsulm, Germany |
| Designer | Bernhard Voll(project leader) Rüdiger Kiehn(design project manager) Frank Lamberty(exterior designer) Jens Sieber(interior design)[1] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Concept car |
| Body style | 2-doorcoupé |
| Layout | Mid engine,quattro permanentall-wheel drive |
| Related | SEAT Cupra GT Lamborghini Gallardo Audi R8 (Type 42) |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 5.0 LDOHCtwin-turbochargedTFSIV10 |
| Transmission | 6-speedautomated manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,649 mm (104.3 in) |
| Length | 4,369 mm (172.0 in) |
| Width | 1,900 mm (74.8 in) |
| Height | 1,245 mm (49.0 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,530 kg (3,370 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Audi Rosemeyer |
| Successor | Audi R8 |
TheAudi Le Mans quattro is aconcept car, developed by German automobile manufacturerAudi, for presentation at the2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, to celebrate Audi's three successive wins at the arduous24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 2000, 2001, and 2002. It was the third and finalconcept car designed byAudi in 2003, following thePikes Peak quattro and theNuvolari quattro.[2][3]
Audi's subsidiaryquattro GmbH subsequently decided to produce the Audi Le Mans Quattro as a production road car, calling it theR8, naming it after Audi'sR8 LMP race car, which is notable for being one of the most successful cars in the history of the24 Hours of Le Mans with five overall wins.
The Audi Le Mans quattro has a number of high-technology features, including theheadlights composed entirely oflight-emitting diodes (LEDs). The structural framework of the body, theAudi Space Frame, shared with theLamborghini Gallardo, is made entirely ofaluminium, while the outer skin is made out ofcarbon fibre and aluminium. The car also features an electronically controlled rearspoiler that raises at 70 mph (110 km/h).
The Le Mans quattro featured themagnetic ridemagneto rheological dampers, also installed in the latestTT, which gives the car a firmer and more responsive drive and improved handling characteristics. In Audi tradition, the car featuresquattro permanentfour-wheel drive to optimise traction and handling.
The Le Mans quattro's and Gallardo’s engine (both were development of C6 RS 6’s engine) have the same displacement but using different cylinder heads andtwin-turbochargers andFuel Stratified Injection technology, resulting in the high output of 449 kW (610 PS; 602 hp), and 750 N⋅m (553 lb⋅ft) of torque. The transmission is the six-speedautomated manual transmission that was also shared with the Gallardo and developed byVolkswagen.
The car showcased various Audi styling cues and technological details, planned to be used in future production Audi models.
