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The new sports car will not be called the LeMans, a name already used by Pontiac many years ago, but instead will stick with Audis typical alpha-numeric names and will be the R8. It is expected to go into production late this year, and will be launched in early 2007.
The Audi R8 shares a version of the Lamborghini Gallardos structural underpinnings and will come with a detuned version of the Gallardos 5.0-litre V10, giving 450bhp, as well as the 420bhp V8 found in the RS4. This is to ensure that sales of the more expensive Gallardo will not be adversely affected.
The most apparent differences from the concept can be seen at the front, where the concepts LED headlights give way to projector style headlights containing what appears to be amber turnsignals mounted inboard from the main Xenon headlight projector. Much of the headlights have been disguised on both mules, though the headlight design appears to maintain a similar shape to the concept - not as rounded at points closest to the grille, and more straight along the bottom edges.
The grille itself appears to be even shorter than that of the concept, with the license plate segment mounted higher for increased lower airflow. The blue test mule has dark black stripes along the V-shaped body segmentation on the hood to help hide the cars true lines, but it appears the hood panel breaks from the front fascia higher on the car than on the Le Mans concept. In the photos, the Audi R8 appears to meet the grille area at its top right and left hand corners rather than down on the side where the cross-bar plate holder resides on the Le Mans. From the side profile, the gap instead carries the line of the hood on its way forward.
On the sides, changes are tougher to identify. The R8 looks like it makes use of larger exterior rearview mirrors - those on the Le Mans possibly a little to aggressive for production. A subtle handle mechanism has been integrated into the door along the top of the gaping side inlet ducts where no door handles appeared on the Le Mans.
Harder to identify is just what will happen with the controversial aluminum side segment of the concept. The gaps make it appear as if the panel will remain, at least separate from the rear quarter panel. However, the blue HN VQ 400 car that tested today had been color-matched in that area up to the window line, and the rest was painted black to further disguise the profile window shape.
Expect the finalized R8 to appear possibly as early as Junes running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its possible the dominating R8 racecar will kick off its official retirement getting a send-off from the production car that bears its name. If not in Le Mans, the car will most likely make its debut at the Paris Auto Show in September.
Current rumors around engine choices seem to be centered on the 4.2 FSI V8 engine from the RS 4 and the 5.2-liter FSI V10 from the S8 and S6.
The Audi R8 shares a version of the Lamborghini Gallardos structural underpinnings and will come with a detuned version of the Gallardos 5.0-litre V10, giving 450bhp, as well as the 420bhp V8 found in the RS4. This is to ensure that sales of the more expensive Gallardo will not be adversely affected.
The most apparent differences from the concept can be seen at the front, where the concepts LED headlights give way to projector style headlights containing what appears to be amber turnsignals mounted inboard from the main Xenon headlight projector. Much of the headlights have been disguised on both mules, though the headlight design appears to maintain a similar shape to the concept - not as rounded at points closest to the grille, and more straight along the bottom edges.
The grille itself appears to be even shorter than that of the concept, with the license plate segment mounted higher for increased lower airflow. The blue test mule has dark black stripes along the V-shaped body segmentation on the hood to help hide the cars true lines, but it appears the hood panel breaks from the front fascia higher on the car than on the Le Mans concept. In the photos, the Audi R8 appears to meet the grille area at its top right and left hand corners rather than down on the side where the cross-bar plate holder resides on the Le Mans. From the side profile, the gap instead carries the line of the hood on its way forward.
On the sides, changes are tougher to identify. The R8 looks like it makes use of larger exterior rearview mirrors - those on the Le Mans possibly a little to aggressive for production. A subtle handle mechanism has been integrated into the door along the top of the gaping side inlet ducts where no door handles appeared on the Le Mans.
Harder to identify is just what will happen with the controversial aluminum side segment of the concept. The gaps make it appear as if the panel will remain, at least separate from the rear quarter panel. However, the blue HN VQ 400 car that tested today had been color-matched in that area up to the window line, and the rest was painted black to further disguise the profile window shape.
Expect the finalized R8 to appear possibly as early as Junes running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its possible the dominating R8 racecar will kick off its official retirement getting a send-off from the production car that bears its name. If not in Le Mans, the car will most likely make its debut at the Paris Auto Show in September.
Current rumors around engine choices seem to be centered on the 4.2 FSI V8 engine from the RS 4 and the 5.2-liter FSI V10 from the S8 and S6.
