2012 Audi R8 LMS Ultra

Audi has launched the R8 LMS Ultra, a race car that’ll be available to customer teams from March 2012.

An evolution of the R8 LMS GT3, the Ultra has been developed by quattro GmbH and incorporates numerous changes.



In the engine bay, the 562 bhp (419 kW / 570 PS) 5.2 litre V10 gets a new exhaust system that allows for improved low-range torque, and there are larger engine oil and transmission fluid coolers. Air supply has also been improved thanks to bigger intakes in the R8’s side blades.



Tweaks to the bodywork include a broader front bonnet section that features extra vents, while the rear wing is wider than before and has larger end plates to maximise aerodynamic downforce. In the interests of reducing weight, the doors are now constructed from carbon fibre reinforced plastic, and they incorporate a new high-energy absorbing crash foam.



Wider 12-inch front wheels are fitted, and these benefit from better brake cooling and improved tyres. Suspension modifications are limited to enhanced, lighter Bilstein dampers and uniball joints for the transverse control arm mounts.



The 2012 Audi R8 LMS Ultra is priced at €329,900 (plus VAT), an amount that equates to around £281,900 or US$444,100 at current exchange rates.



Owners of existing cars will be able to get them updated to full Ultra spec or, for any teams considering just a partial upgrade, Audi is working on obtaining individual homologation for each new aerodynamic component.



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2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

Porsche has unveiled an updated 911 GT3 RSR for 2012.



Aimed at customer race teams, the 997-based car has been built to ACO GTE regulations, which means it’ll be able to compete in next year’s inaugural FIA World Endurance Championship, as well as the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series and International GT Open.

The most striking visual changes are the larger wheel arches, which make the 911 GT3 RSR 48 millimetres (1.9 inches) wider than before. Consequently the rear section, front valence and door sills have all had to be adapted, while modified intakes in the rear panels now feed air to the engine.



Installed in its customary place out back is a four litre, six-cylinder boxer engine that develops 453 bhp (338 kW / 460 PS) and drives through a sequential six-speed transmission. That power output might seem strangely low given that the street-legal 911 GT3 RS 4.0 boasts 493 bhp (368 kW / 500 PS), but the race version has a mandatory air restrictor fitted that’s clearly doing its job.

Deliveries of the revised Porsche 911 GT3 RSR are due to begin in January 2012. The price, excluding VAT, is €498,000 (around £428,200 or US$685,900 at current exchange rates).



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Hybrid Toyota for Le Mans

Toyota is developing a petrol-hybrid LMP1 racing car to contest selected rounds of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship.



That includes the Le Mans 24 Hours, and Toyota’s titanic challenge will be to overcome the recent dominance of diesel-powered entrants in that event.

The hybrid powertrain is to be produced by Toyota in Japan, but the design and manufacture of the car’s chassis and the running of the race team has been entrusted to Toyota Motorsport in Cologne, Germany. There’s no word yet on possible drivers.



Tadashi Yamashina, Toyota Motor Corporation Senior Managing Officer and Toyota Motorsport Chairman, said: “Toyota has entered Le Mans before, but by using our hybrid technology this time will be a completely new challenge. We want to write a new chapter in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours, as in the FIA World Endurance Championship, through our use of hybrid technology.”



2012 will see the inaugural running of the FIA World Endurance Championship, and it comes as the result of a new partnership between the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). The race calendar is expected to closely follow that of this year’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup series.



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