With a capable supercar on the road, it’s no surprise that Audi wanted to take the R8 out on the track and see how it measures up to the competition. FIA’s GT3 European series is the venue that Audi picked, and the R8 LMS does battle there with the cream of the sportscar crop—such rivals as the Ferrari 458 GT3 and its cousin the Lamborghini Gallardo LP600 GT3. Just like the production R8, the R8 LMS is constructed by Audi’s in-house performance arm quattro GmbH, taking a stock chassis and a production-based V10 block right from the regular production line and modifying it for GT3 duties. However, since GT3 rule prohibit all-wheel drive systems, the quattro system is removed and the R8 LMS becomes rear-wheel drive. However, pumped up with prominent aero aids and technologies taken directly from the Audi Le Mans R10 TDI racers, the R8 LMS doesn’t lose too much driving prowess in the transition.
