Audi bosses have given the green light to the spectacular Audi Le Mans quattro supercar, Autocar can reveal.

A recent prototype of the car has been driven by Audi chairman Dr Martin Winterkorn and VW boss Bernd Pischetsrieder in the past two weeks, and both have agreed that the car should be committed to production. The Le Mans Quattro is expected to arrive in final production form in late 2006, with deliveries to customers likely in the first half of 2007.

Although the aluminium spaceframe concept car – first shown at the Frankfurt show in September 2003 – was powered by a 610bhp twin-turbo V10 engine, Audi sources say that no decision has been made over the car’s motive power – the project’s engineers have eight-, 10- 12- and 16-cylinder engines at their disposal. However, it’s rumoured that the 444bhp W12 unit is a favourite of Winterkorn’s. There’s also the new RS4’s 414bhp 4.2-litre V8 which could be suitable. Audi sources told Autocar that it was mindful of carefully positioning the Le Mans in the market, especially as Lamborghini is also part of the VW Group.

Company insiders are exceptionally confident of the Le Mans’ potential, saying it is aimed squarely at Porsche and Ferrari. Production volumes – and a price – have not yet been set, but we have told to expect an output of between 3000 and 5000 per year in both left- and right-hand drive depending on demand. Prices could start at around £60,000, making the entry-level car a direct rival for Porsche’s 911.

The styling has been finalised and is described as ‘a bit more sporty, but essentially the same shape’. Although the first version will be a fixed-head coupé, plans for a drophead are already being considered. And although Audi won’t run a factory race team, the company would ‘quite like’ to see privateers running the Le Mans.

The Le Mans was described by Dr Winterkorn as the ‘emotional flagship’ of the future Audi line-up. ‘It will be a hero at the top of the range,’ he said. Many in the company hope that the Le Mans will have the same effect on the whole brand that the original Quattro did in 1981. Winterkorn says that Audi is doing ‘what it said it would do’ by only building relevant concept cars. With the Q7 4x4 and Le Mans on the way, only the Nuvolari coupé is yet to be given the go-ahead.

http://www.autocarmagazine.co.uk/new...p?na_id=214903

 

Cool looking car

 

More pics!!

 

A high-performance sports car, a roadgoing vehicle that could be said to have inherited the genes of the Audi R8, three-times winner of the Le Mans 24-Hours race: Audi reveals its ‘Le Mans quattro’ concept study. This fascinating driving machine is a synthesis of the experience gained from numerous racing triumphs, allied to advanced design and Audi’s technical competence - which has in turn become synonymous for Audi’s technological leadership (Vorsprung durch Technik) on the racetrack and the road alike.

Even the first glimpse of the car gives the observer a clear picture of its calibre. The Audi Le Mans quattro, with its Jet Blue paint finish, has a wide stance and a bullish appearance on the road. Its powerful rear end seems to be bracing its muscles in order to jump, like a sprinter on the starting line. The car’s front end and the broad curve of the roof seem to have been drafted with a single stroke of the pen.

The trapezoidal shape of the Audi single-frame grille is a distinctive feature of the front end, flanked on the right and left by additional large air inlets. Their upper ends are flush with the flat-strip LED headlights, which have clear-glass covers. The centre of the bonnet curves up above the line of the front wings, which spread out at the sides over the large round wheel arches typical of an Audi.

The cockpit architecture, which is oriented consistently to the driver’s needs, dominates the car’s interior. The driving position is integrated into the space between the instrument panel with its changeover display graphics and the centre console. However, the Audi Le Mans quattro car offers generous interior space for both occupants - a quality feature that clearly distinguishes it from other high-performance sports cars. The impression of perfect functionality and ergonomics is combined with materials of visible high quality and craftsmanship.

As a matter of course, any Audi as powerful as this will have quattro permanent four-wheel drive, which distributes the power variably - based on a 40:60 ratio - to the front and rear axles and thus gives this mid-engined sports car its optimum road dynamics. The Audi Le Mans quattro accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds and to 200 km/h in 10.8 seconds.

 

 

General specifications
Country of origin Germany
Produced in 2003
Introduced at 2003 Frankfurt Motorshow
Numbers built N/A (Prototype)
Body design N/A
Weight 1530 kilo / 3373.1 lbs
Drivetrain
Engine 90º V 10
Engine Location Mid , longitudinally mounted
Displacement 4.961 liter / 302.7 cu in
Valvetrain 4 valves / cylinder, DOHC
Fuel feed Multipoint sequential Fuel injection
Aspiration Twin Turbo
Gearbox 6 speed Sequential
Drive All wheel drive
Performance figures
Power 610 bhp / 455 KW
Torque 750 Nm / 553 ft lbs @ 1750 rpm
BHP/Liter 123 bhp / liter
Power to weight ratio 0.4 bhp / kg
Top Speed 250 km/h / 155 mph (limited)
0-60 mph Acceleration 3.6 s

source : ultimatecarpage.com

 

I am postive Lamborghini is pretty pissed right now. They should have made another Lambo, instead of a supercar Audi that is an ego boost to fight the Benz/BMW ego boosting cars.

And I would MUCH PREFER an A4 coupe or an A6 coupe or heck an A8 coupe. The TT is a very small coupe.

How can they want to produce this car which probably won't be profitable and ignore tha fact they have a pretty open market with coupes from 30-80k. There are hardly any coupes, that market is ripe.

AUDI STATED THEY WERE THROUGH WITH THE HP WAR CRAP!!!

 

I can't wait to see the production version of the LeMans. I loved the concept and I'm sure that Audi will execute it correctly before bringing it to market.

Maybe this will further press Lexus to pursue a LF-A Production car?

 

man this is pretty nice! is it me or it really looks kinda similar to the car in the i-robot?

lambo, they must be pretty sad, haha

 

Good-looking car ........and that means somthing coming from me.......I generally am not a big fan of exotics.

This is also the first new Audi product I have seen in a while that has a sensible-looking grille that is not grossly oversized.

 

See for yourself :

 

I don't really see the need for the LF-A or this Audi, but whatever.

VAG has to be the most ineptly run group, though. They waste resources on this when they could be improving Lamborghini, they waste resources on the Bugatti Veyron that are simply a waste, they waste resources trying to make VW into a MB-fighter when they should be putting that money into Audi, they redesign the Golf, Jetta, and Passat at the same time, and they send only the loaded VW models to the US. Some of these moves taken individually make sense, but as a whole it just makes the whole of the corporation look like it's composed of a bunch of blundering fools.

They should rehire the Audi dude who told it like it was and get rid of the inept leaders they have now. Sheesh.

 

I wonder how many Gallardo sales will go to Audi when this car hits the road.

 

pretty nice audi.

 

i am serious, i think i see the trend!