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Audi has unveiled a special edition R8 Coupe at the New York International Auto Show, which wears the colours of its racing department as a tribute to its successes in endurance racing.
The hallmark hues of Audi Sport are silver, red and black, and after its customer racing division celebrated a very successful year ever in 2016, the team wanted to commemorate its achievements.
Audi Sport CEO Stephan Winkelmann explains,: "In 2016, we had the most successful year in the history of Audi Sport customer racing, our customer sport department. With the R8 LMS we brought home 24 titles, scored 85 race victories and tallied up over 100 other podium finishes."
Sadly, this is no stripped-out motorsport-inspired special, but rather a mere cosmetic exercise. To be fair to the 540hp R8 V10 or (610hp, if you choose the V10 plus version) it doesn't exactly lack in pace, and its chassis already stacks up against the very best. So, what has Audi done? On the outside, a choice of silver (in matt or gloss finishes), white and black paints are available, with bright red sideblades and door mirrors forming a contrast. The front spoiler, front grille and rear diffuser insert are painted titanium black, while the tailpipe trims are varnished in gloss black.
The car stands on 20-inch forged aluminium wheels painted in gloss anthracite, with red brake calipers on the regular car and anthracite-coloured items on the ceramic disc-equipped 'plus' variant. Inside, illuminated door trims with aluminium inlays bearing the Audi Sport logo and the inscription "1/200" (signifying the 200 cars to be built) feature, while the seats and door trim are trimmed in black and red Nappa leather. The R8 emblem finds its way onto the seat backrests, and carbon fibre detailing appears in various places on the dashboard.
The flat-bottomed leather steering wheel now has a red 12 o'clock marker, and dark silver stitching throughout the cabin completes the look. Deliveries of the limited-run R8 are set to start towards the end of this summer, with prices in its native Germany starting at €181,900 and €205,800 for the V10 and V10 plus versions respectively.