WHAT IS THAT EXACTLY?
This is the Audi R8 LMX, a special edition of the R8 inspired by Audi’s great success at the 24 Hours of Lemans, hence the name, Lemans exclusive.
WHAT LEMANS TYPE FEATURES DOES THIS HAVE?
First of all, the lights are “laser LED lights” – the first in a production car. Originally derived from Audi’s Lemans program, they first hit the road with the LMX. Today’s generation of laser lights can display images and play movies. We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?
HOW GOOD ARE THESE LIGHTS?
According to Audi, it achieves a range that is around twice as long as the “standard” R8 at the time. But that didn’t matter for long – these lights found their way into the next generation of Audi as an option anyway.
Well, then it’s faster than the standard car, right?
Yes, it was actually the fastest R8 ever built at the time. At 562 hp, that’s over 10 hp more than the top-of-the-line regular-spec V10 Plus. This means acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 318 km/h. And it’s not just the engine that’s been improved: carbon ceramic is now standard, along with a fixed rear wing and front canards and other aero tricks – making it the fastest Audi of its time…until Audi introduced the R8 Competition the following year.
And how much did they charge for it?
By today’s special edition standards, the LMX seems like a bargain – €210.00, or €35,600 more than the standard model. This is by no means a small amount, especially back then. To put it this way: That’s a lot more than what McLaren charged for the 675lt compared to the 650s (not to mention the forgettable 625c), which is almost “justified” given the LMX’s 99-unit limitation at today’s special edition prices. could be standards.
The McLaren 625c? What is that?
Well, in 2014, McLaren had introduced the 650 and somehow “saw” a gap in the market for a similar car with less power… and that would only be sold in the Asian market. Unsurprisingly, most people just went with the 650 and the 625c was a flop. Not long after, they released the slightly more successful 540c, which was initially actually sold in Europe. Nevertheless, success was weak and the McLaren C line died with the 540. Anyway, back to the Audi. Likewise, the R8 LMX was not immediately the standard for special editions, and neither was the R8 competition that soon came onto the market… a special edition, probably just to get rid of the remaining stock of R8 chassis…
A TRIBUTE TO THE AUDI R8
Unless you’ve been disconnected for a week, you know that Audi made the last Audi R8. It’s been around since 2003. In just over 20 years of its existence, the Audi R8 has become one of Audi’s most iconic models, becoming a used performance bargain but also the most usable supercar on the market…the Performance -Car that is there to use every day. With the quattro system, Audi proved that all-wheel drive super sports cars are not too heavy. With the V8 and V10 powertrains, they proved that two engines can perform equally well in a car of this caliber. It showed the world that you don’t need complicated doors, stone suspension and impracticality for a supercar. Several R8 models were world firsts, such as the LMX with its lights. A real innovation. What a car.
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