Auto Union the Featured Marque At the 1999 Monterey Historic Automobile Races.
23 August 1999
Auto Union, the Racing Soul of Audi, is Honored as the Featured Marque At the 1999 Monterey Historic Automobile Races 1937 AUDI 1937 Auto Union V16 Type C Streamliner driven by Bernd Rosemeyer on the Avus Track in 1937. (PRNewsFoto)[HD] MONTEREY, CA USA 08/23/1999
MONTEREY, Calif., Aug. 23 -- Celebrating its 100th year of
automotive tradition in 1999, Audi will proudly present five rare Auto Union
racing cars at the 1999 Monterey Historic Automobile Races. North America's
premier vintage race, which is simultaneously conducting a retrospective of
its first 25 years, will be held this weekend, August 27-29 at Laguna Seca
Raceway.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990823/DEM008 )
In their first year of competition, 1934, the thoroughbred automobiles
from Auto Union broke eight world speed records and won three Grand Prix
races. It seems only fitting then that the Auto Union Silver Arrows which
took the racing world by storm in the 1930s, the first racing cars to bear the
four rings of Audi, are being honored as the featured marque for this year's
Monterey Historic Automobile Races.
Never before have so many Auto Union Silver Arrows been gathered in North
America. Five Auto Union Silver Arrows from the 1930s will share the
limelight in Monterey with Audi's latest racing technology, the Audi R8R that,
in its first attempt, finished third and fourth in this year's 24 Hours of Le
Mans race and third and fifth in the Sebring 12 Hour race. Separated by 60
years, these mid-engined racing cars, state of the art in their eras,
illustrate vividly Audi's traditions of motorsports competition and pioneering
technology.
Taking a prominent place in Audi's historic car exhibition area will be
the 1937 Auto Union V16 Type C Streamliner, an exact re-creation of the two
cars entered in the 1937 Avus Grand Prix. In one of them, Bernd Rosemeyer set
the fastest race lap at an incredible 171.74 miles per hour, than later set
many speed records including the Flying Kilometer at 252.48 mph.
Unfortunately none of the original Streamliners, the most aerodynamic race
cars of their era, has survived for posterity. This car, making its North
American debut, was commissioned by Audi from Crosthwaite & Gardiner, of
Buxted, England. Keith Roach Manufacturing, based near Southampton, hand-
crafted the curvaceous aluminum body, complex framework, fittings, tanks and
all internal ducting in one of the most challenging coachbuilding exercises
ever undertaken in historic motorsport. Although the car will not be seen in
motion at Monterey, it will eventually be fully operational.
Joining these legendary racers will be a variety of rare cars from each
era of Audi's rich history ranging from a 1926 NSU Type 6/60PS Grand Prix to
the 1999 Audi R8R. This year was an ideal time to join Monterey's 25-year
retrospective as Audi is celebrating its own 90th birthday, as well as a
century of automotive tradition based on the work of its founder, August
Horch.
Two of the famous Auto Union mid-engined racing cars will be driven for a
number of exhibition laps during the Monterey Historic Races weekend. The
Auto Union 16-cylinder Type C/D Mountain Climb car is the only surviving all-
original V16 Auto Union race car. Its 16-cylinder, 6-liter engine with
compressor supercharging develops 520 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and a massive
630 lbs. ft. of torque at only 2,500 rpm. It was in the identically prepared
Type C Grand Prix version of the Auto Union V16 that Bernd Rosemeyer won the
1937 Vanderbilt Cup, the last time an Auto Union race car competed and won a
race in North America. The 1938 Auto Union 12-cylinder Type D racing car is
one of only three still in existence. It is identical to the car in which
Tazio Nuvolari won the Donington Grand Prix in Britain 60 years ago. The
single-stage 3 liter 12-cylinder engine with supercharging compressor develops
425 hp.
A number of other historic race cars from Audi tradition will circle the
track during the weekend including the NSU 6/60PS compressor racing car which
is the only example still in existence of the four works racing cars which
captured the imagination at the 1926 German Grand Prix on the Avus in Berlin
by finishing first through fourth in the 1.5 liter class. Engine restorer
Wolfgang Schneider will be piloting this fascinating NSU compressor racing
car.
Driving the rare Auto Unions and the other historic race cars at this
year's event will be a number of Audi AG's Le Mans race drivers (Frank Biela,
Emanuele Pirro Michele Alboreto, Rinaldo Capello) as well as Hurley Haywood,
the American driver who crossed many finish lines in his 1988 Audi 200 quattro
Trans-Am car (to earn the Drivers Title that year).
Racing DKW and NSU motorcycles belonging to Audi AG will likewise be on
display, evoking the long motorcycle tradition of these marques.
The four rings of the Audi badge symbolize the marques Audi, Horch, DKW
and Wanderer, which were later combined under the umbrella of Auto Union.
Auto Union and NSU, which merged in 1969, led directly to the company known
today as Audi AG. With its deep and diverse tradition, Audi is readying a
museum to be open in the year 2000 at its headquarters and plant in
Ingolstadt, Germany.
Audi develops and builds premium cars on a worldwide scale with production
sites in Germany, Hungary, Brazil, China and South Africa. In 1998, Audi
manufactured around 619,000 vehicles and 1.2 million engines. Audi's history
in America dates to 1969, when the brand was introduced to the U.S. market.
Audi of America, Inc. has 258 dealers across the United States and sold 47,517
automobiles last year.
The following will be among the cars on display in Audi's historic
exhibition area at this year's Monterey Historic Races:
1936 Auto Union V16 Type C Grand Prix
Engine: V16 (45deg) mounted behind the driver, all aluminum, 6,005cc
(75mm x 85mm), two valves per cylinder, single, central overhead camshaft
operating inlet valves direct, exhausts via pushrods, Roots-type supercharger,
twin-choke Solex carburetor, twin Bosch magnetos, dry-sump lubrication
Output: 520 hp at 5,000 rpm. 630 foot pounds of torque at 2,500 rpm
Transmission: Rear-mounted 5-speed and reverse gearbox; multi-plate
clutch running in oil; ZF limited-slip differential.
Body/chassis: All-aluminum body except for steel cockpit cowl and fuel
tank behind the driver. Twin-tube, chrome-molybdenum steel chassis
Suspension: Front, transverse torsion bars, trailing links, friction
shock absorbers; rear, swing-axle, longitudinal torsion bars, friction shock
absorbers
The legendary, revolutionary, mid-engined, 16-cylinder, 210mph, 750kg-
formula Grand Prix car that in 1936 gave Auto Union its most successful Grand
Prix season in the battle of the Silver Arrows against Mercedes-Benz. That
year, in a car identical to this, Auto Union's star driver Bernd Rosemeyer won
five Grand Prix and the European Championship, equivalent to today's Formula
One World title. With minor modifications, the Type C won another six Grand
Prix in 1937.
1937 Auto Union V16 Type C Streamliner
Engine: V16 (45deg) mounted behind the driver, all aluminum, 6,005cc
(75mm x 85mm), two valves per cylinder, single, central overhead camshaft
operating inlet valves direct, exhausts via pushrods, Roots-type supercharger,
twin-choke Solex carburetor, twin Bosch magnetos, dry-sump lubrication
Output: 520 hp at 5,000 rpm. 630 foot pounds of torque at 2,500 rpm
Transmission: Rear-mounted 5-speed and reverse gearbox; multi-plate
clutch running in oil; ZF limited-slip differential.
Body/chassis: Enclosed, streamlined aluminum body. Twin-tube, chrome-
molybdenum steel chassis
Suspension: Front, transverse torsion bars, trailing links, friction
shock absorbers; rear, swing-axle, longitudinal torsion bars, friction shock
absorbers
Auto Union's aerodynamic aluminum masterpiece made its debut in the 1937
AVUS Grand Prix in the shape of two cars for Bernd Rosemeyer and Luigi
Fagioli. Rosemeyer set the fastest race lap in his at 171.74 mph. Then the
German ace went record breaking with the "Stromlinie" on the
Frankfurt/Darmstadt autobahn. In October 1937 he raised the international
flying kilometer record to 252.48 mph and the flying mile to 252.46 mph.
Record chasing again on January 28, 1938, Rosemeyer's Auto Union Streamliner,
now with a 560 hp 6.5 liter engine and the first ever use of aerodynamic
skirts, was blown off the autobahn at 270 mph by a freak gust of wind and the
greatest racing driver of his era was killed. This car is a superb recreation
of the originals, none of which survives.
1938 Auto Union V12 Type D Grand Prix
Engine: Mid-engined, 45 degree V12, 2,984.9cc (65mm x 75mm), all-
aluminum, two valves per cylinder, triple overhead camshafts (central camshaft
operates inlet valves), Roots-type single-stage supercharger, twin-choke Solex
carburetor, twin Bosch magnetos, dry sump lubrication
Output: 425 hp at 7,000 rpm
Transmission: Rear-mounted 5-speed and reverse gearbox; multi-plate
clutch running in oil; ZF limited-slip differential.
Body/chassis: All-aluminum body. Twin-tube, chrome-molybdenum steel
chassis
Suspension: Front, transverse torsion bars, trailing links, hydraulic
lever-arm shock absorbers; rear, De Dion axle, longitudinal torsion bars,
hydraulic lever-arm and friction-type shock absorbers, Panhard rod
Built for the new 1938 Grand Prix formula, this model had Tazio Nuvolari
as its star driver. He won that year's Italian and Donington GPs. Just three
Type Ds survive. This example, owned by Audi, was rescued in pieces from
Russia, along with a 1939 485 hp two-stage supercharged model, by Paul and
Barbara Karassik of Florida. Both were restored in England by Crosthwaite &
Gardiner.
1939 Auto Union V16 Type C/D Mountain Climb
Engine: V16 (45 degree) mounted behind the driver, all aluminum, 6,005cc
(75mm x 85mm), two valves per cylinder, single, central overhead camshaft
operating inlet valves direct, exhausts via pushrods, Roots-type supercharger,
twin-choke Solex carburetor, twin Bosch magnetos, dry-sump lubrication
Output: 520 hp at 5,000 rpm. 630 foot pounds of torque at 2,500 rpm
Transmission: Rear-mounted 5-speed and reverse gearbox; multi-plate
clutch running in oil; ZF limited-slip differential.
Body/chassis: All-aluminum body except for steel cockpit cowl and fuel
tank behind the driver. Twin-tube, chrome-molybdenum steel chassis
Suspension: Front, transverse torsion bars, trailing links, hydraulic
lever-arm shock absorbers; rear, De Dion axle, longitudinal torsion bars,
hydraulic lever-arm and friction-type shock absorbers, Panhard rod
The only all-original Auto Union V16 Silver Arrow survivor, this special
"Bergwagen" (Mountain Car) has twin rear wheels for extra traction. First
built in 1937 on a short-wheelbase, swing-axle Type C chassis, it won Hans
Stuck the 1938 German Mountain Climb Championship. Rebuilt in 1939 with its
V16 Type C engine installed in a De Dion axle Type D chassis for the 7.83-mile
Grossglockner Mountain Climb (Driver: H.P. Muller), the last pre-war climb.
One of 18 Auto Unions found by the Russians in 1945 hidden near Zwickau and
packed on a train to Moscow, it was given to the Zil automobile and truck
factory for research. Rescued dramatically from the Zil factory in 1976,
hours from planned destruction, by Viktor Kulbergs, president of the Latvia
Antique Automobile Club and founder of the Riga Motormuseum, Latvia. Acquired
by Audi from the museum in 1995. Restored in England by Crosthwaite &
Gardiner.
1939 Auto Union V12 Type D Grand Prix
Engine: Mid-engined, 45 degree V12, 2,984.9cc (65mm x 75mm), all-
aluminum, two valves per cylinder, triple overhead camshafts (central camshaft
operates inlet valves), Roots-type two-stage supercharger, twin-choke Solex
carburetor, twin Bosch magnetos, dry sump lubrication
Output: 485 hp at 7,000 rpm. 413 foot pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm
Transmission: Rear-mounted 5-speed and reverse gearbox; multi-plate
clutch; ZF limited-slip differential.
Body/chassis: Aluminum body. Twin-tube, chrome-molybdenum steel chassis
Suspension: Front, transverse torsion bars, trailing links, hydraulic
lever-arm shock absorbers; rear, De Dion axle, longitudinal torsion bars,
hydraulic lever-arm and friction-type shock absorbers, Panhard rod
Two-stage supercharging and revised bodywork boosted performance (to 205
mph) of Auto Union's Type D Grand Prix car for 1939. With this model, H. P.
Muller won the French Grand Prix and Tazio Nuvolari the Yugoslav, the last
pre-war GP. This car is owned by Florida couple Paul and Barbara Karassik,
who rescued it in pieces from Russia, along with a 1938 Type D now owned by
Audi. Both were restored by Crosthwaite & Gardiner in England.
1926 NSU Type 6/60PS Grand Prix
Engine: 6-cylinder, in line, 1,482cc (59.1 x 90mm), side-valve,
horizontal Roots supercharger driven off the gearbox, Zenith carburetor
Output: 60 hp at 4,000 rpm
Transmission: 4-speed with reverse driving through multi-plate clutch
Suspension: Semi-elliptic springs, friction shock absorbers
The only survivor of the four NSU works team cars that finished 1-2-3-4 in
class and 5-7-8-10 overall out of 23 entries in the first German Grand Prix at
the AVUS in 1926. Kloble's leading NSU averaged 78 mph for the 400km race.
Capable of nearly 109 mph, the 830kg NSUs were advanced for their time. This
restored car, chassis number 7583, was reacquired by NSU from Martin Stahn of
Berlin in December 1966 in exchange for a new NSU Type 110 car. He bought it
in 1931 for 150 Reichsmark and drove it on the road until 1937.
1930 Audi Zwickau Type SS
Engine: 8-cylinder, in line, 5130cc
Output: 100 hp at 3,000 rpm
Audi introduced this large, top of the range luxury car, with a straight-8
engine built under license from Rickenbacker, in the face of economic
recession. Its figure "1" radiator mascot was seen as a symbol of advanced
engineering and all that was exclusive in automobile construction. Both a
7-seater Pullman and a more expensive convertible were offered. Production
ended when Audi became part of Auto Union in 1932.
1931 DKW F1 Monoposto
Engine: 2-cylinder, in-line, 598cc, 2-stroke with double action charging
pump, open exhaust without muffler
Output: 36 hp at 5,400 rpm
Transmission: Front-wheel drive
Based on a sports version of the DKW F1, the first production car with
front-wheel drive, this little 80 mph single-seat racing car designed by Baron
von Koenig-Fachsenfeld and fitted with a specially tuned DKW motorcycle
engine, captured numerous international records on the Montlhery circuit in
1931. It is now owned and driven by Frieder Bach of Chemnitz.
1932 Horch 670 Cabriolet
Engine: V12 (60deg) 6,021cc (80mm x 100mm)
Output: 120 hp at 3,200 rpm
Transmission: 4-speed gearbox with synchromesh on top three gears
Produced from 1931 to 1934, the two-door, 87 mph, V12-engined Horch 670
Cabriolet and the mechanically similar, long-wheelbase 600 Pullman-Limousine
were the top-of-the-range models for luxury carmaker Horch when the company
merged with Audi, DKW and Wanderer to form Auto Union in 1932.
1936 DKW F5 Roadster
Engine: 2-cylinder, in-line, 692cc, 2-stroke
Output: 20 hp at 3,500 rpm
Transmission: Front-wheel drive with free-wheel transmission
This neat little two-seater Roadster -- almost a miniature of the big
Horchs produced by the Auto Union -- was produced from 1935-1938. With 100cc
more capacity than in standard DKW F5 models, the smooth-revving two-stroke
engine gave the Roadster a maximum speed of nearly 60 mph. It cost just 3,000
Reichsmarks new. Around 400 were built.
1936 Wanderer W25/K
Engine: 6-cylinder, in line, 1,949cc, supercharged, overhead valves,
aluminum cylinder head and block
Output: 85 hp at 4,000 rpm
The Wanderer division of Auto Union launched its handsome two-seat sports
car at the 1936 International Motor Show in Berlin. The supercharged W25/K
("K" for "Kompressor"), with engine designed by Ferdinand Porsche and advanced
styling had a top speed of over 90 mph, impressive for its day. This car is
owned by Florida couple Paul and Barbara Karassik.
1952/53 DKW 250 RM
Engine: 2-cylinder, 250cc (52 x 58mm), 2-stroke with rotary sleeve valve
Output: Approximately 28 hp at 9,800 rpm
This one-off works DKW team racing motorcycle was a Grand Prix and German
Championship winner in 1952. The following year, it finished third in the
Isle of Man 250cc Tourist Trophy Race. Riders included Wunsche, Kluge, Hobl,
Felgenheier and Hofmann. Maximum speed is around 112 mph.
1954 NSU 250 Rennmax Blauwal
Engine: Parallel 2-cylinder, 250cc, four-stroke, all-aluminum, 2 overhead
camshafts, Amal racing carburetor, center-drive crankshaft
Output: 38 hp at 11,000 rpm
Known as Blauwal (Blue Whale) after the shape and colour of their
bodywork, the works team of NSU racing motorcycles won the 1954 250cc World
Championship. This original 124 mph machine was ridden exclusively by Rupert
Hallaus, who contested just four events on it before his death in a testing
accident at Monza. He rode it to second place in its first race at Solitude,
won at the Shottenring, placed second again at the Norisring and retired at
Hockenheim. Some 250cc Rennmax engines were enlarged to 288cc to contest
350cc races.
1958 DKW Monza
Engine: 3-cylinder, in line, 980cc, 2-stroke
Output: 44bhp
Transmission: Front-wheel drive, 4-speed
This pretty little 93 mph coupe was the brainchild of Auto Union dealer
Fritz Schenk of Heidelberg, who married a specially designed and built
lightweight fiberglass body to an Auto Union DKW 1000 chassis fitted with
DKW's famously smooth and free-revving, 3-cylinder, 2-stroke engine. A tuned
55 hp version captured five international records on the Italian Monza circuit
in 1958, hence the name. Around 230 cars were built.
1964 NSU Wankel Rennspider
Engine: Single rotary piston Wankel engine, equivalent to 500cc capacity
Output: 96 hp at 12,000 rpm
Launched in 1964, the NSU Spider was the first production car in the world
to use a Wankel rotary piston engine. The Spider soon demonstrated the
revolutionary engine's potential in competition: In 1966, Karl-Heinz
Panowitz/Rainer Strunz won the German GT Rally Championship; the following
year, in this actual car, Siegfried Spiess won all classes of the German Hill
Climb Championship. The production Spider engine developed 50 hp, but the
factory almost doubled this for its Rennspiders (Race Spiders), which were
capable of 106 to 124 mph, depending on gearing.
1966 GT Malzoni
Engine: 3-cylinder, 2-stroke, 1,100 cc
Output: 106 hp
Built in Brazil for the track, the GT Malzoni is powered by a DKW engine.
Driven by the success of DKW cars in racing, Rino Malzoni, an automobile lover
and farmer from Brazil, produced a prototype over a DKW chassis. The car made
its first appearance in 1964. Earning numerous wins, 35 GT Malzonis were
eventually produced. Today only six GT Malzonis are known to remain.
1967 NSU TTS
Engine: 4 cylinders in line, rear-mounted, air-cooled, 996cc (69.0 x
66.6mm), single chain driven overhead camshaft, aluminum block and cylinder
heads (2), twin Weber carburetors
Output: Not known (standard car 70 hp at 6,150 rpm/62 foot pounds at
5,500 rpm)
Transmission: Rear-wheel drive, 4-speed gearbox
Suspension: All independent. Front wishbones and coil springs. Rear swing
axles, semi-trailing wishbones, coil springs
Bill Allen was 1969 SCCA National Champion, D-Sedan and 1968 to '71 SCCA
Southern Pacific National Champion in the original NSU TTS he raced from 1967
to '72. Now he's racing in Vintage Auto Racing Association events with this
exact replica that took from 1994 to '97 to build. Just over 2,400 NSU TTSs
were built from 1967 to 1971, most used for rallying or racing. Developed
from the Prinz and 110 with competition in mind, it took countless wins around
the world. In road trim the TTS had twin Solex carburetors, front disc
brakes, wider wheels, uprated suspension and a 100mph top speed. Four
headlamps were exclusive to this car and its predecessor, the TT, the car that
gave its name to Audi's new sports car.
1985 Audi Sport quattro S1 Rally
Engine: 5-cylinder, in line, 2,110cc (79.5 x 85mm), turbocharged, 2
overhead camshafts, 20 valves
Output: In excess of 450 hp at 7,500 rpm. 354 foot pounds of torque at
5,500 rpm
Transmission: Permanent quattro 4-wheel drive, 5- or 6-speed gearbox
Suspension: McPherson at front and rear, with lower wishbones
The final, short-wheelbase Group B version of the turbocharged four-wheel
drive car that won two Manufacturers' and two Drivers' World Championships and
changed the face of international rallying by introducing four-wheel drive.
First rallied in 1981, the Audi quattro won 23 World Rally Championship events
before Audi pulled out of the series in 1986.
1987 Audi Sport quattro S1 Pikes Peak
Engine: 5-cylinder, in line, 2,110cc (79.5 x 85mm), turbocharged, 2
overhead camshafts, 20 valves
Output: In excess of 598 hp at 8,000 rpm. 435 foot pounds of torque at
5,500 rpm
Transmission: Permanent quattro 4-wheel drive, 6-speed gearbox
Suspension: McPherson at front and rear, with lower wishbones
Walter Rohrl shattered the 19.96km course record to win the 1987 Pikes
Peak Hill Climb in Colorado and became the first driver to break the 11-second
barrier in this lightweight, short-wheelbase, spoilered coupe, fastest, most
powerful development of the rally-winning Audi quattro.
1988 Audi 200 quattro Trans-Am
Engine: 5-cylinder, in line, 2,110cc (79.5 x 85mm), turbocharged, 10
valves
Output: 510 hp at 7,500 rpm. 369 foot pounds of torque at 6,000 rpm
Transmission: Permanent quattro 4-wheel drive, 6-speed gearbox
Suspension: McPherson struts at front, double wishbones at rear
This first of Audi's successful quattro drive racing cars won Drivers' and
Manufacturers' titles in the 1988 Trans-Am Challenge, the marque's first entry
into racing after dominating World Championship rallying. American double Le
Mans winner Hurley Haywood won the Drivers' title for Audi, supported by Hans
Stuck and Walter Rohrl. Between them, they won eight of 13 races in the
series. Their victory marked the start of a long run of racing successes for
Audi.
1989 Audi 90 quattro IMSA-GTO
Engine: 5-cylinder, in line, 2,190cc (81 x 85mm), turbocharged, 2 overhead
camshafts, 20 valves
Output: 720 hp at 7,500 rpm. 531 foot pounds of torque at 6,000 rpm
Transmission: Permanent quattro 4-wheel drive, 6-speed gearbox
Suspension: Double wishbone at front and rear
Hans Stuck, Jr. dominated the 1989 IMSA-GTO Championship in this all-wheel
drive racecar, the most powerful Audi ever, winning seven out of 13 races
contested. Two races missed at the start of the season almost certainly cost
Stuck and teammate Hurley Haywood the Championship. These lightweight racers
used a development of the Audi Sport quattro rally car's engine and featured
mainly aluminum and carbon fiber bodywork with a steel roof.
1992 Audi V8 quattro DTM
Engine: V8 (90deg), 3,561.8cc (81 x 86.4mm), 2 overhead camshafts per
bank, 32-valves
Output: 470 hp at 9,500 rpm. 280 foot pounds of torque at 7,000 rpm
Transmission: Permanent quattro 4-wheel drive, 6-speed gearbox
Suspension: McPherson struts at front, double wishbones at rear
Transformed from four-wheel drive luxury limo into successful racing car,
this model won the 1990 and 1991 Deutsche Tourenwagen-Meisterschaft (German
Touring Car Championship) driven by Frank Biela and Hans Stuck respectively.
1998/99 Audi A4 Super Touring
Engine: 4-cylinder, in line, longitudinal, driving the front wheels.
1998cc (85mm x 88mm), 4 valves per cylinder, two overhead camshafts, Bosch
Motronic Mp 2.8 ignition/fuel management, dry sump lubrication
Output: 310bhp at 8,250rpm. 192 foot pounds of torque at 7,000rpm
Suspension: Independent, double wishbones front and rear
Transmission: Front-wheel drive, 6-speed sequential gearbox
Audi's A4 quattro four-wheel drive sedan was the most successful Super
Touring racecar of all, winner of the 1995 FIA World Cup and nine Super
Touring car championships across the world between 1995 and 1997. But this
success was too much for the championship organizers, who banned the quattro
equipped all-wheel drive cars from their series for 1998 as an "unfair
advantage." So Audi built this front-wheel drive version and stayed
competitive -- a model like this one was a race winner in Australia's 1999
Super Touring championship.
1999 Audi R8R (Le Mans prototype category)
Engine: Mid-engined, 90-degree V8, 3,595.4cc, twin Garrett turbochargers
(turbo overboost restricted by Le Mans prototype regulations to 1.67 bar), two
overhead camshafts per bank, 4 valves per cylinder, dry sump lubrication
Output: In excess of 550 hp. In excess of 442 foot pounds of torque
Transmission: Rear-wheel drive, sequential 6-speed gearbox
Suspension: Double wishbone front and rear. Pushrod system with horizontal
spring/damper units
Body: Carbon fiber monocoque and bodywork
After placing third and fifth in their shakedown at this year's Sebring
12-Hour race, Audi's two R8R sports cars placed third and fourth overall in
the 1999 Le Mans 24-Hour race -- the world's toughest -- a brilliant
achievement at the first attempt. The Audi Sport Team Joest-entered cars were
designed and built by Audi Sport, Germany, to run in the open Le Mans
prototype (LM-P) category.