Audi R8 LMS Cup to debut in Shanghai 18.04.2012: • First Audi one-makes series in the world set for spectacular launch • Stellar line-up headed by former Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong

•         First Audi one-makes series in the world set for spectacular launch

•         Stellar line-up headed by former Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong

•         Aaron Kwok brings extra star power and talent



 
Asia’s eagerly-anticipated new international racing series, the Audi R8 LMS Cup, will debut with a double-header at the Shanghai International Circuit at the end of this month (April 28th and 29th).
 

The 16-strong line-up includes former Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong of Malaysia and single seater star Marchy Lee of Hong Kong. The Cup receives an extra bolt of star power in the form of special guest driver Aaron Kwok. The highly-acclaimed Hong Kong artist, who is known to millions as an actor and singer, is equally committed to his craft at the wheel, and is a respected and accomplished racing driver.
 

It is no accident that Audi chose China to debut its first one-makes cup. With more than 300.000 deliveries in 2011, the country became the biggest market for Audi worldwide. This year got off to an equally-successful start for the brand with the Four Rings, with 90,000 deliveries in China and Hong Kong in the first quarter, representing a year-on-year increase of 40 percent.
 


“With the Audi R8 LMS Cup, Audi transfers its leading role in China’s premium car market to the race track, and along with it all the glamour, excitement and emotion of this fantastic sport”, comments Director of Audi Sport customer racing China, Rene Koneberg.

 
After its debut in Shanghai the series will travel to Zhuhai, Ordos in Inner Mongolia, returning to Zhuhai and then Shanghai.
 


Proven GT3 race car
 
The fleet of 16 cars for the inaugural season are full GT3-specificiation and identical with the version in which Italian sensation Edoardo Mortara raced to thunderous victory in last November’s Macau GT Cup. Internationally, the Audi (R8 LMS which stands for Le Mans Series) has already scored more than 100 victories. Only minimal adjustments will be permitted under the series regulations, allowing pure racing talent to shine.
 

Three titles will be up for grabs in 2012: The Audi R8 LMS Cup overall title, a category for amateur drivers, and one for teams, with each round points-scoring. “We intend to bring a new standard of motorsport to China. And we are committed to nurturing up-and-coming young talent”, says Koneberg of Audi Sport customer racing China.
 

Having completed a successful weekend of testing at Southern China’s Zhuhai International Circuit at the start of the month, organisers are set to release the full entry list in the next few days.
 


Pioneering lightweight technology

 
The Audi R8 LMS represents Audi ultra, the pioneering lightweight concepts of the German premium car manufacturer. The Audi Space Frame (ASF) body is made of aluminium with a bolted steel roll-cage. The bodywork consists of carbon-fibre composite and aluminium.


The lightweight design of the car has set new standards for GT racing. The V10 engine with petrol direct injection and emission control by two race catalytic converters has an output of 560 HP. All the cars will be shod with Michelin tyres, while each is equipped with the new carbon fiber Audi SP 1 Safety Seat.
 

“China has become a second home to Audi,” says Dietmar Voggenreiter, President of Audi China. “By entering motorsport there we aim to start proving ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ (‘Advancement through Technology’) on the race tracks of this dynamic country.”
 


China becomes part of the successful Audi motorsport heritage

Sportivity, ground breaking technology and emotional design are the main components for the Audi brand’s success. The genes for this originate from over 30 years of successful motorsport history. AUDI AG motorsport took off at the beginning of the 1980s with the Audi quattro and a succession of titles in World Rally Championships.


Towards the end of the 1990s, Audi moved into sport prototypes and achieved repeated wins in the world’s toughest endurance race at Le Mans. The brand with the Four Rings also became the first automobile manufacturer to score a hat trick in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM).
 

Through its race experience, Audi provides the opportunity to compete under professional conditions of the highest caliber to the motorsport enthusiasts among its customers. The comprehensive packages available to gentlemen drivers include everything a racer needs, from license training and the ready-to-run race car, through to the organizational structure.
 

Audi R8 LMS Cup Official Website at: www.audir8lmscup.com
 
The Audi Group delivered 1,302,659 cars of the Audi brand to customers in 2011. In 2011 the Company posted revenue of €44.1 billion and an operating profit of €5.3 billion. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Győr (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium).


The Audi Q7 is built in Bratislava (Slovakia). In July 2010, CKD production of the Audi Q5 was added to the existing Audi A4 and A6 manufacturing operations in Aurangabad (India). At the Brussels plant, production of the Audi A1 has been running since May 2010, while production of the new A1 Sportback began in 2012.


The Audi Q3 has been built in Martorell (Spain) since June 2011. The Company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG’s wholly owned subsidiaries include AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft., Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. in Sant’Agata Bolognese (Italy), AUDI BRUSSELS S.A./N.V. in Brussels (Belgium) and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm.




Audi currently employs around 64,000 people worldwide, including around 48,000 in Germany. Between 2012 and 2016 the brand with the four rings is planning to invest a total of €13 billion – mainly in new products and the extension of production capacities – in order to sustain the Company’s technological lead embodied in its “Vorsprung durch Technik” slogan. Audi is currently expanding its site in Győr (Hungary) and will start production in Foshan (China) in late 2013.
 
Audi has long been fulfilling its social responsibility on many levels – with the aim of making the future worth living for generations to come. The basis for Audi’s lasting success is therefore formed by environmental protection, the conservation of resources, international competitiveness and a forwardlooking human resources policy.


One example of AUDI AG’s commitment to environmental issues is the Audi Environmental Foundation. Under the heading of “Audi balanced mobility,” the Company is directing its activities toward a major goal – comprehensive CO2-neutral mobility.     

www.audir8lmscup.com              
                    



PR Plus HongKong - photos Audi