Three years after the unveiling of the Audi Le Mans quattro concept car, the production version has made its bearing the model designation of R8. Enthusiasts will recognize the R8 designation as being the same as that used for the 5-times Le Mans winner but it’s not just the designation that has been used; the genes of the racing car have also been incorporated in its latest mid-engined sports model which will represent ‘the sporty pinnacle of the Audi brand’.

As the first Audi mid-engined sportscar, the R8 combines Audi's experience gained from numerous motorsport triumphs with groundbreaking design and the acknowledged technological expertise of the brand. This expertise has led to the slogan 'Vorsprung durch Technik' becoming a byword for leading-edge technology both on the race track and on the road.

Even at first glance, the calibre of the car is plain to see. The R8 sits broad and squat on the road, the strongly accentuated rear end appearing to flex its muscles like a sprinter ready for the off. The characteristic proportions of the vehicle are dictated by the location of the engine behind the cockpit, a layout is typical of race cars.

One of the most striking examples of this design – and as such one of the legitimate antecedents of the R8 was (and still is) the Auto Union Type C Grand Prix car. The central position of the engine is above all a boon to driving dynamics, as it allows for a weight distribution of 44% : 56%.

The car's body is highly compact in appearance. The front end and the gently curved roof arc are drawn in a sweeping line; a line which immediately marks the two-seater as an Audi. The side view also reveals familiar contours. The dynamic line above the wheel arches and the shoulder line interlink the front end, side and rear, imbue the doors and the transition to the side air vent with a strong presence, and even more emphatically highlight the typical Audi rounded wheel housings accommodating the big wheels.

The cabin is pushed far forward – a typical feature of a mid-engined sports car, and as such a visual cue linking it to the race car of the same name. Behind the cabin, positioned in front of the rear axle, is the V8 FSI engine, a sculptured piece of engineering visible both through the large, shield-shaped rear window and from inside the car.

1.90 metres wide but just 4.43 metres long and 1.25 metres high gives the R8 proportions of a true sportscar. The 2.65-metre wheelbase makes for a surprisingly spacious cabin and the longitudinally-mounted engine behind it. Behind the doors, a large-surface 'sideblade' air deflector sweeps between the wheel arch and the roof section, delivering air for the V8 to breathe as well as for cooling.

The R8 is the first series-production car to offer the option of ordering all the headlight functions – dipped beam, main beam, daytime running lights and indicators – as LEDs. This type of lighting system offers substantial advantages over conventional bulbs, among them a much longer life. Because they take up less space than conventional lights, LEDs provide the designers with greater freedom to be creative.

Bionics (in other words, drawing design inspiration from nature) have been deployed on the R8's headlights. The light unit has a design reminiscent of an open pine cone. Reflector shells arranged concentrically one behind the other, in conjunction with a powerful LED projection system, concentrate the light from one multi-chip LED, producing a high-luminosity, even type of driving light. The internal reflectors of the main beam headlight are styled in a shape inspired by the architecture of the Sydney Opera House. And in contrast to them, the daytime running lights delimit the underside of the headlight as narrow strips of light – delivering distinctive signals and providing an innovative visual touch.

An automatically extending rear spoiler is deployed above a certain speed to provide additional downforce to boost the suction effect produced by the aerodynamic styling of the underbody and by the diffusers.

The full aluminium body is constructed in the Audi Space Frame (ASF) design (the ASF was first used in volume production on the first A8 in the early 1990s). Its perfect synthesis of minimal weight and maximum rigidity provides the ideal foundation for optimum driving dynamics, as well as delivering an outstanding power-to-weight ratio of just 3.71 kg per bhp.

V8 FSI engine produces 420 bhp; redline is at 8250 rpm

The R8 is powered by an engine which is the a further evolution of FSI petrol direct injection technology. The technology has also enjoyed many triumphs in the R8 race car. At 7800 rpm, the 4.2-litre 8-cylinder engine delivers 309 kW (420 bhp) of power output. Peak torque is 430 Nm from 4500 to 6000 rpm with no less than 90% of this maximum torque maintained between 3500 ~ 7600 rpm. The redline is set at 8250 rpm.

The claimed performance figures are, as one would expect, impressive: acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 301 km/h. Presumably, in quoting this maximum speed, Audi is not going to install a speed-governor to restrict the speed to 250 km/h.

The R8's engine has dry sump lubrication – another technology originating directly from motor racing – which provides the ideal basis for maximum longitudinal and lateral acceleration. It allows the V8 to be installed lower, thereby lowering the centre of gravity and further enhancing driving dynamics.

Two transmissions are available: a manual 6-speed gearbox or the Audi R-tronic sequential-shift gearbox. Here, too, the influence of the motorsport world is clearly evident, with a joystick gear-shift on the centre console and the paddles mounted on the steering wheel. 'Shift by wire' technology provides for very fast gear-shifting and an outstanding power-to-weight ratio, allied to compact gearbox dimensions.

Such a powerful Audi would need nothing less than permanent four-wheel drive not only to get all that power to the road but also to provide greater traction. Audi has its own 4WD system called the quattro which was developed way back in the early 1980s and this system was specially developed for high-performance roadcars. It distributes the power variably to the front and rear axles by way of a viscous clutch; for the R8, the system is adapted to the axle load distribution typical of mid-engined cars.

The suspension features forged aluminium double wishbones at the front and rear. At the front, they are triangulated, while at the rear the top one is triangulated and the bottom one is a triangulated wishbone with a track rod. This makes for optimum wheel control, and is a geometry which has proved itself to be the ideal solution in delivering agility, maximum steering precision and precisely defined self-steering characteristics.

The spring and damper set-up is stiff in order to deliver maximum driving dynamics, while still providing a degree of ride comfort. This is particularly true when the 'Audi magnetic ride' adaptive damper system is chosen as an alternative to the standard gas-filled shock absorbers. The ‘magnetic ride’ technology is an innovation which, instead of using the conventional damper fluid, has a magnetorheological fluid. This is a fluid whose viscosity can be influenced by an electromagnetic field. This effect enables the damping characteristic to be influenced electronically at will and instantaneously, by applying a voltage to the electromagnets.

This property makes it possible to deliver the correct damping forces in every driving situation, thus optimising ride comfort and driving dynamics. A computer equipped with sensor technology determines the prevailing driving situation in a matter of milliseconds. Drivers can choose from two driving programs depending on whether they want to drive in a highly sporty style – with the magnetorheological fluid adjusted to a low viscosity – or with the emphasis more on ride comfort.

6-spoke 18-inch wheels are standard with 19-inch wheels available as options. 235/40 size tyres are fitted at the front and up to 285/35 can be mounted at the rear.

The R8 is being built on a small-lot production line in a specially constructed new block at the Audi plant in Neckarsulm, Germany. The entire production process – from the bodyshell construction to final assembly – is organised in the same way as a craft workshop. Small teams of specialists accompany every step of production, subjecting every part and component to intense scrutiny. This ensures that every one of the maximum of 15 cars per day built will more than match the customary high quality standards of the Audi product range.

Order-taking has already started will be and the first customers should be getting their cars in the first half of 2007. Apparently, the first 400 righthand drive units already have customers waiting for them and these people have already paid their deposits for the cars which have prices (in the UK) starting from 76,000 pounds (almost RM530,000 excluding Malaysian tax).