Audi R8 (Mk1) LMS Ultra N24 SP9 Team Phoenix #3 2012

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It is a well known fact that the only one missing GT3 car that was in GT6 was the first-generation R8 LMS, that scored Audi's first overall N24 win - hell, even the M3 GT2 came back to GT Sport as a Gr.3 car.

Engine: 5200cc VAG V10
Power: 562 BHP
Weight: 1250 kg/2800 lb
Expected Class: Gr.3

The Audi R8 LMS ultra is a racing machine from 2012 that was produced according to FIA GT3 regulations. As it is a revision of the previous year's GT3 machine, the R8 LMS, the exterior has no major changes, but there have been many improvements made that change its performance significantly.

The base car is the high-performance flagship sportscar of Audi, the R8 5.2 FSI quattro. 4WD is not allowed in the regulations, so the quattro system has been omitted to make the car a midship rear-wheel drive. The transmission is a paddle-shift, sequential 6-speed, with a front spoiler and large rear wing.

The major updates involve the reduction of weight and improved aerodynamics. The door panels were changed from aluminium to carbon and fibreglass, reducing its weight by 40 kg down to a total weight of 1,250 kg. The front and rear aerodynamic parts were refined in detail, damper positions have changed, the front tyres are bigger, and the intake/exhaust system has been updated. The output of the V10 engine is announced to be over 542 BHP, but the restrictor will limit this to somewhere between 512 BHP-552 BHP.

Audi have been entering the R8 in the Nürburgring 24-hour race since 2009. In 2012, Audi Sport Team Phoenix entered the race with an R8 LMS ultra in bright blue and yellow Bilstein colours, with Marc Basseng/Christopher Haase/Frank Stippler/Markus Winkelhock driving, and succeeded in taking the overall win. This was the first time that Audi won the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

 

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I miss this version of the Audi R8 LMS Ultra so much. It fit perfectly with its GT6 contemporaries, the BMW Z4, Mercedes SLS & Nissan GT-R, which all made the jump over to GT Sport.
The 2015 R8 feels kinda odd to be in with that group.
Plus GT Sport added even more of its 2010-2013 contemporaries, in the form of the Ferrari 458 & Aston Martin V12 Vantage.
Only the Lamborghini Gallardo, McLaren MP4-12C & Porsche 911 997 from this generation of GT3 cars haven't been in the series at all, though we do have their road cars, which can also be said for the first-gen Audi R8.

I had some hope of the Audi R8 LMS Ultra returning when the BMW M3 GT2 was added in one of the updates, showing that Polyphony still remembered that group of race cars that debuted on GT6. But that was many years ago now.

Also potentially worth thinking about, is that since GT6 had the 2010 Nürburgring 24H winner (BMW M3 GT2), and the 2012 winner (Audi R8 LMS Ultra), that more than likely means had the EA Porsche exclusive license not been around at that time, we'd likely have got the 2011 winning Porsche 911 997.

Polyphony sure did like their Nürburgring 24H winners. That even extended into GT Sport with the 2015 winner (Audi R8 LMS) and 2016 winner (Mercedes AMG GT).
And while the version in-game doesn't have a livery, the new Ferrari 296 has its N24H success in 2023 mentioned specifically in the GT Café by Jeremy.