Audi introduced the second generation R8 LMS on Tuesday at the Geneva Motor Show. According to Audi, the R8, which will be put through an intensive testing programme this year and is scheduled for delivery to customer teams at the end of the year is lighter and safer than its predecessor. Audi has been testing the new R8 since the spring of 2014, but the first generation R8 LMS ultra will be deployed again this year in the ADAC GT Masters; the R8 is one of the most successful vehicles in the Super Sports Car League. Christian Abt (2009) and Rene Rast/Kelvin van der Linde (2014) took the title in the drivers' standings with it and Abt Sportsline won the team title in 2010 and Prosperia C Abt Racing in 2013/2014.

For test purposes, the new R8 LMS will be prepared by the factory for racing in a number of events this year, including the ADAC Zurich 24h-race at the Nürburgring, 16th/17th May. Quattro GmbH, who develop and build the racing cars, will be taking orders from customers in the second half of the year and plan to deliver the first models of the second generation by the end of 2015.

The new Audi R8 LMS exceeds the safety requirements of the regulations to be introduced in 2016 by a considerable margin. Thanks to a modified front-end structure and a rear-mounted carbon-fibre crash component used for the first time, the GT3 sports car meets the crash test requirements that apply to much lighter Le Mans Prototypes (LMP) such as the Audi R18 e tron quattro. The Audi Protection Seat PS 1 which will see duty in future in the R8 LMS has been setting new standards in seat technology for years in the LMP class. The seat is firmly anchored to the chassis, increasing rigidity. For the first time in a GT3 race car, there's a rescue hatch in the roof, making it possible to gently remove the driver's helmet after an accident while minimising the risk of spinal injury.

The new R8 is not only safe but is 25 kg lighter than its predecessor with a minimum weight of 1,225 kg. The chassis on its own is 30 kg lighter and now weighs 252 kg.

The production R8 and its racetrack counterpart are built by quattro GmbH at a new manufacturing facility in Heilbronn-Böllinger Höfe. For the most part, both vehicles are produced on the same line, while the racing car is then finally completed at the factory in Heilbronn-Biberach.

Audi uses standard production parts for the new R8 LMS in those areas where it makes sense both technically and economically as far as motor racing goes. For example: The V10 5.2-litre engine with 585 bhp comes off the same production line as the production unit, remaining almost unchanged. It sets the benchmark in motor racing with 20,000 kilometres between scheduled services.

Race-tuned wishbones are fitted to the suspension for the first time. Also, the 6-speed gearbox with paddle shift is a completely new development. The electrics and the power box which replaces the traditional fuse box are also new. The power box makes it possible to set individual loads and different parameters.

For the first time, the new aerodynamic concept behind the Audi R8 LMS includes a fully encased underfloor and an integrated rear diffuser that is part of the design. As a result, the dimensions of the rear wing have been reduced and downforce increased without a corresponding rise in drag. The front wheel wells now have larger slits to the rear that help to improve airflow. The airflow and cooling area of the front-mounted radiator have been increased by ten percent to deal with extremely high outside air temperatures. Fresh air circulation in the cockpit has also been improved in order to improve the race drivers' ability to concentrate on the task in hand. At a speed of 200 km/h, the airflow rate is 250 litres per second.