Audi R8 GT3 Racer To Get Road-Legal Release: Report

WITH V8 AND V10 versions already available and an R8-based e-tron on the way, Audi's sports and supercar philosophy appears to be all about diversity. Now, reports out of Europe suggest Audi is considering a hardcore road-going version of its successful R8 GT3 race car.

Winning the 2009 FIA European GT Championship in its debut season, Audi has reportedly been swamped by orders for its track-only monster R8. 

According to British magazine Autocar, the German carmaker is now considering bringing a road-legal version of the R8 GT3 into production. Audi's body-in-white boss Armin Kepler has reportedly confirmed that an early version of the road-going R8 GT3 has been built for appraisal already.

Depending on its launch date, the R8 GT3 is likely to fit into Audi's plans for a new R8 variant every couple of years, keeping the model fresh over its expected eight-year life cycle. Audi is expected to launch a V8 version of the Audi R8 Spyder next year.

Significant updates to the R8's architecture may also be on the way, with knowledge gained from the company's racing projects reportedly identifying areas of the supercar's all-aluminium spaceframe that could benefit from enhanced reinforcement. 

A dual-clutch transmission, available in other Audi models (including the new R8 V8-powered RS5) is also rumoured to be under consideration for not only the updated R8, but also the next-generation Lamborghini Gallardo.