2004 Audi A8l 4.2l Adaptive Cruise Control 19" Wheels Suede Headliner Clean on 2040-cars

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Audi R8 LMS GT4 debuts in New York, a ready-made race car

The new Audi R8 LMS GT4 race car has made its debut at this year's New York Auto Show. Since 2009, the Audi R8 LMS GT3 has been available for customer purchase, but this new model is intended to be even more affordable. LMS GT-class racing is some of the most entertaining out there. Unlike racing series such as Formula 1, NASCAR, or even the World Rally Championship, GTE, GT3, and GT4 cars are still based heavily on cars you can find on dealer lots today. The GT4 class was created to have a true entry-level racing series. Homologation keeps the cars closer to their production counterparts than any of the other GT classes. Engines, bodywork, and suspension are all similar to production versions, though substantially beefed up for racing. In the case of the Audi R8 LMS GT4, more than 60 percent its parts are shared with the R8 coupe. That means parts are plentiful and relatively affordable. There are some significant changes between the production and racing versions. First, the V10 in the road car is actually far more powerful. The R8 LMS GT4 is limited to 495 horsepower, though that can vary slightly to meet different regulations. Also, rather than having Audi's wonderful Quattro all-wheel drive system, the R8 LMS GT4 is rear-wheel drive. Power is sent to the wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Though the car is set to make its debut next month at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, it won't actually be competing until the start of the 2018 season. Audi is simply tuning the car at different tracks before asking for approval at the end of the year. Pricing hasn't been announced, but expect it to fall between the $145,000 of the RS3 LMS and the $450,000 of the R8 LMS GT3. That's not nothing, but in the world of professional racing, it's a relative bargain. Related Video:

VW makes $23K on every Porsche sold, more than Bentley or Lamborghini

It's a good time to be in the luxury car business. In Volkswagen Group's financial report for the 2013 fiscal year, it is revealed that that Porsche enjoyed an operating margin of 18 percent. That means the Stuttgart brand made on average about $23,200 per car sold, according to BusinessWeek. Bentley wasn't far behind, and Audi (which was combined with Lamborghini) posted a 10.1 percent margin. This compares to only around 2.9 percent for the Volkswagen brand.
"Luxury brands are on fire," said Dave Sullivan, an industry analyst at AutoPacific. He said that the average profit margin is between six and eight percent. Brands like Porsche and Bentley have the benefit of competing in rarefied markets. Buyers looking at one their vehicles have fewer models to shop against and don't care as much about price. They can also charge more for options, which further boosts income, according to BusinessWeek.
In a way, we should be more impressed by the continued success from Audi. Its models generally have direct competitors in every segment from the other premium automakers. Plus, their buyers aren't the captains of industry who are shopping for a Bentley. Still, the Four Rings is leading rivals in sales so far this year.

Audi to enter third R18 following Loic Duval's huge crash

When we saw the picture above yesterday, our first thought went to driver Loic Duval. After hearing that he, miraculously, walked away from the annihilated heap that had been the number one Audi R18 e-tron Quattro, our next thought went Audi's hopes in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. With the race kicking off on Saturday, we couldn't be sure if the team would run a two-car effort (that would put them on even footing with the two-car teams of Porsche and Toyota), attempt to rebuild the decimated racer or bring in a new tub and start from scratch.
Turns out, Audi opted for door number three, importing an all-new chassis to replace the destroyed R18. According to Audi, the team pulled an all-nighter to ready the new car in time for scrutineering and the second round of qualifying.
After a lot of hard work the rebuilt #Audi R18 e-tron quattro No. 1 is almost complete #R18 #LM24 @FIAWEC pic.twitter.com/xicPj0wScW