R8 GT3 to be Audi halo

THE local arm of Audi believes it has the perfect image machine to serve as a halo for the brand - the R8 GT3. The R8 is named after an international race class sanctioned by the FIA called GT3.

Given its intended role in the GT3 Cup in Europe, the Audi R8 GT3 would likely be a ready-made competitor for the Australian GT championship, assuming it is granted CAMS approval.

The rear-wheel drive factory-prepared race car is expected to develop around 375kW and will be available to private customers in Europe from next year.

Local demand for a GT3 version of the Audi R8 supercar may see the model arrive here by 2010.

Marketing manager at Audi Australia, Immo Buschmann, told GoAuto last week: “They’ll offer it into the European series in 2009, and see how it’ll go.

“Nothing will happen here in Australia next year, so if we’re lucky, it’ll be 2010.” Mr Buschmann did not make any promises but said that if Germany decided to export it, he believed Australia was a ready market for it.

“I hope they offer it into the export markets, because we had an R8 event a while ago and had some R8 customers, and there were a lot who were actually interested and wanted to know if we were coming in with a GT3 version of the R8.”

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