GT5 Transcripts/Audi R8 Race Car (Audi PlayStation Team ORECA) '05



When most people hear the name "Audi R8", many of them conjure up an image of the German company's sleek, mid-engine production car. But "R8" was originally the company's name for an endurance racing prototype that saw a great deal of success in both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the American Le Mans series.

This race car first took competition with the 1999 racing season in the forms of an open-cockpit R8R and closed-roof R8C, with types running that year in the 24-hour race in France and in the North American endurance racing season. The following year, Audi went racing exclusively with the open-top car. A highly evolved new version of the car, the R10, began competing in the 2006 sports car racing season with an all-new engine, a V-12 turbodiesel.

The machine was an orthodox, but well-engineered one, initially running a mid-mounted 3.6-liter twin-turbo V8 in the years before introducing diesel power. Quick pit stops and good strategy often outweighed outright speed in endurance racing, but the Audi's clever design of making major components quick-release, separate modules made for less time in the pits.

The Playstation Audi R8 Team Oreca car was entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2005 by the famous French privateer squad, Team Oreca. The strong driver lineup included Frank Montagny, Jean-Marc Gounon, and Stephane Ortelli, and the team ended the long day's journey with a brilliant result, a 3rd place finish.