Audi to start its own racing series in China in 2012

Audi to start its own racing series in China in
2012

• Audi R8 LMS Cup to launch in China in the 2012 season
• 16 vehicles of the proven customer sport race car on the grid
• Audi Sport customer racing China to coordinate the Cup

Ingolstadt, December 20, 2011 – Audi will be permanently present in the world’s
largest sales market in motorsport as well. Starting in 2012, the Audi R8 LMS
Cup as an exclusive one-make racing series will underscore the company’s leading
position in the premium segment in China. Audi Sport customer racing China will
be responsible for the operational activities.
In 2012, Audi is setting a milestone in China’s still young motorsport tradition. The
world’s first exclusive one-make cup for the Audi R8 LMS will be held in the fastgrowing
Chinese market. In October, with a growth rate of 61.7 percent compared
to the same period of the prior year, Audi experienced a new record month in China.
The next top performance followed in November, reflecting a 68.8 percent increase
compared to the same prior-year month.
The R8 LMS GT3 race car with a power output of 411 kW (560 HP) will be competing
at five events, including the internationally renowned circuits at Shanghai and
Zhuhai, starting in the second quarter of 2012. Plans are for 16 vehicles of Audi’s
customer sport model to be fielded in the one-make cup. The cars correspond to the
GT3 version that has scored more than 100 international victories and 13 titles and
feature the new Audi PS 1 safety seat as factory-supplied equipment. “The Audi R8
LMS Cup puts our motorsport activities in China on a permanent basis,” says Rene
Koneberg, Head of Audi Sport customer racing China. “Audi was a pioneer in the
premium vehicle market in China. Now we want to give motor racing in this country
a similar impulse.”
Audi Sport customer racing China will be responsible for organizing the one-make
cup. This new structure experienced an extremely impressive debut. At the finale of
the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) at Zhuhai the race team celebrated a one-
Communications Motorsport
Jürgen Pippig
Telephone: +49 (0)841 89 34200
E-mail: motorsport-media@audi.de
www.audi-motorsport.info
Eva-Maria Veith
Telephone: +49 (0)841 89 33922
E-mail: eva-maria.veith@audi.de
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two victory in the GTC class with the Audi R8 LMS. A week later, at the Macau GT
Cup, Edoardo Mortara won an extremely challenging city street race in an Audi R8
LMS fielded by the team.
Audi through its Audi race experience China opens up the opportunity to contest
races in professional conditions to the motorsport enthusiasts among its customers.
The complete packages available to gentlemen drivers include everything a racer
needs, from license training and the ready-to-run race car through to the
organizational structure.
Audi expects to deliver more than 300,000 vehicles in China in fiscal year 2011. The
company is the market leader in the premium segment. “China has meanwhile
become a kind of second home to Audi,” says Dr. Dietmar Voggenreiter, Managing
Director of Audi China. “By entering motorsport we aim to start proving ‘Vorsprung
durch Technik’ on the race tracks of this dynamic country as well.”

Audi Sport.