The Audi R8 LMP900 Comes to Project Motor Racing

May 20, 2025

A Legacy of Ruthless Domination

When it comes to legends, the 2002 Audi R8 (LMP900) doesn’t just enter the conversation—it owns it. By the time this open-cockpit beast rolled into Le Mans for the third time in 2002, it had already crushed the field twice, and in 2002, it sealed the three-peat with one of the most dominant performances ever witnessed at La Sarthe.

Even when the rules changed to LMP1 at the end of the ’03 season, the Audi R8 didn’t flinch. Grandfathered in by the ACO meant privateer teams could take over the challenge from Audi’s factory entry, and that meant the Audi R8—and “Mr Le Mans”, 9-time winner of the 24-hour classic, Tom Kristensen—could just keep winning, all the way through 2005.

Five wins at Le Mans in six years. That’s not dominance—that’s dynastic racing supremacy.

Engineered to Obliterate

At its heart is a 3.6L, 90° twin-turbo V8, officially good for 610 hp and 700 Nm of torque—though insiders always whispered it made even more at speed. Audi’s groundbreaking “FSI” direct injection system sharpened throttle response, boosted fuel economy, and slashed pit stop times—a massive edge in the marathon of endurance racing. Power hit the tarmac through a lightning-quick 6-speed Ricardo sequential gearbox with electro-pneumatic paddle shifting. Instant shifts, relentless speed. And enough turbo-lag to ensure you’re paying attention.

Lightweight, Bombproof

The Audi R8’s carbon-fibre and aluminium honeycomb monocoque was featherlight and rock-solid. Independent double wishbones with pushrod dampers, meanwhile, delivered razor-sharp handling. Weighing just 900 kg (the “900” in the LMP900 ruleset), the Audi R8 had the power-to-weight ratio of a predator—lean, lethal, unstoppable.

Airborne Aero Genius

Sure, the open cockpit cost a little in pure aero, but Audi and chassis-developers Dallara made sure it could still slice through the air like a bullet. A flat underbody, clever diffuser work, and an adjustable rear wing meant the Audi R8 could hit 338 kmh (210 mph) on the Mulsanne—and could touch 350 kmh with low-drag setups. High downforce kits, meanwhile, turned it into a corner-carving weapon on tighter circuits.

Built to Win, Built to Last

The Audi R8 wasn’t just fast—it was designed to be modular. Major components, including the entire rear assembly, could be swapped out in minutes. Joest Racing once changed a full rear transaxle in just over three minutes during a race. And they did it as a precaution. Rivals needed hours. That’s what domination looks like.

In the end, Audi’s obsession with serviceability forced the ACO to literally rewrite the rules.

2002: Total Annihilation

At Le Mans 2002, Audi Sport Team Joest destroyed the competition. Frank Biela, Tom Kristensen, and Emanuele Pirro steered the No.1 R8 to victory, completing 375 laps and averaging over 213 kmh. Audi R8s swept the podium, going 1-2-3, 13 laps ahead of the non-Audi in fourth place.

Over in the American Le Mans Series, the Audi R8 continued its reign of terror, winning the LMP900 title and racking 8 victories from 10 races (with the Panoz LMP-1 Roadster S, also coming to Project Motor Racing, winning the other two).

Even with performance penalties and ballast thrown at it, nothing could slow the Audi R8.

Sharpened Every Year

Audi stopped refining the R8 at the end of the 2002 season, making the version in Project Motor Racing the very pinnacle of this legend’s cycle. The Audi R8 still had 3 more Le Mans victories and over 40 race wins in its tank, of course, and the end of Audi’s factory support didn’t matter much—the legend just kept on notching up the wins. Here’s what supremacy looks like.

• 2000: Dream debut: 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans.
• 2001: FSI tech lands: better fuel economy, even faster pit stops, more championships, and another Le Mans win.
• 2002: Peak refinement: nothing could touch it. And another Le Mans win. The hat-trick achieved
• 2003–2005: Privateers take over, R8 still wins anyway. In 2004, the Audi R8 wins with Team Goh (a privateer team from Japan, and only the second Japanese team to win the 24-hour epic). And in 2005, the R8 scores its final Le Mans win, with US privateer Champion Racing team.

Five Le Mans wins in six attempts. An icon.

Legacy: Untouchable

The Audi R8 didn’t just win races, though, it forever changed prototype racing. Its modular design, factory-driven discipline, and technical innovations like FSI direct injection became the blueprint for endurance success. Drivers like Tom Kristensen built historic careers behind its wheel.

Even when the rules shifted to slow it down, the Audi R8 adapted, evolved, and kept winning—a rare feat in motorsport. It closed the chapter on the gasoline prototype era with absolute efficiency, setting the stage for the diesel revolution that Audi itself would pioneer.

The 2002 Audi R8 wasn’t just a car. It was a statement. And now it's yours to race in Project Motor Racing.

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