#AudiR8Lms

A spectacular sports car, the R8 has also developed an impressive reputation in motorsports, so it comes as no surprise that with the launch of a new generation model the racer isn’t far behind.

Arguably the world’s toughest endurance race, the 2012 Nürburgring 24 Hours ended with the Audi Sport Team Phoenix R8 LMS ultra capturing the victory after 155 grueling laps on the ‘Green Hell’.

The very first Audi R8 LMS race car to compete in America has been announced. APR Motorsport will be the first team to campaign the special Audi race car during the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.

It’s hard to believe Audi was able to improve their highly successful R8 LMS GT3 race car, but they’ve just announced that the R8 LMS ultra will be launched in 2012, with deliveries starting in March. Current R8 LMS customers have won a combined 115 races and 12 national and international titles in just three years.

After recently achieving its 100th victory in international motorsports, the Audi R8 will finally look to add to that tally on American soil. Audi has announced that for the 2012 season the R8 LMS race car will be homologated to meet racing standards for the Grand Am Endurance Series, with the R8 set to make its race debut at the 50th running of the 24 Hours of Daytona on January 28th.

Happening right now out in Cologne, Germany is Gamescom, the world’s largest trade fair and event for video games and entertainment. And with all the passionate automotive enthusiasts in Germany, it’s no surprise that Sony wanted to make a statement in their booth by teaming up with Audi to show off a whole new way to play Gran Turismo 5. Custom built by quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm, the PlayStation Racing Simulator that’s currently setup at the booth is a full-on carbon-black Audi R8 LMS imitation race car.

Audi beat out BMW and Mercedes-Benz at the 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium, running the legendary Spa-Francorchamps course in an R8 LMS.

Formula 1 pilot Heikki Kovalainen crashed his Audi R8 LMS race car at the Race of Champions event over the weekend – how embarrassing. To make it worse, his girlfriend was riding shotgun.

The accident was reportedly the result of a suspension failure – which is what we hope they’d say about us if we were one of the world’s best drivers, piloting an awesome race car with our girlfriend in the passenger seat.

Neither Kovalainen nor his girlfriend were injured, although the crash is pretty cool to watch.

See the video after the jump:

American-owned, UK-based United Autosports will contest the prestigious Spa 24 Hour race later this month (July 31-August 1) with an all-star lineup of drivers including former Grand Prix pilots Mark Blundell and Stefan Johansson along with Indy 500 winner Eddie Cheever.

If you’re planning on buying an Audi R8 and wondering about factory delivery options in Germany, the Audi R8 LMS Experience can offer you a lot more than a factory tour, a cup of coffee and a road map.

The R8 represents a new challenger to the traditionally dominant 911, however the GT3 R Hybrid is expected to have a significant edge in fuel consumption. Also competing are two Lexus LFAs, which have managed to qualify first and second in their respective classes and 25th and 28th overall.