German luxury car maker Audi
has heralded the New Year with the most powerful as well as the fastest
road-car, the limited edition Audi R8 LMX in India. The super car will be available
at a cost of Rs 2.97 crore (ex showroom Delhi and Mumbai). It is the first production
car with laser high beam lighting in India. The Audi R8 LMX will have a production
run limited to only 99 vehicles globally.
“The combination of LED and
laser high beam lighting was used for the first time on the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year. Audi is thus continuing
its tradition of using racing to test new technologies destined for production.
The limited-edition Audi R8 LMX is the first production car in India to come
equipped with laser high beam lighting, a particularly brilliant innovation integrated
in a sports car. The Audi R8 LMX thrills with intelligent lightweight engineering,
impressive design and breathtaking driving performance right from the word go.
The Audi R8 LMX is beautiful to look at and marvelous to drive. We are positive
that the Audi R8 LMX will excite Audi enthusiasts and add more fans into the ever-growing
Audi fan base,” said Joe King, Head, Audi India.
Engine:
Audi R8 LMX’s high-revving,
mid-mounted engine, double wishbone suspension and ASF (Audi Space
Frame) aluminum body are closely based on racing. With 570 hp of power and 540
Nm (398.3 lb-ft) of torque, its 5.2 liter, V10 engine accelerates
the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds making it the fastest as well as
the most powerful Audi R8 ever. It has a top speed of 320 km/h (198.8 mph).
A compact, seven-speed S tronic transfers the power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive
system. 19-inch wheels are combined with carbon-fiber ceramic brake discs, which up front measure 380
millimeters (15.0 in) in diameter. Red anodized brake calipers shine behind the
exclusive designer wheels.
Lighting technology
In 2008, the Audi R8 became
the first production car in the world to boast all-LED headlights; this was followed in 2012 by dynamic turn
signals. Audi launched a new chapter in automotive lighting with the Matrix LED
headlights, which debuted in the updated Audi A8 in 2013. Now the brand with
the four rings is igniting the next stage in the Audi R8 LMX: the laser spot
for the high beams. It increases the range substantially, which is ideal for a
supercar like the Audi R8 LMX. The lights are activated at a speed of 60 kmph and above. The laser light spots offer a higher
range of visibility enhancing the safety aspect. One laser module per headlight
generates a cone of light with twice the range of the all-LED headlight. Each
module comprises four high-power laser diodes. With a diameter of just 300
micrometers, these generate a blue laser beam with a wavelength of 450 nanometers.
A phosphor converter transforms this into roadworthy white light with a colour
temperature of 5,500 Kelvin – ideal conditions for the human eye that enable the
driver to recognize contrast more easily and help prevent fatigue. Fitted with
an intelligent camera based sensor system, the headlamps also detect other road
users and actively adjust the light pattern to avoid dazzle.