The VW Group would allow Audi to attempt the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ production car lap record at ‘Ring.
Once again, patent and trademark offices prove to be valuable sources of information for future automobiles. After discovering Nissan’s corporate and Z logos, Audi now has something interesting registered with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The “R8 Green Hell” moniker was discovered by our colleagues at Automobile Magazine.
They could use it for what? Our money is on a track-focused F1 machine. “Green Hell” refers to the nickname Sir Jackie Stewart gave in the 1960s to one of the most challenging circuits in the world, the Nurburgring.
You may recall that Audi Sport boss Oliver Hoffman stated nearly two years ago that his performance division had “some good ideas” for a more extreme R8. However, he did mention that the V10 would draw inspiration from the GT3 race car, which is pictured here, and still be street-legal.
The GT3-inspired R8 will be on the horizon. Expect the supercar to go on a diet, and maybe get a bit more power from its 5.2-liter FSI motor. The Performance model produces 612 horsepower, while the Lamborghini Uracan Evo engine makes 631 horsepower, so the Audi flagship sports car can gain 19 horses.
The R8 Green Hell would be a good choice to claim the title of fastest production car at Nurburgring. However, it remains to see if the VW Group head honchos would allow Audi to take the title from Lamborghini’s Aventador SVJ (6.44.97). The question of whether the R8’s hardcore might be able to take down the Superveloce Jota is also a concern.
An alternative option is a limited edition with a different paint job, and badges. This could be Australia’s R8 Plus Neuberg 2017 or Australia’s R8 Select 24h from 2017, when it was the R8 LMS’s racing success.
Another less intriguing scenario is that Audi wants the “R8 Green Hell” nameplate but not actually intends to use it as a badge. We hope the Four Rings have something in the works for the R8 prior to the car is electrified for its next generation, which will arrive later in the decade.