Audi R8: The Autobiography of R8-405

If you're a sports car enthusiast, you'll love the story of the Audi R8, the first of many high-performance cars from Audi that dominated the legendary Le Mans endurance race for over 15 years. And in this book, you'll get an up-close and personal look at the car that stole the show at the 2000 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Known as "R8-405," this car was driven by Allan McNish, Stéphane Ortelli, and Laurent Aïello, and was a serious contender for the top spot at Le Mans. Although it ultimately came in second place behind one of its sister cars, 'R8-405' made an impressive showing, with McNish setting the fastest lap of the race.

But the Audi R8 wasn't just a one-hit wonder. It went on to dominate endurance racing for another five years, and even won the 12 Hours of Sebring in its debut race. 'R8-405' also raced on in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), winning at Texas Motor Speedway and Las Vegas.

In this book, you'll get the inside scoop on 'R8-405's' remarkable career, from its impressive performance at Le Mans to its continued success in the ALMS, all the way up to its current status as an iconic historic car. With stunning photographs and detailed descriptions, you'll feel like you're right there on the track with this incredible machine.

And for true fans of the Audi R8, you'll be thrilled to know that the car was recently acquired by a dedicated enthusiast who plans to take it back to Le Mans for the Classic races. So don't miss out on this fascinating story of one of the greatest sports cars of all time. 

● Lavish production and extensively illustrated with over 350 images, including stunning period photography of the car in action during its two seasons of frontline competition, and a gallery of studio photographs depicting the car today.
● Fascinating and authoritative text from award-winning author Ian Wagstaff.
● Race-by-race coverage of R8-405’s two frontline seasons, as both a ‘works’ car in 2000, and as a privateer entry for Champion Racing in 2001.
● Interviews with the car’s leading drivers, including Allan McNish, Andy Wallace and Emanuele Pirro.
● Chapters documenting Audi’s motorsport heritage, the development of the R8, the car’s starring role at Le Mans in 2000, the car’s 2000 and 2001 American Le Mans Series seasons, biographies of the car’s drivers, Audi’s post-R8 endurance-racing story, and R8-405’s subsequent career as a ‘modern historic’ racer.