After publishing a teaser earlier in the week with its mysterious Paris-bound premiere, Audi Sport has now released a short video with the car. The wraps have come off and now we can make out more details that further suggest this is, in fact, an R8-based race car. Take for example the location of the side mirrors and how far these stick out from the body.

The Audi logo on the bonnet instead of the grille is also a telltale sign this is an R8, as are the two vents on the bonnet in the same vein as those of the R8 LMS as well as the GT3- and GT4-spec race cars. By far the most interesting styling cue revealed in the new video is represented by the three slits reminiscent of the Sport Quattro and seen recently on the new A1 supermini. Adding this design nod to the iconic rally car means Audi’s styling team will move the corporate Singleframe a bit lower and will also come up with a different bumper.

See the street-legal R8 facelift:

Putting two and two together, we are likely looking at the 2019 specification of the R8 LMS/GT3/GT4 race car set to serve as a taste of what’s to come as far as the road-going R8 facelift is concerned. Audi will fully reveal the vehicle this upcoming Tuesday, October 2, on the dawn of the Paris Motor Show where it will also have on display the SQ2, a hot crossover developed to go up against the BMW X2 M35i.

As for the mid-cycle refresh for the R8, it’s expected to debut before the end of the year without the long-rumoured entry-level model powered by a twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6. We’ve heard through the grapevine that Audi Sport’s supercar will remain a V10-only naturally aspirated affair.

Source: Audi Sport