Photo: Audi
After BMW delivered the first laser light-fitted cars in the world a while back, at the BMW Welt Museum in Germany, winning the ad-hoc ‘laser light war’ started between them and Audi, the Ingolstadt-based company decided to keep on going.
Now, they are claiming that their so-called Audi R8 LMX is the ‘fastest car in the world with laser headlights’, as if that would do it any good. However, from the marketing point of view, it does kinda make sense.
But how did this whole race between the two start? Back in 2013, BMW was promising that the i8 will be the world’s first car fitted with laser headlights, when it was unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
Soon after that, Audi brought the Sport Quattro Concept at the 2014 CES and claimed that they will actually be the first ones to launch cars that use this sort of technology. To that, BMW replied with a funny post on Instagram saying “Sorry we didn’t present our laser light concept from 2011 at the 2014 CES. We’re too busy with series production”.
Of course, Audi wouldn’t back down though and came back with an impromptu press release announcing the limited-run BMW R8 LMX that would be released this summer and become the world’s first laser light car.
However, BMW beat them to the punch and started the production of the i8, only to deliver the first 8 models ever made in a special ceremony just a week ago, therefore officially becoming the world’s first manufacturer to use laser lights on a production car.
Therefore, Audi’s claim that the R8 LMX is the fastest car fitted with laser technology is both true and meaningless at the moment. This special model uses the same 5.2-liter V10 engine from the standard R8 but taken up to 570 HP and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque, allowing it to go to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.4 seconds from a standstill and reach a top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).
With a price tag of €210,000, it’s nearly €100,000 more than the i8 though and only 99 will be made. Are they worth all the fuss? We doubt it.
But how did this whole race between the two start? Back in 2013, BMW was promising that the i8 will be the world’s first car fitted with laser headlights, when it was unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
Soon after that, Audi brought the Sport Quattro Concept at the 2014 CES and claimed that they will actually be the first ones to launch cars that use this sort of technology. To that, BMW replied with a funny post on Instagram saying “Sorry we didn’t present our laser light concept from 2011 at the 2014 CES. We’re too busy with series production”.
Of course, Audi wouldn’t back down though and came back with an impromptu press release announcing the limited-run BMW R8 LMX that would be released this summer and become the world’s first laser light car.
However, BMW beat them to the punch and started the production of the i8, only to deliver the first 8 models ever made in a special ceremony just a week ago, therefore officially becoming the world’s first manufacturer to use laser lights on a production car.
Therefore, Audi’s claim that the R8 LMX is the fastest car fitted with laser technology is both true and meaningless at the moment. This special model uses the same 5.2-liter V10 engine from the standard R8 but taken up to 570 HP and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque, allowing it to go to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.4 seconds from a standstill and reach a top speed of 320 km/h (200 mph).
With a price tag of €210,000, it’s nearly €100,000 more than the i8 though and only 99 will be made. Are they worth all the fuss? We doubt it.
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