There's been nothing in the newspapers, radio or TV news about this.

Audi won the 2012 Bathurst 12-hour race at Mt Panorama yesterday (Sunday), for the second year in a row. The winning R8 LMS completed 270 laps (1,677 km) in 12 hours. The #1 Audi finished just half a lap in front of the #20 Mercedes SLS AMG.

Unlike the V8 supercars, the Audi R8 LMS is based on the production vehicle, and has a production-based 5.2-litre V10 engine with 425 kW, a six-speed sequential gearbox and rear-wheel drive (NOT quattro AWD).

The winning Audi had a best lap of 2:08.11, while the #2 Audi did an even quicker 2:07.62. The fastest lap of the race was set by a Ferrari 458 GT3, 2:06.33. These times are all quicker than V8 Supercars - their record Bathurst lap is 2:08.46, set by Jamie Whincup in 2007.

http://www.timing.bathurst12hour.com.au/results.php?race=36 

Hooray for Audi. Why hasn't this great event been in the papers and on TV?

If a Holden or Ford had won it, then it would be all over the news. Unfortunately, there is not much of a following for racing exotic sports cars in Australia. Even though they may actually be cheaper than a V8 Supercar, it's a lot harder for the 'average bloke' to relate to a grid full of Ferraris and Lamborghinis. And in any case, there's not enough biff! Touring car fans like to see some panels get bent. That's why V8 Ute racing is so popular. The cars are real production cars that are affordable to the average person and the racing is very physical!

Roaring lion sponsorship on a ford. Isn't that bit ironic?

12 hour race? Well promoted then

I didnt even know it was on.
Excellent result.
Who was the driving team?

1st place was the #1 Phoenix Racing Audi driven by C.Mies/D.O'Young/C.Joens. The other Phoenix Racing Audi #2 of C.Lowndes/W.Luff/M.Eddy crashed out after 7 hours.

There is plenty of info, videos and photos on their website http://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/ 

This is apparently only the second year that high-tech European race machinery has been allowed - Audi won last year too. The crowd was around 15,000, not bad for an almost unpromoted event on a wet weekend, and up by 10% on last year. I guess it can only grow but it needs some serious promotion to attract Euro racing fans, not the flannelette shirted yobbos who go to the V8s and the 'utes'. Maybe we should organise a VW club run up there for next year if it doesn't clash with the Sydney drags.

Crashes might appeal to the bogans but who else? Crashes result in the safety car coming out and valuable racing time lost - who wants that? Two hours of the Le Mans 24-hour were lost last year under the safety car, and at Bathurst 7 of the 25 starters did not finish. Surely the idea of good motor racing is NOT to crash?

Yes there were exotic Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Mercedes CLKs racing at the Bathurst 12-hour, but the race was won by an Audi R8 LMS that you can buy, totally complete and ready to race, from Audi Motorsport at Ingolstadt for 320,000 Euro. And faster than these unsustainable million-dollar V8 Supercars that are all the same underneath whether they are 'Fords' or 'Holdens'. The Audi IS an Audi, the Mercs ARE Mercs, the Ferraris ARE Ferraris. But that's not all - look at the other choice of cars that raced in the lower classes on Sunday: Porsche 997 GT3; Nissan R35 GTR; Lotus Exige; Holden HSV GTS; Mazda RX7; BMW 135i; Subaru WRX Sti; SEAT Leon TDI; Holden HSV VX-R. And all racing together, at Australia's greatest motor racing circuit, for 12 hours!

Who wouldn't want to watch that!

Phil, what's the go with the rear wheel drive R8?

Audi builds the R8 LMS for the European GT3 Championship. Their rules don't allow AWD, so the LMS is rear-drive only. Unlike the normal road versions!

Myself and three mates road-tripped it from Adelaide and stayed at a cottage in Milthorpe..Was an excellent weekend with support catagories such as the Sports Sedans and IPRA Cars as a few local boys from Adelaide in Improved Productionn were racing. The 6:15 start was awesome with lights blazing and brakes glowing..all starting the race in a formation..Awesome!!. We were up on skyline when Lowdnes' Audi smacked the wall .
Been to the 1000 race 2 years ago and enjoyed the 12 hour race just as much.There was room to move you could drive your car on the mounds to spectate and there wasnt the neanderthal attitude of 100k pissed yobbos..lol.

A cruise to the 12 hour, best idea I've heard for ages, I'm in.

I am suprised there was not more coverage with Craig Lowndes being involved. I would have liked to have seen him driving the Audi.

Yogie

Phil, I agree that it sounds like a great race. If I had heard of it beforehand and if it was broadcast on free-to-air TV then I definitely would have watched a couple of hours of it at least. I think that production-based car racing is definitely a good thing and we should see more coverage of it. The entertainment value is already there in the sport, they just need to market it better and make it available and attractive to TV audiences.

I'm surprised at the claim that the GT3-spec Audi R8 only costs 320,000 Euros. That is cheap! V8 Supercars currently cost a lot more than that, but with the control chassis coming in for 2013 with the Car of the Future rules, they are aiming for a cost of roughly $250,000 plus engines.

Isnt it ironic that the last media coverage I've heard of this 12 hour race was a few years ago when a HSV limited edition 7.4 litre commodore ($150,000) 'beat' the porsches and other sports cars..........there must be some knuckle draggers in the media also.

I think it's a bit unkind to call V8 fans 'knuckle-draggers'. After all, most of us here drive air-cooled cars, which are hardly high-tech!

The mass-market of Australian motor racing enthusiasts has been fed nothing but a steady diet of V8 touring cars for the last 40 years. That kind of cultural conditioning will not go away overnight. In order to get Aussies to watch European car racing in large numbers, there will have to be a huge effort in marketing and promotion. It's a bit like trying to turn the whole country vegetarian, or get them to give up beer and switch to white wine. People who have been raised on one thing will continue to demand it, until you can demonstrate to them that you are offering something better.

For me personally, I'm happy to keep watching V8 Supercars, as I think that it's one of the most exciting and competitive racing categories in the world. Last year I started watching some BTCC races on TV and enjoying them also. The rules for mixing turbo FWD cars with RWD BMWs are interesting and the way that they add ballast to the winning driver's car as a handicap for the next race is mind-boggling. Just like horse racing!

The latest Audi R8 LMS Ultra actually sells for 329,900 Euro - plus VAT. They are still production cars, using production body shells and improved production mechanicals. They don't have to be hand-built from scratch like the V8Supercars.

Here's a copy of the Audi press release that gives the details of the latest model: http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/5006/Audi-R8-LMS-Ultra.html 

Here's Autocar magazine doing a test drive of an R8 LMS race car at Silverstone - enjoy the engine sounds! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bjZHUeYEmo