In cooperation with Phoenix Racing, Schaeffler Paravan Technologie GmbH & Co KG is presenting the first race car approved by the German Motor Sport Federation (DMSB). The Audi R8 LMS GT3, which is equipped with the Space Drive steer-by-wire system and has no mechanical connection between its steering unit and axles, will participate in the DMV GTC/DUNLOP 60 racing series in future. The steer-by-wire race car will be driven by Markus Winkelhock.
The car will be presented on 21 June in the Phoenix Shop on the ring boulevard at the 24 Hours Nürburgring racing event.
The R8 LMS GT3 is fitted with a special force feedback steering wheel. Steering movements are not transferred mechanically but instead within milliseconds via electrical impulses in a steer-by-wire system. The Space Drive technology developed by Paravan GmbH for people with disabilities has proved itself in more than one billion kilometres of accident-free driving over the last 17 years. Space Drive is manufactured in line with the highest quality and safety standards and is approved for road use. The technology features a triple-redundant design: If one control unit should fail, there are two backup units that can take over in succession, thus ensuring complete fail-safe operation. Space Drive is a key technology for Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous driving, and its use also opens up completely new opportunities in terms of interior design.
On Saturday 22 June – right before the start of the classic long-distance race – a world premiere will take place when the R8 is sent out for a run on the Nordschleife at Nürburgring. This will mark the first time that a race car without a steering column drives a lap on the most dangerous auto racing route in the world.
