Ahead of the 2016 World Endurance Championship, Audi recently unveiled its brand new R18 racer.

With a thoroughly redesigned exterior and an improved powertrain, Audi hopes that with the 2016 R18, it will be able to reclaim the WEC title having lost it to Toyota in 2014 and Porsche in 2015.

Fresh off its online debut, a prototype of the new Audi R18 e-tron was filmed in the midst of preliminary testing at the Sebring Raceway. While not being driven to its limits, the potential of the new R18 is undeniable as is its rather, ummm……horrendously ugly design.

Thankfully, unlike a road car, racing cars don’t have to be aesthetically pleasing, they just have to be fast and the 2016 R18 is promising to be just that. While specifics about the car haven’t been released, it is being pinned as the most powerful and efficient Audi racing car ever produced.

It will celebrate its racing debut on April 17 at Silverstone.

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