The SEMA Show in Las Vegas attracts all kinds of modified vehicles. Usually, they come with extra components designed for greater performance and wilder looks but this particular model comes with fewer parts than usual. We are talking about the pictured stripped-out Audi R8 Kart that looks like Ariel Atom‘s big brother, although it packs a lot more power than you would expect.
The vehicle comes from LeeC Parts, a company that recycles parts from exotic vehicles. It started life as a 2012 Audi R8 GT which was heavily tuned by Underground Racing in 2014-2015 before being crashed by its second owner just six days after the purchase. The wrecked R8 ended up on Facebook marketplace where LeeC Parts acquired it.
Read: Tuner Turns Rendering Artist’s Wild Mid-Engine ’67 Mustang Into Reality For SEMA
Instead of dismantling the vehicle and selling all of its parts for profit, the company decided to build something special out of it, given its performance credentials. Speaking of which, thanks to a series of extensive modifications, Underground Racing took Audi’s twin-turbo 5.0-liter V10 to a monstrous 1,700 hp when running on racing fuel. The transmission has also been upgraded to withstand the stress, retaining the stock housing. Thankfully, the Audi R8 GT came fitted with carbon ceramic brakes right from the factory.
While the numbers are impressive, to say the least, the most eye-catching feature of the Audi R8 Kart is the lack of body panels. In fact, the only remaining parts are the front and rear windshield and the roof structure, with everything else gone. A custom tubular frame has been added to work as a front bumper, with a similar structure for the doors. LeeC Parts wanted the vehicle to be road legal, which is why they added lighting units as required by the law.
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Taking advantage of their inventory, they used parts from many different vehicles to create a post-apocalyptic design. The bumper-mounted lights including the turn signals and the fog lights are sourced from a 2020 Ford Mustang GT, while the main headlights sticking out of the bonnet come from a tractor-trailer, and so are the trailer taillights at the back. Other details include a genuine APR carbon fiber splitter at the front, carbon-fiber mirrors from a Honda S2000, and rear steel fenders from custom choppers. The model retains the OEM wheels and the stock dashboard, which looks quite nice in combination with Recaro racing seats.
The unique Audi R8 has taken part in many events, showing what it can do on the drag strip and being driven for hundreds of miles on the highway. Below you can watch a video presentation of the vehicle shot a few months ago from That Racing Channel.