Normally a Tony Southgate design combined with German technology should have been on par with the open topped spyders, even if they had to run with narrower tyres and smaller restrictors.
The slippery coupe's traded less downforce for a higher top speed and possibly a better fuel economy, which matters in a 24hr race on the long straights oft La Sarthe.

One trick Ponies
Unfortunately Audi's decision to play both sides had made extremely late, meaning constructing the R8C in time for the May 99 LM Pre Qual left no time for testing.

Were the open topped R8R had received their baptism of fire during the Sebring 12hrs, the svelte Coupes (run by Audi U.K. a.k.a by Richard Lloyd) turned there first wheels at Le Mans. Plagued by reliability problems both Coupes were way of the pace, respectively 10 and 17 seconds behind the Toyota GT-One.

One month was not enough to iron out the Coupe's child diseases, subsequently the R8C fared not well during the 24hr race . The Johansson-Ortelli-Abt car retired after just 4 hours while the Weaver - Wallace - McCarthy car was withdrawn after 17 hours race.

In 2000 Audi dropped the beautiful but troublesome R8 Coupes and concentrated all its efforts on the R8R LMP program.... the rest as they say is history.

Audi R8C LMGTP (LM 1999):
Length: 4740 mm, Width: 1980 mm, Height: ??? mm, Wheelbase: 2700 mm, Tyres:Michelin Wheels OZ 18'