Audi has taken the wraps off its all-new GT4 contender, the R8 LMS GT4, which will make its race debut in next month’s Nürburgring 24.

The unveil came Tuesday evening at the New York International Auto Show and expands Audi Sport customer racing’s range to three models, alongside the R8 LMS GT3 car and the RS 3 LMS TCR entry.

The car, produced on the same assembly line as the Audi R8 Coupe V10, shares more than 60 percent of components from its road-going counterpart.

It features a 5.2-liter V10 engine, estimated to producers nearly 500 horsepower and controlled under the SRO GT4 regulations.

The GT4 platform has seen a recent rapid growth to championships worldwide, including Pirelli World Challenge and the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.

“Thirteen racing series in which GT4 models can compete worldwide already exist today worldwide,” said Stephan Winkelmann, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH.

“Audi Sport GmbH is one of the leading manufacturers offering cars in the GT3 and TCR customer sport categories. Now we’re targeting the GT4 class at exactly the right time.

“These fast-growing business segments and the DNA shared by our race cars and production vehicles underscore our ambition to become a true global player in the high-performance league.”

Customer deliveries of the R8 LMS GT4 are expected to begin before the end of the end of the year, with a development and race program planned prior to the car’s homologation, which is expected to come in mid-July during the SRO’s next Balance of Performance test.

Audi joins fellow GT3 manufacturers BMW, Mercedes-AMG, McLaren GT and Porsche with having recently debuted or announced GT4 machinery for the emerging global platform.