Check out this Audi R8 spotted running at the Nurburgring that's got everyone in a tizzy. The car is a bit of a mystery with a rear bumper from the R8 GT, larger side intakes, carbon fiber splitters, R8 LMS rear decklid window and, oddly, exhaust exiting directly through the back where the license plate usually sits.

The shots, published in AutoExpress, are suggested by the magazine to be a new RS version of the R8 GT. That could be, but we're pretty sure it's not. Why?

First and foremost, some things in the photos had us wondering about the claim that this car was from the factory. For one, the plate has been blurred out including the country and last we checked Germany doesn't use red lettering. And while we can't see the letters and numbers we can see the first letter has a flat top where the blurring tool missed a bit and last we checked all Neckarsulm mules from quattro GmbH use HN as the first two letters.

Next, while sporty and Audi Sportish, the stirpes aren't exactly somethign we're used to seeing on an Audi mule. In fact, we've never seen anything like it on an Audi mule. Then we clicked on the pic and zoomed in and that's when the whole story fell apart.

The front license plate frame says MTM on it and then it hit us. Check out those side skirts and chin spoiler. They're straight up MTM (see the MTM press photo below).



About a year ago when we were at MTM's headquarters down the road from Audi we remember Mr. Mayer telling us about his latest purchase. The car was an Audi R8 and he'd just begun to tear it down in order to wedge a V10 biturbo from an RS 6 into its engine bay. Given the non production change in rear exhaust pipes, we wonder if Roland Mayer's car is now complete and on the road.... or perhaps it's a customer car given the most likely non-German tags.

Either way for those at AutoExpress and elsewhere who pick up the story, we're next to positive that this is an MTM-built R8. Just in case though, we've dropped the link into an email and are following up with the MTM offices in Germany.

Read more and see that front shot with the MTM plate frame after the jump.

Full Story - Audi R8 GT RS Spied on AutoExpress