If the lights fail to modify ambient traffic patterns, the R8 Raptor is also equipped with a Hella industrial airhorn-attached to a toggle switch so the factory horn can also be selected-as well as the aforementioned PA system.
There are other various points of interest inside the car, too many to cover in great detail. The factory speakers have been replaced with Morel ELATE components with a subwoofer mounted centrally between the driver's and passenger's seats; cameras are mounted in the A-pillar, one trained on the cockpit, one pointed outside the car, to capture the whole event digitally; a motorized waste bin (dubbed the "Raptor Compactor") at the rear of the center console; an accessory panel beneath the bin offering 12 and 120-volt, Ethernet and composite audio/video hot links; red LED "fighter lights" and reading lights embedded in the headliner; a Zeitronix digital display gauge monitoring the PES forced induction system; Autonet WiFi for mobile high-speed Internet access.
It's enough to make your head spin. But is it enough to win the Bullrun? We'll know by the time this makes it to print. Of course, Mr. R has a few other tricks up his sleeve that are being kept mum until the big day-maybe even forever. And speculation swirls; there's even word that he has contracted a helicopter to pre-run the course for him. But at this point, it's all still speculation.
Rumor has it that after the rally he'll be returning to Performance Outfitters to turn the car back to "mostly stock." We're calling it a ruse. Whether or not Mr. R takes the prize at Bullrun, there's still one more record he may see fit to tackle. And this seems just the tool to tackle it.
Performance Outfitters Group R8 Raptor
Layout
Longitudinal mid-engine, all-wheel drive
Engine
4.2-liter V8, dohc, 32-valve. PES supercharger system and software, Milltek exhaust
Transmission
Six-speed manual
Wheels and Tires
HRE M47, 8.5x20 (f), 11x20 (r)Michelin Pilot Sport 2, 235/30 (f), 305/25 (r)
Exterior
Custom matte paint, smoked markers/taillights, Whelan TIR3 LED burst lights front and rear, custom R8 Raptor badging
Interior
Custom suede upholstery, Garmin 855T GPS molded into A-pillar, Apple iPhone molded into driver's sunvisor, custom fiberglass dash panel, Passport 9500ci radar/laser scanner, Uniden BCD996T police scanner with headliner-mounted head, Alpine IVA-W505, Cobra 75 WXST CB radio, motorized "Raptor Compactor" waste bin, Autonet WiFi Internet with antenna booster, glovebox-mounted Thinkpad laptop, custom LEDs in headliner and door panels, Morel ELATE speakers, Zeitronix LCD gauge
Performance*
Peak Power: 558 hp
Peak Torque: 437 lb-ft
* Performance Outfitters Group est.