Sep 08, 2016 05:05 AM EDT
Audi Surprises Wayde van Niekerk with a $1M Sports Car

Wayde van Niekerk's has just received a fantastic gift from one of his sponsors, Audi. The German auto manufacturer handed van Niekerk a brand new R8 V10 plus, a car that can go from being stationary to a zipping 100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds.

Audi said that the gesture was to show appreciation to the professional sprinter when he smashed the 400-meter world record of Michael Johnson during the recently concluded Rio Olympics.

"The similarities between Wayde's disruptive approach to athletics, and our disruptive approach to business transformation, have always been clearly evident," said Mpumi Nhlapo, head of T-Systems South Africa's marketing.

Nhlapo went on to say that they are grateful for someone like van Niekerk for being a constant inspiration to millions of South Africans, giving them hope and the belief in chasing after their dreams.

The million-dollar car was handed over to van Niekerk when he landed at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

The Audi SA stated that R8 V10 will be loaned to the record holder for a year, with an option of extending, as well as access to other Audi Sports Model like the RS6 and RS7, when extra luggage space is needed.

van Niekerk will surely cruise in speed, style, and power as the R8 V10 has a lot to offer. Aside from the explosive 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, the sports car is also the most powerful Audi of its kind.

Its high-revving, mid-mounted 5.2-litre normally aspirated V10 engine is able to produce a roaring 449kW and 560 Nm. The R8 V10 is also light given a sports car its size. The frame itself just weighs about 200kg thanks to an advanced Audi Space Frame structure made from aluminum and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). 

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