Audi's participation in the 2012 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series with a modified version of their R8 LMS car was made official, according to Grand-Am's website.

Ambassadors of the series have made several trips to Germany since 2009 and Grand-Am organizers were thrilled to finally confirm the news.

By luring prestigious manufacturers such as Audi and Ferrari – which made a similar announcement earlier this year – they aim to enhance the level of competitiveness across the field. 'The more, the merrier', as they say.

"This is another important step forward for the Rolex Series and the GT class," said Grand-AM Vice President of Competition Dave Spitzer. "We know there is incredible support for Audi among our race fans.”

The Audi R8 will feature a 5.0L V10 engine and a production-based aluminum chassis. Its debut should take place during the 50th edition of the 24 hours of Daytona on January 28-29.