There’s no getting away from the fact that Le Mans is a big deal for Audi. The German car maker has dominated the famous endurance race in recent years, and to reinforce the event’s importance the launch of its 2014 car was a little unconventional.

The Le Mans circuit is unusual in that, for most of the year, part of it is a public road. So what better way for Audi to launch its new R18 e-tron quattro than to get multi-Le Mans champion and factory driver Tom Kristensen to drive from the city centre to the track.

In this digital age it’s no surprise to learn the that the whole event was relayed live to a dedicated Audi website, and it’s fair to say that the activity puts a new twist on commuting to work – even if Kristensen’s drive was a little early given that the race starts in June.

The car’s public launch will be followed by an official test session before Audi begins its title defence at Silverstone in the UK on April 20 of the FIA World Endurance Championship.