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Audi R15 TDI plus Le Mans Racer Details Revealed

Audi has had a special eco-relationship with the 24h Le Mans race, ever since 2006, when the German carmaker registered the first victory of a diesel-powered vehicle in the famous event.For this year’s race, Audi has prepared the second generation of the R15 TDI diesel race sports car, with the vehicle being trimmed and receiving numerous updates, with the aim of offering a higher efficiency.

Dubbed the “R15 plus”, the vehicle has managed to maintain the output of its 5.5 liter V12 engine (620+ hp), despite this year’s stricter regulations.

The vehicle’s aerodynamics have been revised and trimmed for top speed. The radiator package has been repositioned, while the cockpit offers a better ergonomics. IN addition to that, the racecar uses additional LED lights borrowed from the R8 supercar, offering more efficient lighting on the track at night.

The R15 plus has undergone tests covering over 40,000 kilometers since March 2010, with the sessions including two endurance runs of 30 hours each, aerodynamic test performed in the wind tunnel as well as on tracks and airfields simulations on an artificially dirtied race track to how the radiators would face soiling, two test races in the Le Mans Series at Le Castellet and Spa-Francorchamps and a final test in Southern France at the end of May.

These test sessions allowed Audi to tweak the vehicle’s aerodynamics, tire inflation pressures as well as provide vital set-up information.

"Audi has a reputation of putting highly efficient automobiles on the road - the experience from Le Mans assists in this endeavor," said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.
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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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