Photo: Audi
Audi Motorsport has prepared a new race car for the top class of the 2016 World Endurance Championship.
Audi’s entry in the LMP1 class is the R18, shown in the gallery attached to this story. The car has the name of the previous model, but has been completely redesigned. Audi claims the new race car has almost no shared parts with the previous model.
The R18 TDI went for a more aggressive aerodynamic body kit, and has a new and improved safety cell. Furthermore, the hybrid drive of this car is battery-operated for the first time.
The internal combustion engine has been revised for enhanced efficiency, the solution that helped the German brand win several editions of Le Mans thanks to a strategy based on the smallest number of pit stops allowed.
Thanks to the improvements mentioned, Audi claims this is its strongest race car to date, as well as the most efficient one it has ever built. The hybrid powertrain delivers a total of over 1,000 HP, and Audi says that fuel economy has been improved as well.
The internal combustion unit is a 4.0-liter V6 TDI with a single Garrett VTG turbocharger, while the electric motor and generator have been significantly enhanced from last year’s model. Maximum output of the internal combustion unit exceeds 514 HP, and its torque surpasses 850 Nm (627 lb-ft).
For the Le Mans 24-hour race, there will be a limit on the amount of energy supplied by the hybrid system, but other races in the 2016 World Endurance Championship calendar do not have such limitations.
The hybrid system of the R18 has been changed according to regulations, and it now recovers 50% more energy than its predecessor. The car is enrolled in the 6-megajoule class, a switch that led to changing how the hybrid system operates.
Instead of last year’s seven-speed transmission, the R18 has a six-speed unit. The suspension works with pull rods, just like the previous generation. Audi also mentioned making the R18 lighter than the previous model, but did not specify exactly how light it is. We do know that it complies with FIA norms, so it has a minimum weight of 875 kilograms (1,929 pounds).
The R18 TDI went for a more aggressive aerodynamic body kit, and has a new and improved safety cell. Furthermore, the hybrid drive of this car is battery-operated for the first time.
The internal combustion engine has been revised for enhanced efficiency, the solution that helped the German brand win several editions of Le Mans thanks to a strategy based on the smallest number of pit stops allowed.
Thanks to the improvements mentioned, Audi claims this is its strongest race car to date, as well as the most efficient one it has ever built. The hybrid powertrain delivers a total of over 1,000 HP, and Audi says that fuel economy has been improved as well.
The internal combustion unit is a 4.0-liter V6 TDI with a single Garrett VTG turbocharger, while the electric motor and generator have been significantly enhanced from last year’s model. Maximum output of the internal combustion unit exceeds 514 HP, and its torque surpasses 850 Nm (627 lb-ft).
For the Le Mans 24-hour race, there will be a limit on the amount of energy supplied by the hybrid system, but other races in the 2016 World Endurance Championship calendar do not have such limitations.
The hybrid system of the R18 has been changed according to regulations, and it now recovers 50% more energy than its predecessor. The car is enrolled in the 6-megajoule class, a switch that led to changing how the hybrid system operates.
Instead of last year’s seven-speed transmission, the R18 has a six-speed unit. The suspension works with pull rods, just like the previous generation. Audi also mentioned making the R18 lighter than the previous model, but did not specify exactly how light it is. We do know that it complies with FIA norms, so it has a minimum weight of 875 kilograms (1,929 pounds).
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