Sports Maniac: audi r18

Monday, December 13, 2010

Audi Unveils R18 TDI with Big Changes, Including a Roof

With nine 24 Hours of Le Mans wins under its belt, the Audi factory team will return in 2011 with a brand-new race car in which to compete. The R18 TDI is, like past entries, a turbo-diesel endurance car that will campaign in the LMP1 class. The car will make its racing debut at Spa-Francorchamps in March, and Audi plans to enter three of them in next June's Le Mans race.

The R18's carbon-fiber body holds a 3.7-liter TDI V-6 engine of undisclosed power output, coupled to a new six-speed sequential manual transmission. The engine has been downsized significantly compared to those of Audi's past Le Mans entries—the R15 TDI employed a 5.5-liter V-10 and the R10 TDI had a 5.5-liter V-12—because new rules for 2011 dictate smaller powerplants in order reduce overall engine power.

New Le Mans rules also permit hybrid-like energy-recovery systems, like the KERS setup used in Formula 1. Audi says the R18 was "designed for progressive electrification," but the company hasn't decided whether to employ such technology in the car.

The R18 has a closed cockpit, the first time for an Audi Le Mans entry since 1999, which the company says drastically improves aerodynamics. The change is likely in response to rival Peugeot's closed-cockpit design; the trade-off is that the rules require a cooling system for roofed cars. The R18 has new full-LED front lighting elements—hey, it is an Audi. It uses the same wheel sizes front and rear, which the company says helps with even weight distribution.

We say the new closed-cockpit arrangement, coupled with the fancy lights, makes for one intimidating-looking racer. (It's matte gray, for heaven's sake.) The car's first on-track performance will come at the April Le Mans test day, where the team will gather data for the most important race of the season.

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Friday, December 10, 2010

Stunning Audi R18 Le Mans racer revealed | F1 Fanatic round-up

Audi R18

Audi's new R18 Le Mans sports car looks better than most F1 cars if you ask me.

Links

Audi R18 Le Mans prototype unveiled with full roof, epic LEDs (Autoblog)

To me, Le Mans Prototypes should always be closed-cockpit coupes. I think the new Audi R18 looks gorgeous – especially in the black livery (which I don't expect will stay!) More pictures of this fabulous car below.

F1 World Champion 2010 – Sebastian Vettel (Make and model)

Infographic by Patrick.

David Wormald – A Formula 1 addict

Check out this blog by F1 Fanatic reader and live blog moderator David.

Peter Windsor on Twitter

"I hear that Tony Fernandes was told at the F1 Commission meeting yesterday that he "must" change his team name."

Will Buxton on Twitter

"Have it on good authority that Team Lotus has not been asked or told to change its name."

Comment of the day

No sympathhy for Nelson Piquet Jnr from Maksutov:

I don't care what Piquet says, his last and final attempt to make people feel sorry for him is not going to get him anywhere. We live in a world where bullying by your boss/manager in a professional sport, job or "level" doesn't work and hardly happens any more.
There are rules, civil and sport law that prevents this type of thing, and if appropriately addressed the victim is always a winner. Piquet had plenty of opportunity to come forward to FIA and WMSC to complain about the mistreatment, he could have done this behind closed doors at any time even without risking his seat. But he chose not to, so he can benefit from it in an unorthodox, crooked and corrupt manner. Sorry but to me that sounds no better than Briatore himself.
Piquet is just a sad loser and the more he says the more desperate and ridiculous he sounds. Briatore is nothing but an opportunistic corrupt business man, and he will continue to be like that forever. That is what got him to become rich in the first place.
Maksutov