New Audi R10 diesel LeMans car...

[Verrückt]

Awesome.

Audi Competes with Diesel Sports Car at Le Mans



Dec 13, 2005

source: Audi Sport

- Audi R10 world premiere in Paris
- V12 TDI engine produces over 650 hp
- First test successfully completed

AUDI AG is once again one step ahead of the opposition: The inventor of ‘TDI’ will become the world’s first automobile manufacturer to fight for overall victory with a diesel engine at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. The all-new Audi R10, which was unveiled on Tuesday in Paris, is powered by a totally new 5.5-litre, twelve-cylinder bi-turbo TDI engine, which is extremely quiet and economical.




The Le Mans Prototype, with over 650 hp and more than 1,100 Newton metres torque, significantly exceeds the power produced by the majority of previous Audi racing cars – including that of its victorious R8 predecessor. Audi ventures into previously unexplored diesel-engine terrain with the V12 power plant manufactured completely from aluminium. As with the TFSI technology, which triumphed initially at Le Mans before being adopted for mass-production, Audi customers should benefit once again from the lessons learnt in motorsport.




"With the A8 4.2 TDI quattro, Audi already builds one of the most powerful diesel cars in the world,” explained Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, at the R10 presentation in Paris. "The Le Mans project will help our technicians to extract even more from TDI technology. Nowadays, every second Audi is delivered with a TDI engine. We expect that the percentage of diesel engines will be even larger in the future.”

The R10 prototype’s V12 power unit, which is equipped with two diesel particle filters, is hardly recognisable as a diesel thanks to the engine’s smooth running nature. The TDI engine’s specialities presented the Audi Sport engineers with a whole list of challenges. The injection pressure easily exceeds the 1,600 bar achieved in production cars. The usable power band lies between 3,000 and 5,000 revs per minute – an unusually low rev range for a racing engine. The driver must change gear in the R10 far less often than in the R8 because of the TDI engine’s favourable torque curve.




The enormous torque of over 1,100 Newton metres does not only make extreme demands of the R10 transmission system – even the latest generation of engine dynamometers at Audi Sport had to be re-equipped with special gearboxes capable of withstanding the unusual forces.

Additionally, radical changes to the chassis were also necessary. The Audi R10 has a significantly longer wheel base than the R8. The overly wide front tyres are, up until now, unique for a Le Mans Prototype. New technologies were also implemented during the development of the carbon-fibre monocoque. Chassis, engine and gearbox form an extremely rigid, fully stressed unit.




"The R10 project is the biggest challenge ever to have been handed to Audi Sport,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "TDI technology has not been pushed to its limits in motorsport yet. We are the first to confront the challenge. The demands of such a project are accordingly high. Long-term technology partners such as Bosch, Michelin or Shell support us in our quest. Together we have the chance to write new chapters in the history books of motorsport and diesel technology.”

The new Audi R10 successfully completed its first test at the end of November. An extensive test programme, including the 12-hour race at Sebring (USA) on 18 March, is scheduled before the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 17/18 June 2006. The development team from Audi Sport is supported by Reinhold Joest’s squad, which also performed this task during the R8 project.

[Memphis]

thats hot! how much pound feet of torque is it

[Verrückt]

Originally Posted by Memphis

thats hot! how much pound feet of torque is it

811 ft-lbs.

[Nortad]

I´m gonna sound like a hipocrite since I drive a diesel audi a4, but I hate diesels, There great for family cars, but I hate the idea of them being used in sports cars and racing...

[v_dub_ya]

killer lookin

[rydinturbo]

lol there gona kill all the other cars with gas milage

[/NDA]

Originally Posted by Nortad

I´m gonna sound like a hipocrite since I drive a diesel audi a4, but I hate diesels, There great for family cars, but I hate the idea of them being used in sports cars and racing...

What are we gonna race when we run out of petrol?

Efficiently speeking and talking renewable energy, the order of power goes something like this:

1) Biodiesel (about 15% less efficient than high octane)*;
2) Hydrogen internal combustion (alot of heat ~-10%)**;
3) Poo power (methane = slow ~ -20 to 25%);
4) Fuel cells (very heavy system setup);
5) Electric (batteries - hours to recharge and the acids are not recyclable);
6) Solar (very slow);
...

7) huh, a wind-skateboard thingy;
...

8) oh and nitrous! (in last cause it's just too dangerous to be handled by average joe and soccermoms... not cause it's less powerfull obviously);

* but your engine's life is about doubled
** and your engine's life is about half

I think it's a good thing, kinda... so that in 20+ years, we're still be able to race.

Originally Posted by rydinturbo

lol there gona kill all the other cars with gas milage

And outaccelerate 'em all too

[Nortad]

You can use those enviromentaly friendly fuels on the road, on trucks and public transportation, for racing it should only be gasoline. For me nothing else matches gasoline in a sports car or race car, and I mean in terms of spirit and feel, something that diesels dont give.

And that "fossil fuels reserves" crap isnt that clear as people make it sound.

[Big Smoke]

How quickly some people forget the Cummins powered Indy car. It doesn't seem like a bad idea, but time will tell whether or not that torque will chew up the tranmission and clutch.

[FocusZTS]

whats funny is that diesel is more abundant than gasoline

you get more deisel/barrel of crude than you do gas

i personally think that a deisel race car is a good idea and think about this when the driver gets on the power noone behind him will be able to see where they are going

all he/she has to do is get out in front and the race is in the bag

Originally Posted by Nortad

Fossil fuels reserve crap

we are running out of fossil fuels but its not going to happen in our life times

[Nortad]

Originally Posted by FocusZTS

we are running out of fossil fuels but its not going to happen in our life times

Thats right. And isnt it funny that the people that come out with the figures of the oil reserves are the oil companies themselves? And isnt that a great excuse to shoot the fuel prices sky high?

Besides, what Ive heard (dunno if its true) diesel is more expensive too produce than gasoline.

But I want to make this clear: I´m just against the use of diesel in sports cars and racing.

[Verrückt]

Originally Posted by Nortad

But I want to make this clear: I´m just against the use of diesel in sports cars and racing.

Gasoline is better for racing. It was extremely difficult for Audi to develop such an engine running on diesel.

The only reason Audi chose diesel is because the current rules restrictions "favor" diesel motors. In other words, there aren't as many restrictions which is why the car makes more power than last year's gasoline powered car.

My prediction is that the Audi will dominate and eventually they will modify the rules and put more restrictions on the diesel motors...probably forcing Audi to try something else.

[Big Smoke]

Regardless, my concern is for the rubber. I'm concerned about the lifespan of the tires that endure that torque at speed. Will the current rubber authorized withstand the force? Will Audi's infamous traction control intervene?

[aznflick]

Just think of how many spectators its going to bring when all of them are getting high off the lead/smell of diessel





And i was j/k about the lead unless its true

[Nortad]

Originally Posted by Verrückt

Gasoline is better for racing. It was extremely difficult for Audi to develop such an engine running on diesel.

The only reason Audi chose diesel is because the current rules restrictions "favor" diesel motors. In other words, there aren't as many restrictions which is why the car makes more power than last year's gasoline powered car.

My prediction is that the Audi will dominate and eventually they will modify the rules and put more restrictions on the diesel motors...probably forcing Audi to try something else.

Yeah, thats true. They must have struggeled alot with heat issues, specially with the turbos. Variable geometry turbos dont work so well with high temperatures and that is a problem even on road cars.

Also rules for non-turbocharged diesels in off-roads events are also very "loose" , so I guess manufacturers will go there next.