Audi has built a completely new LMP1 race car for 2016 to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and Le Mans 24 Hours Race. The R18 e-tron racer has a new compact monocoque and still had additional space for larger hybrid powertrain.
The Audi R18 is one of the few diesel powered race cars, fighting in the elite global events. The new version continues to use the V6 diesel engine, coupled with three hybrid powertrains to deliver over 1000bhp. Additionally it is 10 per cent more efficient than its predecessor.
The front monocoque is more compact to offer better aerodynamics. Also, the space has been managed better to fit the larger six mega joule unit in place of the four mega joule unit of last year. This also means that the R18 moves to the higher category.
Where the previous car had electro-mechanical components with the flywheel energy storage system for energy recuperation, the new one uses a battery, moving to electrochemical technology. Audi has managed to keep the weight of the car at around 870kg – the minimum weight requirement of the LMP1 racer.
Commenting on the new R18, Head of Audi Motorsport, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, says, “The result is a race car that manages energy even more effectively than before. This is an objective we’re pursuing for our road-going automobiles as well. This type of motorsport continues to set an example for automotive engineering. For Audi, production relevance has been a core topic of all racing programs for 35 years.”
