Autoblog

Click image for high res gallery

It's that time of year already. As soon as the calendar flips, racing teams are eager to get a jump on the competition and start showing off their new whips. Testing sessions for many series are underway and images of the racers are starting to surface. One of our favorite forms of racing, Le Mans prototypes, is no exception. We elsewhere covered news of Mazda's new 4-cylinder Lola competitor for the ALMS and here we have the Audi R10 challenger from Peugeot. While we saw a prototype of this racer on a display stand in Paris last fall, here we have a small gallery of images from the track. For those who might not remember, the 908 HDi features Peugeot's new HDi V12 that was also shown in the Maybach Exelero-like 908 RC concept sedan.

The 5.5-liter twin-turbo diesel is all-aluminum and utilizes common-rail direct-injection. It's twelve cylinders are arranged in a 100-degree V, for a lower center of gravity. The engine should be good for more than 700hp in race trim. Like the championship-winning R10 TDI from Audi, this diesel should provide a lot of torque and improved fuel economy over a gas engine. The oil-burner channels its power through a six-speed electro-pneumatic gearbox and a self-locking electronic differential.

This Peugeot is also the first closed body-style Le Mans proto, which meets the new regulations. It also offers a visual link to the company's old 905, that won Le Mans in '92 and '93. Looks hot in naked carbon fiber.

Thanks for the tip, ALMS Mike!

[Source: Peugeot via Endurance-Info]