Autoblog

Watch the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro long-tail testing at Monza

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 02 May 2013 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Audi, Racing

Audi released a single photo of the long-tailed version of its R18 E-Tron Quattro Le Mans racer, but the photo didn't offer the best view of the stretched rear. The car has been caught testing at Monza, in Italy, and not only do we get a better view of what it's got out back, we get pretty awesome sound as it makes high-speed runs past the camera.

Since the 2013-spec car was found to be down on performance versus the 2012, the long-tail is a different evolution to see if Audi can eke out more performance from its already dominant chassis. Have a look and a listen in the video below.

Continue reading Watch the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro long-tail testing at Monza

Watch the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro long-tail testing at Monza originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi testing long-tail version of R18 e-tron quattro for Le Mans

Jeffrey N. Ross — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Audi, Racing

Race teams are always looking for ways to shave hundredths of seconds of their lap times. Case in point: Audi is making some slight changes to its prototype racecar to make it ever so much more slippery as it cuts through the air.

Debuting at the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Spa on May 4, Audi will be testing a long-tail version of its R18 E-tron Quattro racecar. As its name suggests, the long-tail car gets a lengthened rear section with the goal of improving aerodynamics. The long-tail will be run alongside the standard version of the racecar as a testbed for possible changes that might be in store, heading into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Audi did not say how many inches were added to the racecar, but as you can see in the image above, "long-tail" definitely doesn't take on the same meaning of classic long-tail cars of the past such as the Porsche 917. More information about the car, Audi's team and even some info about the track itself can be found below.

Continue reading Audi testing long-tail version of R18 e-tron quattro for Le Mans

Audi testing long-tail version of R18 e-tron quattro for Le Mans originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi's diesel-electric supercar is codenamed 'Scorpion'

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Audi, Diesel, Luxury

Speculation continues as to the final nature of the diesel-hybrid Audi supercar said to arrive in 2016 or 2017. A previous report in Automobile had the halo coupe, based closely on the R18 etron quattro endurance racer, codenamed R20 and pegged to look like a Le Mans winner for the street with around 700 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque from a twin-turbo V6. Now Car and Driver has updated the gossip with a report that the car is internally called "Scorpion," and it will be even closer to the R18 than supposed.

CD says the heart of the car will use the R18 etron quattro's carbon fiber tub and its engine will be "taken directly" from the race car. That means a 3.7-liter V6 with a single turbo that, in ACO-spec restricted form, outputs 500 hp and 625 lb-ft - CD suspects production output could get to 600 hp - and drives the rear wheels, aided by hybrid motors driving the front wheels. And remember, at Le Mans the R18's hybrid motors can't kick in until they're above a certain speed in order to prevent Audi from getting an advantage coming out of slow corners. A street car wouldn't face that restriction.

The Scorpion would be a fulsome and undiluted example of the technologies Audi has created during its return to sports car racing. Its exterior design hasn't been finalized, with CD citing either the convoluted concept of "a retro take on the future of racing" or packaging that would adhere to the R18's looks. To make sure it is properly appreciated and sells well, production could be limited to the same 333 units as the R8 GT and A1 Quattro.

Audi's diesel-electric supercar is codenamed 'Scorpion' originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi bringing digital rearview mirror from racing to production

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Technology, Audi, Electric, Luxury

Audi's digital rearview mirror is officially going from the Le Mans clobbering, race-only Audi R18 to the road-going R8 e-tron (click the image above to enlarge). Lacking a rear window put the R8 e-tron in the same rear-view challenged category as its racing brethren, and so has been provided the same solution.

The 7.7-inch AMOLED screen receives the feed from a tiny camera just a few millimeters across. The screen is dimmable, will automatically reduce the glare from the headlights of cars behind, and can be switched off if the driver just isn't with it. For now, it appears the screen will just display the camera image, but Audi says it's working on adding more information to the display in the future. You can find out more about it in the press release below.

Continue reading Audi bringing digital rearview mirror from racing to production

Audi bringing digital rearview mirror from racing to production originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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24 Hours of Le Mans delivers something old, something new [SPOILERS]

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, Chevrolet, Nissan, Toyota, Racing

If you don't want to know who finished where in the 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, then you should head to another post this instant...

With Peugeot's withdrawal from the world's greatest endurance race, everyone was looking to the rookie Toyota team and its two petrol-hybrid TS030 race cars to provide some kind of worthy competition for the two diesel-hybrid Audi R18 e-tron quattros and two Audi diesel R18 Ultras. And they did. Five hours from the drop of the green flag, Nicolas Lapierre in the No. 7 Toyota passed Benoit Treluyer in the No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro on track to take the lead.

At almost the same time, Anthony Davidson in the No. 8 Toyota was getting launched into the air when a GT Pro-class Ferrari turned into him heading into Mulsanne Corner. Both drivers had massive impacts with the tire barrier, ending their races, and Davidson is now lying in the hospital with two fractured vertebra. Worse yet, the second Toyota had fallen to second due to a pit stop during the safety car period, and on the restart it crashed into the Nissan DeltaWing. That DeltaWing's race was ended after a solid run in its experimental class - its biggest issue appeared to be that other drivers couldn't see it. The Toyota returned to the pits for repairs and got back on track, but retired with engine failure about 12 hours in.

That left the four Audis to box for the victory, and they took the boxing seriously, making contact with tire walls, with other cars and with each other before the No. 1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro driven by last year's winners Treluyer, Andre Lotterer and Marcel Fassler took the win, the first Le Mans win by a hybrid-powered car. Second was the No. 2 R18 e-tron quattro of "Mr. Le Mans" Tom Kristensen, Allan McNish and Dindo Capello, then the two diesel-powered R18 ultras in third and fifth. Nicolas Prost, son of four-time F1 champion Alain Prost, took fourth in a Lola Toyota, breaking up the Audi family.

The LMP2 class win was snagged by Ryan Dalziel in an HPD-Honda, pursued heavily by the Oreca-Nissan team. Giancarlo Fisichella took the AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia to victory in the GT Pro class after having crashed the car so badly on Wednesday that the team had to start the race at the back of the pack; the GT Am Corvettes were beset by mechanical trouble and on-track incidents. Redemption for the home team came from Pedro Lamy in the Labre Corvette C6.R, who claimed GT Am honors ahead of the Imsa Porsche team.

24 Hours of Le Mans delivers something old, something new [SPOILERS] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch a night lap at Le Mans in an Audi R18 e-tron

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Videos, Audi, Chevrolet, GM, Racing

If you have a hard time fathoming what it must be like to drive in a 24-hour endurance race, you're going to want to watch the video after the break. You'll see an Audi R18 e-tron quattro - the fastest cars on the race track at Le Mans, by a smidge, over the similarly hybrid-powered Toyota TS 030 machines - lap the famed French track after the sun has gone down.

Keep in mind that this video is merely three minutes long, and yet the unflinching dedication shown by driver Tom Kristensen is clearly on display. As an added bonus, we've also included a night lap of the circuit in a Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1. Pay close attention about 20 seconds into the second video and you'll see just how ~~scary~~ exciting this kind of competition can be.

Check out both videos by scrolling down below. Are you as excited for Le Mans this weekend as we are?

Continue reading Watch a night lap at Le Mans in an Audi R18 e-tron

Watch a night lap at Le Mans in an Audi R18 e-tron originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Le Mans starting grid set, Audi hybrid takes pole but Toyotas break up the pack

John Neff — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Audi, Nissan, Toyota, Diesel

There were times during the past two days of qualifying when it looked like Audi might own the first two rows of the starting grid for this weekend's 24 Hours of Le Mans. The R18 e-tron quattro hybrid cars were running the quickest lap times, with the two diesel R18 Ultras following close behind. The two Toyota TS 030 hybrid cars were also quick, but it seemed they were always nipping at the heels of an Audi's lap time, much like the Audis used to trail the faster Peugeots during qualifying for Le Mans races of the recent past. And we all know how that usually ended for Peugeot.

So when the third and final qualifying session ended last evening, we were surprised to learn the starting grid had ended up as anything but expected. An Audi will have pole position, and a hybrid car at that, which marks the first time such a powertrain has earned the honor. The No. 1 R18 e-tron quattro beat all comers with a fastest lap of 3:23.787, nearly two seconds quicker than last year's pole.

Next to the first R18 e-tron quattro will be another R18, but not a hybrid. The No. 3 R18 Ultra will be starting second, followed by the No. 8 Toyota TS030 hybrid starting third, the other R18 e-tron quattro starting fourth, the No. 7 Toyota TS030 hybrid starting fifth and the final R18 Ultra starting sixth. So not a single car of the quickest six will start next to its twin, which suggests that none of the three powertrain technologies has a lock on leading the race.

In LMP2, the No. 25 Oreca Nissan led the field with a fastest lap of 3:38.181, followed closely by the No. 24 Oak Racing Morgan Judd and then four more Oreca Nissans. The Nissan DeltaWing, racing in an experimental class of its own, wound up near the back of the LMP2 field with a fastest lap of 3:42.612 set on the first day of qualifying.

The GTE Pro class promises to be as exciting as ever this year, with the pole being led by the No. 71 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia, which recorded a particularly quick lap of 3:56.484 during the final qualifying session. The Ferrari will be followed by Aston Martin Racing's No. 97 Vantage V8 and the first of two Corvette Racing C6 ZR1s.

Lastly, the GTE Am class will be lead by the No. 79 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 RSR with a leading lap time of 3:57.594, followed by another 911 from Prospeed Competition and the No. 99 Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage.

Click here to find out the best place, time and way to experience this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Le Mans starting grid set, Audi hybrid takes pole but Toyotas break up the pack originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi reinvents the rearview mirror for its Le Mans racers

Noah Joseph — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Safety, Technology, Audi, Racing

Every year at every auto show we see concept cars that envision replacing the rearview mirrors with digital cameras. They're usually the exterior mirrors and not the central one above the windshield, but whatever the case, and however much sense they seem to make, government regulations prevent them from being put into production. But Audi has found another use for the idea: its racing cars.

The latest R18 Le Mans prototype features, among other more considerable advancements, an AMOLED screen in the closed cockpit that's hooked up to a video camera, housed in carbon fiber and protruding ever so slightly from the tail fin. The system allows the drivers - who are put under enormous strain over the course of an endurance race - to clearly see the traffic coming up behind (or that they've just passed), which is apparently of great benefit considering that these mid-engined, closed-cockpit LMPs have no room for a rear window through which a conventional mirror would peer.

While they were at it, Audi moved the gear indicator, some warning lights and the tire slip gauge to the high-mounted central display. The side mirrors are still there on the outside, so the system doesn't eliminate that drag (for now), but it operates independent of the sight-limiting vibrations that can occur at the high speeds an LMP can reach, and of the weather conditions that can cause reduced visibility from spray in the wet.

Though it may take some time, if Audi wins on Sunday, it could end up selling this technology in its road cars on Monday.

Continue reading Audi reinvents the rearview mirror for its Le Mans racers

Audi reinvents the rearview mirror for its Le Mans racers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 May 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota TS030 and Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro pose for the camera

Drew Phillips — Fri, 04 May 2012 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, Toyota, Racing

While the Toyota TS030 Hybrid won't be participating in this weekend's FIA World Endurance Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium due to a crash in pre-season testing last month, that didn't stop the automaker from bringing the new endurance racer as a preview for what's to come for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. The TS030 even made time for a quick photoshoot at the infamous Eau Rouge alongside the new Audi R18 e-tron Quattro, which happens to be making its race debut this weekend.

While both the Audi and Toyota employ hybrid powertrains, a first for endurance prototypes, each go about it in very different ways. The TS030 makes use of a naturally aspirated 3.4-liter V8 while the R18 e-tron Quattro uses a turbocharged diesel V6. Audi's hybrid system powers the front wheels, hence the Quattro name, while Toyota has yet to announce whether it's system will drive the front or rear wheels.

The closed cockpit racers make for quite an attractive couple, and we hope it's a pairing that will form a lasting rivalry in the coming years.

Toyota TS030 and Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro pose for the camera originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi celebrates return of Quattro to motorsports with another video

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Audi, Racing

As Audi shows off the new R18 e-tron Quattro, it's proving that history can be fun. In a new video, the automaker traces the origins of its 2012 Le Mans entrant back to the original Quattro that abused the space-time continuum in Group B rallying.

This isn't exactly the true return of Quattro, however, since four-wheel drive isn't allowed in LMP1. However, according to Le Mans rules you can have "500kJ (approximately 70bhp) of stored energy to be transferred to the wheels between two braking 'events at speeds above 120km/h (75mph)."

That's where the R18 e-tron's regenerative braking steps up, its flywheel unleashing stored energy at the front axle. Check it out in the video after the jump.

Continue reading Audi celebrates return of Quattro to motorsports with another video

Audi celebrates return of Quattro to motorsports with another video originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Mar 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi R18 e-tron Quattro debuts in motion

Noah Joseph — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Hybrid, Videos, Audi, Diesel, Racing

The top class of endurance racing like what we see at Le Mans tends to follow trends. Open cockpits gave way to closed ones in LMP1 racers, but while diesel engines continue to dominate, we're now entering the age of hybrid prototypes.

Peugeot was said to be working on just such a powertrain for its 908 before suddenly shut down its program. Toyota is still developing its own version for the TS030 Hybrid. And now Audi has announced its title defender, the new R18 e-tron Quattro.

Unveiled yesterday, the R18 e-tron Quattro takes the same form as the conventionally powered R18 Ultra, but with one important difference: its TDI diesel engine is assisted by a regenerative braking system that gives it not only hybrid power but (through-the-road) all-wheel drive. Now we've got our first video clip of the hybrid prototype from its track tests and press conference unveiling, which you can see for yourself after the jump.

Continue reading Audi R18 e-tron Quattro debuts in motion

Audi R18 e-tron Quattro debuts in motion originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi unleashes hybrid, AWD powertrain on Le Mans with new R18 e-tron Quattro

Noah Joseph — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Hybrid, Audi, Diesel, Racing

When we hear names like TFSI and Quattro, we automatically think of Audi. But while these technologies have proliferated across the company's production model range, they weren't initially developed for the road - they were developed for racing. So sit up straight and pay attention to Audi's cutting edge new Le Mans prototype, because it's jam-packed with new technologies that will likely end up in showrooms sooner or later.

Called the R18 e-tron Quattro, the LMP1 you see here doesn't just continue Audi's tradition of turbo diesel propulsion in endurance racing, it supplements it with hybrid propulsion and all-wheel drive. The two are part of the same system, regenerating brake energy (similar to F1's Kinetic Energy Recovery System) into a flywheel that is then fed back into the front wheels under acceleration, while the V6 TDI engine feeds 510 horsepower to the rear wheels for a combined through-the-road all-wheel-drive system. The added weight of the hybrid powertrain is offset by a carbon-fiber gearbox housing, used for the first time in endurance racing.

Audi will be campaigning two examples of the R18 e-tron Quattro at Le Mans in June and before that at Spa in May, alongside two of the R18 Ultras with conventional diesel power. Since both cars were developed together, they use mostly the same components, enabling more efficient race logistics for the team. We'll be watching to see how the tour de force fairs against the newcomers from Toyota with their TS030 Hybrid at Spa, Le Mans and the rest of the FIA World Endurance Championship, but for now you can check out the high-res images in the gallery above and the details in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Audi unleashes hybrid, AWD powertrain on Le Mans with new R18 e-tron Quattro

Audi unleashes hybrid, AWD powertrain on Le Mans with new R18 e-tron Quattro originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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