Until the 1980s, Audi wasn’t an important name in motorsport, with its most successful race cars having been built in the 1930s when the brand was part of Auto Union. Things changed dramatically when the Quattro was introduced in 1980, spawning models that went on to dominate the rally scene and the Pikes Peak hill climb. After laying low in the 1990s, Ingolstadt decided to tackle prototype racing and created a series of vehicles that went on to dominate the competition, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its most important racer, the R18, hit the motorsport scene in 2011 and went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times in a row before being defeated by the Porsche 919 Hybrid in 2015. For 2016, Audi has redesigned the R18 from the ground up.
Launched at the Audi Sport Finale at the Audi Training Center in Munich, the R18 is a significant departure from its predecessor. The LMP1 prototype features not only new aerodynamics, but a modified hybrid system and an optimized TDI engine as well.
“With our new Audi R18, we’re setting a clear signal: Audi continues to put the pedal to the metal in motorsport, deliberately relying on TDI – the world’s most successful automotive efficiency technology – at Le Mans,” said Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Motorsport.
Details are still scant as of this writing, but Audi did confirm it will rely on the same driver lineup. The No. 7 car will be driven by Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer, and Marcel Fassler, while the No. 8 race will be driven by Oliver Jarvis, Lucas di Grassi, and Loic Duval. The Germans, however, won’t field a third car at Le Mans in 2016, a decision taken "in the interest of maximum cost efficiency" together with Volkswagen Group sister brand Porsche.
Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Audi R18.
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