Dickie Meaden from EVO recently had the chance to learn how to tackle the Italian Misano Circuit from no other than Allan McNish. It wasn’t just about learning to tackle The Misano Circuit in a street car. It’s about learning how to tackle The Misano Circuit in an Audi R18. Dickie was allowed to complete 5 laps in the R18 in the completely untouched Le Mans winning car. There’s all sorts of debris embedded in the car as Audi has a tradition of leaving the cars in the condition that they win the race in.
Timo Bernhard misses pole position by just 128 thousandths
Dindo Capello takes position four for Audi
Record field and record turnout at Road Atlanta
Audi Sport Team Joest will tackle the 1000-mile “Petit Le Mans” race at Road Atlanta (U.S. state of Georgia) from the front row of the grid. Timo Bernhard was merely 128 thousandths of a second short of clinching the pole position. This means that the Audi R18 TDI will be on the front row again at its fifth race.
Audi aims for tenth “Petit Le Mans” victory at Road Atlanta
First overseas run of the diesel race sports car
Dindo Capello and Romain Dumas reinforce the Audi squad
QuattroWorld will be arriving Wednesday in Atlanta to bring you all of the action live from Petit Le Mans!
In June Audi celebrated its tenth victory with the R18 TDI diesel race sports car and ultra-lightweight technology in a dramatic race at the famous Le Mans 24 Hours. Likewise, on October 1st, Audi Sport Team Joest is aiming for the brand’s tenth triumph at the U.S. counterpart, the “Petit Le Mans” at Road Atlanta in the state of Georgia.
Nine times Audi has won the event which alongside the Daytona 24 Hours and the Sebring 12 Hours is the most important endurance race in North America. From 2000 to 2005 the Audi R8 was unbeatable at the race that is run over 1000 miles or for a maximum of ten hours. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 the Audi R10 TDI triumphed three times in a row. After unfortunate defeats in the past two years with the R15 TDI, Audi is set on returning to victory lane with the new R18 TDI at Road Atlanta.
Audi R18 TDI New tested extensively in the climatic wind tunnel
Valuable information for the cockpit, windscreen and wipers
Premiere of Audi Sport: The Audi R18 TDI, the Audi Sport Team Joest on 11/12.June at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans is launched, the first Audi sports cars, using the new climatic wind tunnel has been developed.
The climatic wind tunnel is completed in early 2008, the Audi wind tunnel center in Ingolstadt.It generates temperatures of minus 25 to plus 55 degrees Celsius and allowed the engineers to produce when it’s freezing cold and blistering heat to wind speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour.Also simulations of sunlight and rain are possible. Continue reading ‘Climatic wind tunnel helps Audi in Le Mans’
Special thanks to photographer Norbert Kratz for granting us permission to repost these amazing photos! Check out the complete gallery for yourself after the break.
Le Mans “dress rehearsal” at the 1000-kilometer race at Spa (Belgium)
Record field comprising 60 sports prototypes and GT cars
Audi Sport Team Joest competes with three cars
Now the action will begin in earnest. After thousands of test kilometers including the recent test day at Le Mans, the new Audi R18 TDI is ready for its first race. At the 1000-kilometer race at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) on May 7, Audi Sport Team Joest will perform its “dress rehearsal” for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The racing debut of a new race car is always a very special event and Audi Sport has good experiences in this regard. Since 2000 every new sports prototype of the brand with the four rings has won its first race. In 2000, 2006 and 2009 Sebring in Florida (USA) was the venue of the respective debut victories of the R8, R10 TDI and R15 TDI models. The updated R15 TDI, internally designated as “R15 plus,” won its maiden race as well, at Le Castellet (France).
Only six weeks to go before the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Compact V6 TDI power unit with single turbocharger
Exhaust manifold and VTG sit between cylinder banks
The new Audi R18 TDI with which Audi targets its tenth victory in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 11/12 is ready today with “tomorrow’s” technology. During development of the new LMP1 sports car the integration and future electrification of the powertrain and various possible concepts for energy recuperation have been taken into account.
Here are ten great high resolution shots of the R18 — I’ve left them in their original resolution. For the people that love to use them as wallpaper images.
Company’s lightweight technology expertise is visible
Audi R18 TDI with innovative detail design solutions
Ingolstadt, April 21, 2011 – Lightweight design expertise expressed visually: This is the principle under which Audi enters the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. The three Audi R18 TDI cars, which join the grid for the French endurance classic on June 11/12 and which make their first public appearance over the Easter weekend at the Le Mans test day, perfectly embodies – also visually – Audi’s core expertise in lightweight technology.
