The new Audi R18 celebrated its world premiere on the occasion of the Audi Sport Finale at the Audi Training Center Munich on Nov 28th.
Audi Sport has fundamentally re-designed the Audi R18 for the 2016 season. Their 2016 WEC challenger features innovative aerodynamics, represents the next stage in lightweight design and has a modified hybrid system with lithium-ion batteries for energy storage, plus an efficiency-optimized TDI engine.
“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,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.
Head of Audi’s LMP1 project Chris Reinke believes the new TDI power unit will “boast around 50% more hybrid power” with the move to ion battery over this season’s flywheel technology, an important step in an effort to combat the excessive strait-line speed advantage that Porsche enjoyed over the opposition this year.
The most recent R18 also features a smaller Formula One –style raised nose above a low deck with undercut inner archways to increase airflow under the front wing for a potential gain in downforce.
In the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) that will start at Silverstone (Great Britain) on April 17, Audi Sport Team Joest will be fielding two new Audi R18 cars.
In the interest of maximum cost efficiency, Audi and its Group sister brand Porsche, have both agreed to each compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the WEC season’s pinnacle event, with only two instead of the most recent three cars.
Audi strips down