Audi Triumphs Again At the 24 Hours of Le Mans

INGOLSTADT, Germany and LE MANS, France, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Audi
R10 TDI remains unbeaten in the Le Mans 24 Hour race: in its third attempt,
the diesel sportscar won the French endurance classic yet again. After the
incredible thrill of the 76th edition of the race, Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom
Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) triumphed at the wheel of the
Audi R10 TDI number 2.
The widely anticipated duel between Audi and Peugeot definitely kept its
promise: in front of a record crowd of 258,500 spectators, the two car
manufacturers entered into a thrilling battle with their diesel sportscars
which Audi finally won by a margin of 4m 31s.
During the entire race distance, the winning Audi R10 TDI and the best
Peugeot 908 was never separated by more than a lap. After Peugeot initially
set the pace, both the reliability and efficiency of the Audi R10 TDI gained
the upper hand at night. After rain set in at Le Mans, Dindo Capello, Tom
Kristensen and Allan McNish took the lead at 05:17 and held it until the
finish at 15:00 hours.
On a rain-soaked track, the Audi drivers fully profited from the
superiority of Audi TDI Power and led the field by a margin of one lap. In
addition, they took advantage of the fact that Audi Sport Team Joest had
entered the race with a set-up that was the best compromise for both dry and
wet track surfaces. Whilst the opposition had to change their cars during the
race to a rain set-up, Audi only needed to change tyres.
Changing tyres, however, was an exercise that was practiced frequently as
the conditions changed throughout the second half of the race owing to the
weather. Slicks, intermediates, and rain tyres - it was crucial to take the
most suitable tyres at the correct time.
Audi Sport Team Joest and the Audi drivers fully exploited their
experience and operated faultlessly. The only frightening moment occurred in
the dramatic final phase when there was a collision between the leading car
and a backmarker involving the innocent Tom Kristensen. In that situation, the
sheer strength of the Audi R10 TDI became visible as well. The car ran
faultlessly without the slightest technical lapse during the 24 hours.
Scotsman Allan McNish scored his second Le Mans victory after his
inaugural 1998 triumph - 2008 being his first win with Audi. Tom Kristensen,
from Denmark, extended his existing record to eight Le Mans victories now.
Italian Dindo Capello won for the third time after 2003 and 2004.
For Audi Sport Team Joest, it was the third successive victory with the
Audi R10 TDI. Thus, a hat-trick has been achieved for the second time after
2000, 2001 and 2002: three Le Mans victories achieved by one team. The Le Mans
winners' trophy that normally needs to be returned 12 months after each single
victory is therefore in the possession of AUDI AG for good.
The other two Audi R10 TDI cars finished fourth and sixth. Youngsters
Lucas Luhr, Alexandre Premat and Mike Rockenfeller were in contention for a
podium finish until shortly before the end and had previously occupied third
place. In the penultimate hour of the race, however, the oil filter of their
V12 TDI engine had to be changed.
Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner also encountered bad luck:
the winning trio of 2006 and 2007 lost all chances for a better result on
Sunday morning when a clutch had to be changed owing to a spin and the
subsequent re-start in second gear.
In its tenth attempt, Audi has won the Le Mans 24 Hour race for the eighth
time. Since 2000, Audi technology has been victorious at Le Mans. "This was a
success of drivers, team and the efficiency of the Audi TDI technology - a
triumph of reliability", said Rupert Stadler, Head of the Board of Management
of AUDI AG who followed the race at Le Mans personally in the Audi pit garage.
"It was the most tense Le Mans race I remember. We had a very strong opponent
who had an extremely fast car. But once more, it became obvious that Le Mans
particularly rewards reliability and efficiency. I am proud of this team. And
every Audi employee and customer can be proud, too."
ABOUT AUDI OF AMERICA
Audi of America, Inc. offers a line of luxury vehicles that include the
Audi A3 sport compact; the sporty A4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet models; the
high performance S4 sedan, Avant and Cabriolet models, the high-revving RS 4
sport sedan and Cabriolet; the all new A5 Coupe with FSI direct injection
technology; the S5 Coupe with 354 hp; the design-leading A6 sedan and Avant;
the V-10 powered high performance S6 sedan; the Audi Q7 performance SUV; the
new all-aluminum Audi A8 and A8L; the new S8 with V10 power; the all-new 2008
TT Coupe and Roadster models; and the all-new, all-aluminum R8, one of the
most exclusive mid-engine sports cars in the world. Upcoming Audi vehicle
launches in the USA include the updated A3 with quattro all-wheel drive (Sept.
2008), all-new A4 sedan/Avant (Sept. 2008), TTS coupe and Roadster (end 2008),
Audi Q7 3.0 TDI (early 2009), and Audi Q5 (Q1 2009). For more information,
please visit media.audiusa.com.
About Audi TDI Power in the USA
Audi, the inventor of TDI, is preparing to launch a diesel offensive in
the North American market. The brand with the four rings will introduce the
world's cleanest diesel to the U.S. market in early 2009, almost simultaneous
with its introduction in Europe. The 3.0 TDI with its ultra low emission
system, which fulfills the world's most stringent emission standards, will
first be offered in the Audi Q7.
The ultra low emission system ensures that the engine conforms with the
limits included in the LEV II Bin 5 standards that apply in all 50 U.S.
states. Engine features optimize the combustion process along with engine
emissions, while a cleaning system reduces nitrogen oxide exhaust emissions by
up to 90%.
The TDI engine features the most successful efficiency technology in the
world. Audi began regular production of the engine 19 years ago and since then
has continued to extend its technological advantage. Audi has now sold more
than 4.5 million cars with TDI engines. The carmaker has also experienced a
steady course of growth over the past several years in North America, where
the company sees major market potential for its highly modern TDI engines. The
low sulfur fuel that powers the engine was introduced nationwide in 2006 -
opening up the opportunity for the offensive to begin.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the United
States could conserve more than 500 million barrels of crude oil per year if
just one third of all passenger cars and light commercial vehicles were
equipped with modern diesel engines. Leading market research companies such as
JD Power predict a share of the U.S. market of between 12 and 15 percent for
diesel engines - a large increase when compared with the current share of
sales of about 4 percent.
Audi is very well equipped to carry out its offensive. The brand with the
four rings has a wide range of highly modern TDI engines at its command. They
combine muscular power with astonishingly low consumption levels - easily
knocking gasoline engines with comparable capacities out of the competition.
TDI engines from Audi represent a modern, intelligent type of sportiness and
efficiency.
3.0 TDI Summary for the United States
A vigorous powerhouse of an engine pulsates under the hood of the Audi Q7
3.0 TDI. With a displacement of three liters, the V6 generates an impressive
221 hp and a torque 406 lb/ft. This maximum level of tractive force is
available at 1,750 to 2,750 rpm - providing the driver with a vigorous power
surge in all ranges.
The four valve engine is extremely compact - measuring only 440
millimeters (17.3 inches) in length. The cylinder housing that features a 90
degree cylinder angle is constructed from high strength vermicular graphite
cast iron, which is 15 percent lighter in weight than conventional cast iron.
Despite its unsurpassed strength, the powerful TDI weighs a mere 226 kilograms
(498.2 pounds). Its auxiliaries and camshafts are driven by maintenance free
chains that run in a space saving position in back of the engine. Low friction
roller cam followers with hydraulic valve clearance compensation work in the
cylinder head. Quickstart heater plugs are adapted to extremely cold
temperatures - they heat up to more than 1,800° Fahrenheit within the space of
two seconds.
Common rail system for quiet running
Mixture preparation is performed by the newest generation of common rail
systems. It features a high pressure pump and an injection rail for each
cylinder bank. A high injection pressure of up to 2,000 bar (29,001 psi) -
which equals the weight of a SUV within an area the size of a fingernail -
permits an even finer atomization of the fuel, which provides better mixture
preparation and more efficient combustion.
The injectors in the common rail system employ the piezo effect, in which
an electric voltage is applied to a special ceramic, altering its crystal
structures. This results in a certain amount of expansion, which is
transferred directly to the injectors.
Multiple injection events per cycle
With piezo injectors, the number of injection processes per cycle can be
varied and optimized almost at will. The Audi TDI development engineers have
opted for up to five injection processes for the 3.0 V6. In the lower speed
range, additional double pilot injection occurs in addition to the main
injection process; in the medium range there's single pilot injection. Simple
post injection occurs up to around 2,500 rpm and under partial load. This
strategy reduces emissions and ensures a smoother combustion process, which
primarily benefits the engine's acoustic behavior. The 3.0 TDI produces a
quiet, cultivated and harmonious sound.
The V6 TDI features a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry on
board. Its vanes are guided by an electric servo motor - this improves
propulsive power at low rpms. Two large intercoolers reduce the temperature of
the compressed air in order to increase the overall efficiency.
The range: over 600 miles
The Audi Q7 3.0 TDI delivers powerful driving performance: the speedometer
needle takes just 8.4 seconds to go from zero to 60 mph. The V6 diesel
delivers 25 miles per gallon - providing a fuel range of more than 600 miles
from a full tank that holds 26 gallons of fuel.
Total convenience for Audi customers
The AdBlue container is filled via the fuel tank flap, just like the fuel
tank. Its reservoir is divided into two containers - the active and the
passive tank. The biodegradable AdBlue solution is refilled at the workshop at
each service appointment, without requiring the customer to concern himself.
Because of its low consumption, Audi ensures that the supply is sufficient to
cover service intervals. The efficiency of the system is ensured throughout
the lifecycle of the vehicle.
Thanks to its extremely low emissions, Audi can deploy its clean diesel
direct injection system worldwide, even in the U.S. states of California,
Massachusetts, Maine, New York and Vermont, which have extremely stringent
emission limits. Starting in 2010, the brand with the four rings will offer
the new technology in additional vehicle and performance classes.
Audi TDI - at the top for the past two decades
Audi is the pioneer in turbocharged diesel engines with direct injection -
since 1989 the company has built and sold more than 4.5 million cars with TDI
engines. From the very start, the initials TDI began to develop into a synonym
for superior propulsive power and a maximum efficiency; the technology has
advanced to become a trend setter for the entire automotive industry.
No other drive system has yet been able to beat the turbocharged diesel
direct injection engine when it comes to power combined with low consumption.
When driven by consumers, consumption by TDI cars is up to 35 percent lower
than comparable cars equipped with the gasoline engines typical in North
America.
The engine that Audi presented in late summer of 1989 at the Frankfurt
motor show: The five cylinder turbodiesel, installed in the Audi 100, featured
2.5 liters of displacement for 120 hp and 195 lb/ft of torque. It was the
world's first diesel passenger car with direct injection and fully electronic
engine management - the first TDI. With its brawny power, the five cylinder
engine, that went into regular production in what was then the fourth
generation of new Audi 100s, set a new standard in the diesel sector. Since
then, Audi has extended this technological advantage with continuous, new
phases of development.
The TDI - the superior principle
The TDI engines from Audi are superior engines that feature commanding
performance and dynamic power. The 221 hp of the three liter TDI that powers
various Audi models, for example, provides about 80 hp of output per liter of
displacement - a level that just a few years ago was reserved for the sports
car segment. Thanks to their extremely low consumption levels and their
proliferation, especially in Europe, TDI engines have become the most
successful efficiency technology in the world. When driven under realistic,
mixed driving conditions, TDI cars generally also beat comparable models with
hybrid drives.
TDI engines feature high propulsive power
The greatest strength of all Audi diesel engines is their tremendous
torque. Their propulsive power makes these diesel engines clearly superior to
any comparable gasoline engine. This mighty power is also available at
extremely low revs - just a little over idle speed - as a smooth but
insistently applied impulse that requires only the slightest pressure on the
accelerator.
In sharp contrast to many stressed, high revving gasoline engines, the
propulsive power is always available when it's needed - and this contributes
to a highly composed, relaxed style of driving. In the style of the classic
American small block, the three liter V6 produces 406 lb/ft of torque at the
crankshaft, which is available at just 1,750 rpm. The diesel engine produces
137 lb/ft per liter of displacement - a level that far surpasses that of the
gasoline engine.
TDI engines are efficient and economical
Diesel engines make more efficient use of the energy in their fuels than
do gasoline engines. This fundamental principle of physics has been refined
through many solutions that Audi has played a major role in developing -
including the four-valve technology that ensures optimum filling of cylinders
in every situation and the principle of variable vane geometry for
turbochargers.
The outstanding efficiency of Audi's TDI engines benefits the driver of a
Q7 3.0 TDI both when it comes to saving money and when it comes to covering
long distances: with its 26 gallon tank, the car can cover more than 600 miles
on a single fill up - saving the cost, time and annoyance of extra stops at
the filling station.
TDI engines are quiet and comfortable
The modern direct injection diesel engines from Audi are hardly
perceptible to the ears of their passengers - their operation is virtually
indistinguishable from that of a gasoline engine. This is thanks in part to
the extensive development efforts of Audi's engineers. Selective ribbing on
the engine blocks inhibits vibrations during operation; all pathways on the
engine mounts and car body that could transmit vibrations to the interior have
been eliminated.
The common rail technology is the source of another major advance. With
it, the multiple injections per cycle capability can generally be freely
selected in the control unit. The pilot injections, which are widely spaced
from the main injection, provide a gradual increase in pressure that makes the
combustion process smoother. The innovative piezo injectors used by Audi
further reinforce this effect with their extremely fast and precise switching
- with these injectors, the hard "knocking" and metallic rattling at partial
load is history.
The TDI - perennial winner in motor sports
At the beginning, the drivers couldn't believe their ears - long time
professionals like Frank Biela (Germany) and Tom Kristensen (Denmark) had to
completely change their driving habits. Up to then, they had acclimatized
themselves to the engine noise in their open sports cars - and now, from a
certain speed onward, it could no longer be heard. That's how quietly the V12
TDI runs in the new Audi R10.
With the 12 cylinder diesel, Audi had written a completely new chapter in
the history of motor sports. The 5.5 liter TDI, which was created according to
the rules applied at the Le Mans 24 hour race, is a superior racing engine.
Its torque - at more than 800 lb/ft. - is vastly superior to any gasoline
engine. At the engine's rated speed it puts out more than 650 hp - enough for
a top speed of over 200 mph, depending on transmission.
The V12 TDI's low fuel consumption is another strength. Compared to its
predecessors - the already highly efficient R8 with gasoline direct injection,
the R10 in Le Mans consumed about 10 percent less fuel, although the long,
straight stretches along the Sarthe and 75 percent full load operation only
partially showcased the advantages of the diesel engine.
Fewer fill ups equal victory
The long fuel range, which means fewer stops for refueling, was the key to
victory at the classic 24 hour race. Biela and teammates Emanuele Pirro
(Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany) only had to refuel their No. 8 car 27 times
during the race. They completed 380 laps - or 2,003 miles - at an average
speed of 133.9 mph.
Fresh from their victory at Le Mans, Audi then went on to the American Le
Mans series and achieved something no carmaker had previously done - the R10
won all eight races it entered during the course of the season. The string of
victories stretched throughout the United States. It began in March with the
12 hour race in Sebring, Florida, and ended in October in Laguna Seca,
California. Allan McNish (Scotland) and Dindo Capello (Italy) were declared
overall winners in the big LMP1 category long before the season ended.
The 2006 Race Engine of the Year
A jury from the British trade magazine, "Race Engine Technology," selected
the V12 TDI from the Audi R10 as the "2006 Race Engine of the Year" and the
"Alternative Race Engine of the Year". For its design engineer, Ulrich
Baretzky, Audi Sport's Head of Engine Technology, and Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich,
Head of Audi Motorsport, it stands as the perfect example of close cooperation
between motor sports and regular production.
"We were able to rely on the know how and the engine test rigs of our
colleagues from series production development," Ullrich said. At the same
time, the exchange of information also functioned in the opposite direction.
Technical highlights such as the aluminum crankcase that can cope with
extremely high ignition pressures lend important new impetus to production
development.
Audi had carried out comparable technology transfer processes as far back
as the late 1980s. At that time the touring cars from Ingolstadt - with their
gasoline turbo engines that at times reached more than 700 hp - dominated the
TransAm and the IMSA races. As was true 20 years ago, today's motor sports
continue to provide crucial advances to the development of high volume
production cars.
New victories in Le Mans and in the ALMS series
Biela, Pirro and Werner also managed to prevail at the 2007 Le Mans 24
hour race with the Audi R10, despite the fact that race organizers restricted
the fuel tank size. Under difficult weather conditions, the trio completed the
369 laps at an average 130.0 mph. The diesel racing car with the four rings
also stormed from one victory to the next in the American Le Mans series. The
car secured its 20th victory in a row in the LM P1 class at the street circuit
in Detroit, handing Audi its eighth straight title as a manufacturer.
SOURCE Audi of America

Christian Bokich, Manager, Product - Technology - Motorsports Communications
of Audi of America, +1-248-890-1790