A pair of diesel-powered Audi hybrid cars have come out on top at the Le Mans 24 hour marathon. This marks the eighth victory for the Audi TDI Power team and could also represent the future of Audi vehicles.
The two R18 e-tron quattro sports prototypes covered over 10,000 kilometres and completed 379 laps over the course of the 24 hour race.
But for Audi, it wasn’t just a case of winning Le Mans that would make the difference to the company, it was the data that was gathered over the course of the marathon. Audi has been using Le Mans as a testing lab to help inform future productions and developments for its road-going vehicles in years to come.
Indeed, the two R18 e-tron quattro cars that scored a one-two victory at Le Mans have been considered the most ultra technological cars that Audi has produced to date. They take into account many aspects of vehicle production that sit at the forefront of engineers’ minds. This includes maximising aerodynamics, lightweight construction and engine efficiency.
Audi ultra tries to consider these points in all points of development and some of its findings have been demonstrated well in its newer vehicles, such as the extra economical A4, A5 and A6 TDI that were released in the UK earlier this year. How their future models will pan out will see a lot taken from what was learned on the track at Le Mans this year.
An example of how past experiences at Le Mans have informed the development of Audi cars is when the TFSI petrol direct injection engine was used for the first time in the 24 hour race back in 2001. Following this, the engine has been used in many Audis and has resulted in improved fuel economy, faster engine response and lowered CO2 emissions.
Audi was also the first car manufacturer to have ever won the Le Mans 24 hours using a diesel engine back in 2006. In total it has won the race five times using TDI power.
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