Le Mans Series / Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, round 2 in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

Le Mans Series / Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, round 2 in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium

Eager anticipation for the exacting Ardennes circuit

Stuttgart. Porsche’s works drivers are very much looking forward to round two of the Le Mans Series which takes place on 7 May on the extremely demanding traditional circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. In 2009 and 2010, Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria) won the sports car class in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The race on the circuit in the Ardennes also counts towards round two of the International Le Mans Cup and, with a total of 60 competitors, offers an attractive grid line up.

The race

The 1,000 kilometre race of Spa-Francorchamps has been a permanent fixture on the calendar since the creation of the Le Mans Series in 2004. The sweeping views from the slopes along the track and the exciting show regularly attract large crowds. This year for the first time, the race takes place on Saturday.

The circuit

The 7.004 kilometre Grand Prix circuit is one of the most interesting and challenging race tracks in the world. The first sports car race was held there in 1954. In all those years, the Ardennes rollercoaster has seen many triumphs and tragedies. Particularly notorious is the fast and daunting Eau Rouge corner.

Porsche drivers

Aside from Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz (Felbermayr-Proton), three other Porsche works drivers are contesting the Le Mans Series. Wolf Henzler (Germany) shares the cockpit of IMSA Performance Matmut’s 911 GT3 RSR with Patrick Pilet (France). Like last year, Marco Holzer (Germany) competes for ProSpeed Competition. His teammate is Marc Goossens (Belgium). These pairings contest the GTE-Pro category with the improved 2011-version of the 911 GT3 RSR. In the GTE-Am sports car class, in which only one professional driver per vehicle may compete, other 2010-spec 911 race cars roll to the start. Christian Ried (Germany), team owner of Felbermayr-Proton, and Horst Felbermayr Jr. (Austria) clinched a GTE-Am win at the season-opener and travel to Spa as the points’ leaders of this classification. Raymond Narac (France) and Nicolas Armindo make up another GTE-Am duo in a 911 GT3 RSR of IMSA Performance Matmut.

The three 2011-spec Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by professional teams still have zero points after becoming blamelessly entangled and heavily damaged in a multiple pile-up at the first round in Le Castellet and knocked out of contention. The crash was triggered by a starting procedure that was flawed in several aspects: The safety car was still on the track after the formation lap with the lights already off, while the lights to signal the start of the race were switched to a clearly visible green. This led to an unfortunate chain-reaction: The back-markers in the field were still accelerating while those at the front were slamming on the brakes. The starter field was compressed together over the entire width of the track, leading to a pile-up. Following the protest lodged by Porsche customers against this start procedure and hence the race classification, the people in charge changed the sporting regulations and established a void result in order to give the teams involved at least a theoretical chance at the title.

Comments prior to the race

Hartmut Kristen, Porsche Head of Motorsport: “I hope that the Porsche teams have overcome the disastrous start accident which happened through no fault of their own at the first race in Paul Ricard. The damages have left a huge hole in their budgets and it was tough going for all those involved to get the parts in time onsite to repair the cars. It has involved quite some overtime. But right now we need to look ahead and concentrate totally on Spa. Because even though the organisers have made allowances and this year everyone has one void result at the five LMS races, there are no points to give away. All of those who were not affected by the events in Paul Ricard still have this ‘free ticket’. Spa is a track that particularly suits some of our drivers. The changes done on the suspension and aerodynamics for the 2011 season should work well here.”
Marc Lieb: “Every year I really look forward to this race. Next to the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, Spa is my absolute favourite. I particularly like the flowing aspect of the track.”
Richard Lietz: “After the chaotic start and the retirement in Le Castellet we’re pleased that we now have a void result. Otherwise we’d be heading into the season with a huge handicap. It’s going to be tough to repeat our win from last year, because the competition in our class is incredibly strong.”
Wolf Henzler: “Already at the season-opener I was very happy with the friendly and professional atmosphere in my new IMSA Performance Matmut team, so I’m very much looking forward to the second race.”
Marco Holzer: “I love this race track. It’s very demanding and has wonderful, fast corners. You always have to reckon with extreme weather conditions in the Ardennes but it certainly brings more excitement to the game. For ProSpeed Competition this is a home race so it’ll be a very special weekend for us.”
Patrick Pilet: “Spa belongs to Europe’s most traditional circuits and is always a highlight. After the huge frustration in Le Castellet I can’t wait for the Spa round.”

The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

The most successful GT race car of 2010 heads into the new season with some improvements. The output of the four-litre, six-cylinder boxer engine has increased to 455 hp (335 kW). Priority in the further developments was given predominantly to the newly-designed aerodynamics at the front and rear.

Porsche successes

The circuit of Spa-Francorchamps is closely linked to historic and recent Porsche successes in endurance racing. Marc Lieb won the sports car class there in 2006 and 2007 in the 911 GT3 RSR, with Lieb and Richard Lietz claiming two further class victories in 2009 and 2010. The Porsche RS Spyder also yielded success in Belgium: In 2008 and 2009, the sports prototype won the LMP2 class.
The Schedule

The six hour race takes off on Saturday, 7 May, at 14.05 hrs. Qualifying for the GTE classes takes place from 15.50 to 16.10 hours.

TV tip

Eurosport 2 broadcasts part of the race live from 15.45 to 17.00 hrs. From 18.30 to 20.00 hrs, the free-to-air station Eurosport, televises the final phase and the finish.


The Le Mans Series

Contested for the first time in 2004, the Le Mans Series (LMS) is open for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The regulations are based on those of the Le Mans 24 hour race. Five six-hour races are contested this season throughout Europe.

GTE-Pro class: This most popular class amongst car manufacturers (previously known as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Slightly modified standard sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms.
GTE-Am class: Like the GTE Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. Moreover, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most.
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
FLM class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECA FLM 09.

All race cars start together but are classified separately according to the class. Points are only allocated for placings in each class. Championship titles are awarded for drivers, manufacturers and teams in all five classes. Claiming the title in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2010, Porsche works driver Marc Lieb is the most successful pilot in the series.

Public Relations and Media Motor and Sports Press Oliver Hilger

The VLN is continuously moving forward

The start of the VLN endurance racing championship season 2011 at the Nürburgring was full of attractions. Anybody assuming that this cannot be further topped will have to change his mind on 30th April. The 36th DMV 4 Hour Race organise by the Renngemeinschaft Düren will be a motor sport festival fort he whole family. The second round of the most popular endurance racing series in Europe will come up with not less than three true world premieres: For the first time ever, Hans-Joachim Stuck will contest a race in a team with his two sons Johannes and Ferdinand. Furthermore, two spectacular race cars will make their debut: the big Golf24 of Volkswagen as well as the 2,0 variant of the Porsche 911 GT3 Hybrid the predecessor of which had caused a lot of attraction at the Nürburgring last year already. The newcomers as well as the family Stuck will have to show their competitiveness in the field of more than 200 sports and touring cars. The prizegiving ceremony will take plat at 6 p.m. in the ring°boulevard. A 30 minutes summary of the opening round will be shown in the channel Sport1 on 4th May at 5:30 p.m. The supporting programme on the last weekend of April includes the reopening of the Nürburgring Historic Paddocks and the new documentation on the Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna will be shown in the cinema ring°kino.

‘Stuck3’ is the motor for the final season of Hans-Joachim Stuck. Hereby, a long-standing wish will become true for him before he will definitely conclude his career as race driver. The professional race driver will participate in the ADAC Zurich 24h Race Nürburgring together with his sons Johannes and Ferdinand. In preparation of this marathon race, the trio, supported by Peter Kox from the Netherlands, will bring the Lamborghini Gallardo of Reiter Engineering to the start of the VLN endurance racing championship races at the Nürburgring. The two Stuck brothers achieved their first victory in a team at the opening race of the ADAC GT Masters last Easter weekend.

The conservative designation ‘Golf24’ for the new race car of the manufacturer Volkswagen at the Nordschleife is almost an understatement. On occasion of the 35the anniversary of the GTi, the manufacturer from Wolfsburg will bring a four-wheel race car to the start is a really powerful vehicle. The 2.5 litres supercharged engine develops about 440 HP and the car will be driven by René Rast (Stolzenau/ Germany), Peter Terting (Börwang/ Germany) and Franck Mailleux (France) ab. “With the Golf 24 this will be the first time since 2007 for us to compete with works prepared Golf again”, explains Volkswagen Motor Sport Director Kris Nissen. “The former car does however not have very much in common with the current one. The Golf24 is a special development in all respects which was prepared in only four months, from the first design note up to the first roll-out. We are really looking forward to our first participation in the endurance racing championship.”

The updated Hybrid Porsche making its debut net weekend will be driven by Jörg Bergmeister (Langenfeld/ Germany), Patrick Long (USA) and Marco Holzer (Lochau/ Germany). “We have collected a lot of data during our race participations last year which have been very useful for the further development of our racing laboratory”, says Porsche Head of Motor Sport Hartmut Kristen. “Under similar lap times as in 2010, we intend to feed even less energy from the exterior and thus to reduce fuel consumption.”

The three newcomers will be faced with a huge group of possible winners. More than 20 GT3 cars have entered the DMV 4 Hour Race and another two dozen of teams from the top categories have realistic chances to make it on top of the podium. Dream sports cars which include Aston Martin, Audi R8 LMS, BMW M3, Dodge Viper, Ferrari F458, Ginetta, Porsche 911 and SLS AMG GT3 will be at the start. After the much appreciated 1-2 victory gained by BMW at the opening race, in particular Audi is now following up. Abt-Sportsline has entered the team of Christian Abt (Kempten/ Germany), Luca Ludwig (Bornheim/ Germany) and Christopher Mies (Heiligenhaus/ Germany) and Marcel Fässler (Switzerland), Marcus Winkelhock (Bergen-Steinbach/ Germany), Marc Bronzel (Großensee/ Germany), Marc Basseng (Leutenbach/ Germany) and Frank Stippler (Bad Münstereifel/ Germany) will all compete for the team of Phoenix-Racing.

Prizegiving ceremony at the ring°boulevard
The prizegiving ceremony to honour all the successful drivers in all classes will this year take place in the ring°boulevard. The ceremony in front of the impressive video wall will start at 6 p.m., from 5 p.m. live music will start to entertain the guests.

The second round of the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring will begin with the timed practice session to take place between 08:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. At 12 o’clock exactly, the start signal for the 36th DMV 4 Hour Race over the distance of four hours at the 24.369 kilometres long combination of the Nürburgring sort connection with the Nordschleife will be given. The entrance all around the Nordschleife is free. A fee of 12 Euro per person will be due for access to the open grandstands at the Grand Prix Circuit, including the paddocks.

The Historic Paddocks to add splendour to the event
At the reopening of the Historic Paddocks, the fans may look forward to the highlights from eight decades of motor sport. After a six months restoration period, the old paddocks will be reopened on 30th April and 1st May 2011. The appropriate setting during the two days will be provided by a number of historic race cars from various eras as well as drivers whose names are particularly associated with the Nürburgring: Hubert Hahne, Hans Herrmann, Klaus Ludwig, Jochen Mass, David Piper, Willi Kauhsen, Kurt Ahrens, Jürgen Neuhaus, Hans Heyer and Erich Zakowski. The programme will be completed amongst other by fashion shows of the twentieth and seventieth years.

Documentary film ‚Senna’ in the cinema ring°kino
The documentary film Senna constitutes a tribute to the unchallenged greatest champion which the history of Formula 1 has ever created. It is, however, in particular homage to an extraordinary talent. The film exclusively consists of original shoots whereby the British producer had access to the complete archive of FOM and to all of the private video recordings in possession of the family Senna. “Neither the family nor Bernie Ecclestone have offered any such brilliant possibilities ever before”, said film author Manish Pandey. In many previously unreleased scenes, the film accompanies Ayrton Senna on his way to become the top driver in Formula 1, highlights his continuous fight against the authorities and for justice, his significance for his country which honours him still today as the greatest of their heroes. The documentation will be shown on 30th April and on 1st May at 5 p.m. respectively in the cinema ring°kino.

Info and foto: vln.de

Porsche classic cars on the streets of Stuttgart

The "125 years of the car" birthday procession kicks off on the Porscheplatz

Porsche classic cars on the streets of Stuttgart

Stuttgart. On Sunday 8 May 2011, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, will be teaming up with Mercedes-Benz and Audi, two other car brands also based in Baden-Württemberg, to stage a car procession through Stuttgart. 125 vehicles, contemporary witnesses all, will bring the history of the three carmakers to life – in some cases with well-known drivers at the wheel. The Zuffenhausen sports car manufacturer will be putting 45 current and historic vehicles from more than six decades of Porsche history on the start line.

The “125 years of the car” procession will get under way at 11.00 a.m. at the Porsche museum, which will be offering visitors free admission on the day. Matthias Müller, Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG, will head the birthday procession in a Porsche 911 Turbo S – together with his Mercedes-Benz and Audi opposite numbers. Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche Automobil Holding SE, will be driving the first Porsche prototype, the Type 356 “No. 1”, developed by his father Ferry Porsche in 1948.

Current and former Porsche AG works and racing drivers will also be taking part in the drive through the town. For example, racing legend Hans Hermann will be piloting the Porsche 917 KH on the streets of Stuttgart, the same car he and Richard Attwood drove in the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours when they won the first ever overall victory for the Zuffenhausen company. The three times winning Porsche 908/03 Spyder is being withdrawn from the Porsche museum’s exhibition for Porsche works driver Marc Lieb. Finally, the 612 hp (450 kW) Carrera GT high performance sports car, once limited to 1,270 units, will be driven by double world rally champion Walter Röhrl.

In addition to a “police presence”, the car procession will also give an outing to the Swabian sense of humour. Stuttgart “Tatort” (Crime Scene Investigation) Inspector Richy Müller will be switching on the blue lights on the Porsche 356 C Cabriolet. In the Sixties, this classic car was used by the Württemberg motorway police. And cabaret artist Christof Sonntag will be behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 Targa (Type 964).

The destination of the procession that will start at Zuffenhausen’s Porscheplatz is the Schlossplatz in the centre of Stuttgart. Here there will be an opportunity on Sunday afternoon to admire all the participating vehicles at close quarters. Porsche will also be showcasing itself on the Schlossplatz as part of an innovation exhibition true to its “Porsche Intelligent Performance” philosophy: more power with lower consumption, increased efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. Three modern day Porsche vehicles await the visitor there, providing an impressive demonstration of alternative driveline technologies: the Porsche Boxster E, the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid and the Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Public Relations and Media Porsche-Museum Astrid Böttinger

Battle on all fronts at Spa-Francorchamps !

2011/04/28
Battle on all fronts at Spa-Francorchamps !

After the first round of the Le Mans Series at Le Castellet, the intensity is going to be ratcheted up several notches in the second race, the Spa-Francorchamps 1000 kms on 5th -7th May. Almost sixty cars will be on the starting grid for the Belgian classic, and the duel between Audi and Peugeot, with only six weeks to go to the Le Mans 24 Hours, will be the highlight in the top category!

LM P1: Audi and Peugeot ready for a no-holds-barred fight for victory!

Due to the introduction of the ACO's new regulations, a good part of the 2011 season's field is new. Several cars are making their competition debut this year, and the Spa-Francorchamps 1000 kms will see more newcomers. It is notably the case for the Audi R18, the latest weapon from Ingolstadt, and the German team is determined to put on a stunning performance in the car's first race – only six weeks before the Le Mans 24 Hours. While the successor to the R15 TDI has done a lot of testing, it will have its first start in the heat of competition on the Belgian circuit. The three R18s entered by Audi will be up against three of the new Peugeot 908s in their second outing this season, and the French cars are determined to sink the German armada.

In addition to the above, the well-subscribed LM P1 category includes the Team Pescarolo Pescarolo-Judd, victorious at Le Castellet and determined to show that its car is a force to be reckoned with. The ORECA Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, which won the last Sebring 12 Hours, should be on the pace like the two Lola-Toyotas entered by Rebellion Racing equipped with a new aerodynamic kit. Other outsiders like the two OAK Racing Pescarolos, the Guess Racing Lola-Judd, the Mik Corse Zytek Hybrid, the Quifel-ASM Team's Zytek 09SC and the Swiss-entered Hope Racing Oreca Hybrid are determined to make the most of any opportunities that fall their way.

LM P2: The Oreca-Nissans start favourites

Greaves Motorsport won the opening race in the Var with its Zytek Z11 SN-Nissan, and the British squad will be out to score another victory in the Ardennes. It will have a tough battle on its hands as it will be up against three of the Oreca-Nissans, which have always been at the top of time sheets. TDS Racing, Boutsen Energy Racing and Signatech-Nissan will give the English car a good run for its money. Strakka Racing and RML with their HPD ARX-01ds, Pecom Racing (Lola-Judd) and OAK Racing (Pescarolo-Judd) are all after their first victory in the category in 2011.

LM GTE Pro: BMW takes on Porsche and Ferrari

A couple of newcomers, the Lotus Evoras and above all the BMW M3s, will get stuck in in the hotly-contested scrap between Porsche and Ferrari represented by the latest version of the 997 GT3 RSR and the new R458 Italia. The Bavarian cars are backed by BMW Motorsport and they will be redoubtable rivals to the AF Corse, Hankook Team Farnbacher Luxury Racing and JMW Motorsport Ferrari F458 Italias – the last-named emerged victorious on the Paul Ricard circuit – plus the Felbermayr-Proton Team, IMSA Performance Matmut and Prospeed Competition Porsche 997 GT3 RSRs. The outsiders, the Jota Racing Aston Martin Vantage and the two Jetalliance Lotus Evoras, will not find it an easy task to take the battle to the Italian and German cars.

LM GTE Am: Felbermayr-Proton out to double up!

As in LM GTE Pro, the LM GTE Am category will be the theatre of another Porsche-Ferrari battle. Six Ferrari F430 GTs – two entered by AF Corse and two by CRS Racing – will be up against three Porsche 997 GT3 RSRs. The Felbermayr-Proton team, which won at Le Castellet, is determined to add a second victory to its tally despite an influx of rivals including the Larbre Competition Corvette C6-ZR1 and the Gulf AMR Middle East Aston Martin Vantage.

Five potential winners in Formula Le Mans

In the Formula Le Mans category, the five cars will be locked in battle from start to finish. The Hope Racing, JMB Racing, Genoa Racing, Neil Garner Motorsport and Pegasus Racing FLM 09s will provide thrills for the spectators in Belgium. Pegasus Racing came out on top on the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit at Le Castellet, and will be looking for a second success. Its rivals starting with Genoa Racing and Hope Racing, which both showed impressive speed in the south of France, have other ideas!

The weekend's programme

In addition to the Spa-Francorchamps 1000 kms, the programme will provide the spectators with other events from 5th -7th May. After the Euro Series Formula 3 Championship at Le Castellet, the ATS Formula 3 Cup will be part of the Le Mans Series meeting with two races as will be the case for the Speed Series and Radical Masters championships. In total, the crowd that will flock to the Belgian circuit can enjoy eleven hours' racing!

Note that the Spa-Francorchamps 1000 kms will be held on Saturday 7th May from 14h05-20h05. The first free practice sessions will take place on Thursday 5th May from 12h20-13h20, then from 16h55-17h55. On Friday, the third session is from 11h50-12h50 before qualifying - 15h50-16h40.

Info: Le mans series.com/for autorized and acreditated media press.

Foto: DPPI

Test run under race conditions on the Nürburgring

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0

Test run under race conditions on the Nürburgring

Stuttgart. The development of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 is running at full revs. This coming Saturday, the further-developed version of the innovative Hybrid race car contests round two of the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship (VLN). Another test under race conditions is planned at the fourth VLN round on 28 May.

At the race debut of the modified version of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid on 30th April, Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Marco Holzer (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) share driving duties in the orange and white ‘race lab’. At the second race meeting in late May, Holzer and Long join forces with Richard Lietz (Austria) to pilot the Hybrid-911.

Priority in the further development over winter was placed on increasing efficiency. For this, the weight of the vehicle, including the hybrid components, was reduced from 1,350 to 1,300 kilograms. The weight of these components was reduced by 20 percent through targeted optimisation. The general hybrid layout was adopted from the 2010 model.

The output of both electric motors in the portal axle increased from 60 to 75 kilowatts each. For seconds at a time, pilots now have about 200 hp more at their disposal with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0, which equals ca. 23 kW (32 hp) of additional conventional power per Nordschleife lap. Depending on the programming, this electrical power is automatically activated through use of the throttle pedal. Moreover, the hybrid pilots can manually call up this extra power, for instance when overtaking.

The electric flywheel accumulator, with its rotor spinning up to 40,000 rpm and storing energy mechanically as rotational energy, is now housed with the other hybrid components in a carbon-fibre safety cell on the passenger’s side.

With the portal axle driving the front wheels, the four-litre, now 465 hp six-cylinder boxer engine, which drives the rear axle, was reduced in power and optimised with respect to fuel consumption.

“We’ve made huge strides forward with the further-developed 911 GT3 R Hybrid. But testing under race conditions gives us additional information that is not easy to collect during a simulation,” says Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “We’ll use the information gained from the VLN races to make our racing lab even more reliable and economical.”


Public Relations and Media Motor and Sports Press Oliver Hilger

Miss World visits Audi at the DTM

Miss World visits Audi at the DTM

• Rosanna Davison travels to Hockenheim
• New Audi Q3 to be marveled at alongside the race track
• Grand appearance by the smallest Audi

Ingolstadt, April 28, 2011 – A high-caliber visit is expected at the 2011 DTM
season opener: Rosanna Davison, the daughter of rock legend Chris de Burgh, will
enchant Audi’s guests. In addition, there will be other activities putting the
spotlight on the brand with the four rings at Hockenheim. And the fans staying at
home can look forward to extensive TV coverage.
An international star from Ireland has announced her attendance at the DTM season
opener. Audi will welcome model Rosanna Davison at the Hockenheim race track.
There is no question that the 27-year-old Irishwoman will draw everyone’s eyes to
her. The daughter of rock legend Chris de Burgh was voted Miss World in 2003.
In addition to seeing the human star, visitors can look forward to a number of
automotive stars, with the new Audi Q3 being the focal point of interest. Right after
having made its world debut in Shanghai last Tuesday, the compact-size premium
SUV is now being showcased at Hockenheim. Other cars to make the hearts of fans
beat faster will be the all-new seventh-generation A6 and the 250-kW (340 hp) Audi
RS 3 Sportback.
On Sunday a big parade will thrill the audience at Hockenheim. Just before the DTM
race starts 23 Audi A1 cars will complete a lap around the race track. The German
Sales Organization will hand over the popular compact models to dealerships at the
Audi Drive Away.
AUDI AG’s top management demonstrates keen interest in the DTM season opener.
The four members of the Board of Management, Rupert Stadler (Chairman),
Thomas Sigi (HR and Social Matters), Michael Dick (Technical Development) and
Axel Strotbek (Finance and Organization) as well as Norbert Rank (Works Council
Chairman at the Neckarsulm location) will watch the DTM opener on location.


In the 2011 season the DTM as the most popular touring car series again draws the
viewers’ attention through extensive TV coverage. The new Audi factory driver Rahel
Frey is expected as a studio guest on SWR starting at 21:45 (local time).

Audi Communications Motorsport/for Acreditated and autorized media press.

Unique TDI engine for the Audi R18 TDI

Unique TDI engine for the Audi R18 TDI

• 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

Ingolstadt, April 28, 2011 – 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.
“We are very conscious of such systems,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr.
Wolfgang Ullrich. “In our opinion, just as soon as this technology proves to be the
most efficient we will use it at Le Mans.”
Although diesel engines have been repeatedly restricted by the regulations since
their victorious introduction in 2006, Audi relies on TDI power once again for its new
LMP1. “Audi invented the TDI engine and is convinced that this technology remains
one of the most efficient and modern forms to power a car – especially at Le Mans
where engines with high specific power, low fuel consumption and low emissions are
a necessity.”
New regulations devised by the Automobile Club de L’Ouest (ACO) and introduced
this year dictate significantly smaller engines. Audi has chosen a particularly
compact 3.7 liter V6 TDI engine, which is about 25 per cent lighter than the V10 TDI
power plant previously fitted to the older R15 TDI, and which leaves all options open
for the technicians with regard to electrification and energy recuperation. “This
would not be the case with a V8, for example, which is also permitted by the
regulations,” explains Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Sport.
However, Audi does not only surprise with its extremely compact engine. The
concept is also innovative for an LMP1 sports car. To lower the center of gravity as
much as possible and to improve airflow through the car, the exhaust manifold
were migrated from the left and right hand sides of the engine to sit between the
two cylinder banks. “Hot side inside” is the name given to this concept by specialists,
which was implemented in similar form in Formula 1 in the 1980s. But the V6 TDI
engine powering the Audi R18 TDI, which has a cylinder angle of 120 degrees and
thus an extremely low center of gravity, is technically generations further along the
line and is also a technology-demonstrator for future production engines.
In contrast to previous Audi Le Mans sports cars, which all had twin turbochargers,
the R18 TDI is quite logically now only fitted with a single turbocharger that also
sits above the engine and draws its air directly through the air scoop mounted on
the roof. “In this way we are able to convert the dynamic pressure generated at high
speeds with minimal losses into power,” explains Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of
Technology at Audi Sport.
The mono-turbo concept developed in cooperation with Garrett was only made
possible by the variable turbine geometry (VTG) already used victoriously in the R15
TDI. “Otherwise the response characteristics of such a large turbocharger would just
be too bad,” explains Baretzky.
The concept was continued logically through a single pipe exhaust that exits at the
rear of the R18 TDI below the new fin which is stipulated by the regulations. “This
also stands for Audi ultra lightweight technology,” says Baretzky, “since we save
components and weight – for example for a second diesel particle filter.”
Audi Sport has worked since July 2009 on the innovative engine concept for which
numerous new routes had to be explored. To control the enormous ignition
pressures and loads now only distributed between six cylinders, a unique method of
cooling the cylinder heads was developed for the aluminum power unit, a concept
that could also be interesting in the future for production.
Owing to the compact engine and uncluttered flanks, the airflow from the coolers
can now exit practically unobstructed through the rear end. “We could increase the
aerodynamic efficiency of the car as a result,” says Martin Mühlmeier, Head of
Technology at Audi Sport. This aspect is even more important than ever before at Le
Mans due to the reduction in engine power – for the Audi R18 TDI more than 397 kW
(540 hp).
Another unique aspect of the new Le Mans sports car is its unusual sound. The Audi
R18 TDI is probably the quietest race car Audi Sport has ever built. “Noise is unused
energy,” stresses Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich who is delighted by the whispering murmur
of the R18 TDI. “The sound is unique,” raves Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen.
“It’s hard to describe. You have to hear it yourself. I think it’s fantastic.”

Audi Communications Motorsport/for Acreditated and Autorized Media Press.