Audi R10, the new V12 TDI competitor at Le Mans!

Andrei Rinea

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Location
Europe, Romania, Bucharest
TDI
VW Tiguan 4Motion 2.0 TDI 170HP (engine CBBB)
World premier unveling at Paris: Audi R10
V12 TDI engine delivers over 650 HP
First tests with this new engine have been successful
Audi is once again one step ahead competition: the company will become the first car maker in the world to fight for victory in the endurance race of 24 hours at Le Mans using a diesel powered vehicle. The new Audi R10 which will be presented at Paris on 13 December is powered by a brand new diesel engine, 5.5 litres, V12 TDI, twin-turbo, fuel saving and silent.
The Le Mans Prototype having a maximum power above 650 CP and more than 1100 Nm torque exceeds previous Audi racing engines including the previous R8. Audi ventures in an uncharted teritory of diesel engines building a V12 entirely of aluminium. The same way Audi proceeded with the TFSI technology which triumphed at Le Mans before it was taken into production, it is expected to happen the same thing with this V12.
"With A8 4,2 TDI Quattro Audi is building already one of the most powerful diesel engine powered car in the world", explained Martin Winterkorn, president of the administration council of Audi, at the R10 presentation at Paris. "The Le Mans Project will allow our specialists to obtain more out of the TDI tehnology. At this time one out of tow Audi cars sold is powered by a diesel engine. We expect a growth in the diesel percentage in the future"
The V12 TDI engine of R10 is equipped with two particulate filters and is hard to recognize as a diesel engine because its refinement. Audi engineers have taken the characteristics of the TDI street engines to a whole new level. The injection pressure exceeds 1600 bar. The power band is limited below 3000 and 5000 rpm, very low for a competition car. This way the R10 pilot will shift gears much less often than in a R8 thanks to the generous torque response of a diesel engine.
The huge torque of 1.100 Nm creates difficulties for the transmission of the R10. Even the newest tehnology of dynamometres from the Audi Sport garages had to be re-equiped to face this engine's torque.
More, there had to be made major changes to the chassis of the car. Audi R10 has a longer wheel base than R8. The front tyres, extremely wide are unique for a Le Mans prototype. There have been implemented new tehnologies in developing the mono-block carbon fiber body. The chassis, engine and transmission form a very rigid unit.
"The R10 project is our biggest challenge yet for the Audi Sport division." said Audi Motorsport director, Dr. Wolfgang Ulrich. "The TDI Tehnology has not been yet pushed to its limits in motorsport. We are the first to try this. The demands for such a project are still very large. Therefore our long term partners, such as Bosch, Michelin or Shell support us in our goal. Together we have the opportunity to write new chapters in history of motorsport and diesel tehnology".
The new Audi R10 has finalized succesfully its first session of test at the end of November. A very intense test program including the participation at the 12 hour race at Sebring (USA) on 18 March has been prepared for the 24 hour race at Le Mans which will take place at 17/18 June 2006. The Audi Sport team in charge with the development of this new race car is supported by the Reinhold Joest's team which was in charge of the R8 project.
The international presentation can be viewed live on www.audi.com/r10
PS:
1. Excuse my english. It is not my birth language
2. News also presented on www.vwforum.ro
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
This is GREAT news for diesel. Any word on whether it's going to hit the American Le Mans Series? I'd like to see that thing on TV! :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
Hey, Bob... go look in the TDI Motorsports section. There's PICTURES!

And look for the THREE TDI badges!
 

fitzski

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2004
Location
Ottawa
TDI
Uh... hmm... Well, none...
Smithers said:
Sebring is in March and the R10 will be there.
Awesome! I'll be there for the race!!

My parents winter in Sebring and volunteer at the race - hopefully they can swing some "backstage passes"!
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
Yeah, that does make four. There's only three visible at any one time, though, and the pic I was referring to showed three.

Anyway, TDIreading will be a very easy task at Le Mans ;)
 

2fastdre

Veteran Member
Joined
May 27, 2002
Location
Denver CO
gdr703 said:
"and more than 1100 Nm torque exceeds "

811 ft-lbs. :eek:
I just read that they had reequip the engine dynamometers at Audi Sport in order to handle the new found torque! :) And the drivers will have to recalibrate themselves. The engine basically makes full power starting at 3000 rpm. That's quite different from a race gasser engine.

The other question on my mind is: a high profile TDI race car and a TDI engine deal with Dodge/Chrysler do not match with VW trying to get away from PD TDI technology? I am confused.

2FastDre.
 

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (retired); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (sold)
gdr703 said:
"and more than 1100 Nm torque exceeds "

811 ft-lbs. :eek:
Isn't that the reason why they dropped out the last time -- the clutches could not handle the torque?
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
That was a different team, running a tuned V10 TDI. They were using trannies that were developed for gassers.

I think Audi probably developed their own clutch specifically for this torque monster. ;)
 

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (retired); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (sold)
Here is the main website for the R10.
http://www.audi.com/audi/com/en1/experience/motorsport/r10.html

At the bottom there is a link to the video presentation. The first 3 minutes are good, then from 3:00 to about 22:00 there is static video of the car, the photographers, and the Eiffel Tower. At minute 22:00 there is video of the car on the track, which is good. Then there's the press briefing, with English translation, and it goes on, and on, and on, and on, forever.
 

fastvicar

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Location
Lancaster, PA, USA
TDI
1996 Passat, Indian Red
Recall the "Cat" V10 diesel last year? It was a rebadged Toureg TDI. It didn't last long because the transmission got fried in a hurry. I hope the new one will hold up better.
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
Because they used a gasser tranny that wasn't built for near the torque of a V10 TDI.

I suspect that Audi will have already thought of that ;)
 

VWRacer1

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Location
SF Bay Area
Did anyone snag the video of the car on track? I have been clicking on that link for a couple of days and it appears dead. TIA! :)
 

fitzski

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2004
Location
Ottawa
TDI
Uh... hmm... Well, none...
It's just a marketing style promo clip of a couple of minutes or so - the on-track sequences are just short, short clips spliced together, nothing especially thrilling or impressive, visually or audibly. The brief opening drive up the Champs d'Elysees was actually more impressive, IMO!
 

jck66

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 4, 2001
Location
Greenwich, CT, USA
TDI
12 Passat SE / 14 BMW 535d
I don't know why the writers were surprised that a V12 engine, even a diesel, would be smooth and refined. Duh.
 

Matt_OToole

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2004
Location
Blacksburg, VA
TDI
none -- car free for now!
Audi to race TDI-powered R10 at Le Mans

From Gizmag: http://www.gizmag.com/go/4934/

The world's most powerful diesel car

December 14, 2005 The prospect of a diesel-engined racing car competing at the highest level became reality in Paris yesterday when Audi pulled the wraps off the new R10. The R8 it replaces has been dominant in its sphere of global sportscar racing and Audi has set itself a monumental challenge in attempting to maintain its winning form with a totally new 5.5-litre, 12-cylinder twin-turbo TDI engined racecar. Diesel engines are very different to those normally associated with car racing – they are quiet, economical, with broad mid-range torque. The R10’s usable power band apparently lies between 3,000 and 5,000 rpm, an unusually low rev range for a racing engine and one which needs far less gear changes – but hey, it’s a diesel and diesels have never been raced successfully against their petrol-engined cousins … but the Audi R10 produces over 650 hp and a colossal 1,100 Newton metres of torque and promises fascinating high tech gawking as the team prepares for its race debut at the Sebring 12 Hours (USA) in March. If Audi can pull off a win in the race for which its is built, the twice-around-the-clock Le Mans 24 Hour Race in France on June17-18, 2006, it will be a unique triumph ... and one which might mark the beginning of an exciting new ear for the once much maligned diesel.

Audi first raced at Le Mans in 1999 and has won the annual sportscar "classic" five times in the last six years with its Audi R8 sportscar which has scored 61 wins from 77 races around the world. But Audi ventures into previously unexplored diesel-engine terrain with the V12 power plant manufactured completely from aluminium.

As with the TFSI (turbo petrol direct injection) technology, which triumphed initially at Le Mans before being adopted for mass-production, Audi customers should benefit once again from the lessons learnt in motorsport.

"With the A8 4.2 TDI quattro, Audi already builds one of the most powerful diesel cars in the world," explained Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, at the R10 presentation in Paris. "The Le Mans project will help our technicians to extract even more from TDI technology. Nowadays, every second Audi is delivered with a TDI engine. We expect that the percentage of diesel engines will be even larger in the future."
The R10 prototype’s V12 power unit, which is equipped with two diesel particle filters, is hardly recognisable as a diesel thanks to the engine’s smooth running. The TDI engine’s specialities presented the Audi Sport engineers with many new challenges.

The injection pressure easily exceeds the 1,600 bar achieved in production cars. The usable power band lies between 3,000 and 5,000 revs per minute - an unusually low rev range for a racing engine. The driver can change gear in the R10 far less often than in the R8 because of the TDI engine’s favourable torque curve.

Radical changes to the chassis were also necessary. The Audi R10 has a significantly longer wheel base than the R8. The overly wide front tyres are, up until now, unique for a Le Mans Prototype. New technologies were also implemented during the development of the carbon-fibre monocoque. Chassis, engine and gearbox form an extremely rigid, fully stressed unit.

"The R10 project is the biggest challenge ever to have been handed to Audi Sport," said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "TDI technology has not been pushed to its limits in motorsport yet. We are the first to confront the challenge. The demands of such a project are accordingly high. Long-term technology partners such as Bosch, Michelin and Shell support us in our quest. Together we have the chance to write new chapters in the history books of motorsport and diesel technology."

The new Audi R10 successfully completed its first test at the end of November while an extensive test programme is scheduled prior to the car’s race début at Sebring. The development team from Audi Sport is supported by Reinhold Joest’s squad which also performed this task during the R8 project.

--
 

Beta

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2005
Location
Bozeman, Montana
TDI
87 syncro westy alh
Ok, very cool racecar. I'm not that impressed by the power output though. Put it in perspective of a 1.9 alh tdi. The 5.5 litre motor is 2.89 times the size. LOTS of alh motors with vnt17, rc4, stock pumps, cr and modest injectors make 170hp and 300ft/lbs of torque. 170 x 2.89 = 490, 300 x 2.89 = 867. That 12 is hardly stressed at all. Audi should be able to squeeze a lot more...
 

TDIMeister

Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
Joined
May 1, 1999
Location
Canada
TDI
TDI
I completely disagree. What it does underscore is that Audi must develop the engine to be absolutely dead reliable and survive the full race without any failures, without exception. Plus to that engine's credit, the horsepower figure of 650 is far higher than the proportion you calculated. Too much torque busts drivelines; you don't have a chance to win a race if you DNF...

In such a competitive race, if Audi believed the same power could be achieved reliably with a smaller and hence lighter motor, I would bet bottom dollar they would have. They've had to design the R10 from a clean slate and use a lot of tricks that have no precedence in a Le Mans prototype. Motorsport, for all it's innovation, is still a very conservative sport, where the preference is to go for the well-developed and the tried and true. Fancy technology by itself doesn't necessarily win races.
 
Top