Breaking: Autosport reveals first image of Audi R15

[EJ25RUN]

Latest news and pics on page #2












Autosport...

Autosport can exclusively reveal the first image of the car Audi hope will continue their unbroken record of diesel-powered victories at Le Mans in June, as they seek to keep Peugeot at bay.

This spy-shot of Audi's new R15 TDI, seen in secret testing at Vallelunga, (more of which can be seen in this week's Autosport magazine, on sale tomorrow) reveals just how radical the German manufacturer's approach has been to the car that will replace their all-conquering R10.

Audi won the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours, both Le Mans Series and American Le Mans titles, and Petit Le Mans, but the need for a new car was apparent as the German manufacturer was outdone for pace by Peugeot's 908 HDi FAP last year.

The R15 features a radical high-nose concept that looks similar to the approach used by the Renault Formula One team with their new R29. It is a major departure from the pointy, low-nose of its predecessor.

The car's radiators also appear to have been moved closer to the front wheel, probably in an effort to improve the car's weight distribution, hence the interesting scalloped ducts and shaping of the sidepods and rear cowling.

Other interesting developments on the car include a much lower, tidier rear end in an effort to regain some of the downforce lost to the new LMP1 regulations (which call for a 20 per cent reduction in aero) as well as innovative wing-mounted rear lights.

In a statement released by Audi yesterday, the team said the car has many 'technically innovative features' and will use a new 'smaller, lighter and even more efficient turbocharged diesel engine'.

The R15 has been testing in secret since before Christmas and will be raced for the first time in a two-car attack on the Sebring 12 Hours on March 21.

Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich said of the programme: "So far the R15 TDI has performed as we expected. Now it must also prove itself in race conditions. Sebring is a particularly hard race and is therefore perfectly suited to reveal even the smallest of weaknesses."

Allan McNish, who is one of the drivers to have tested the car said: "I drove it for the first time before Christmas as planned in Spain and everything went well. Since then Audi Sport has been busy with extensive testing and everything is progressing very well and on schedule - it's a tremendous car.

"I have been in the Audi 'family' for a few years now and have confidence that the team in Ingolstadt have again designed and built us a worthy successor to the R10 TDI," added the two-time Le Mans winner.

Audi Sport Team Joest has also confirmed their driver line-ups for Sebring with McNish sharing one car with his usual partners Rinaldo Capello and eight-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, and the second machine piloted by Germans Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner.

To get a closer look at the Audi R15 and read expert analysis on the radical new prototype, buy Autosport magazine, on sale from February 12.

[Elbow]

I guess nobody here cares but us lol.

I am routing for Peugeot though, especially at Le Mans with David Brabham.

[matthewAPM]

i dont see it??

[Elbow]

It didn't load for me the first time either but now I see it.

[matthewAPM]

how does it look? I still got nothing

[Elbow]

See it now?

[speedminded]

[matthewAPM]

fuck i just busted a nut.

THAT IS HOT!

[blacknightteg]

hey i cant see it and i really want to. its show up a red x. hey EJ or simon. do yall know if anyone has picked up any of the older audi r10's for alms also what about the lmp2 porsches'

[matthewAPM]

its a no for the R10's

Not sure about the porsche. I know Penske is running Grand-Am in a DP now so I dont see why they wouldnt sell. unless they are going into the show room...

Dyson still has theres

[Elbow]

Is Dyson selling theirs?

A privateer will be running R10's in the Le Mans Series in Europe.

[blacknightteg]

i know there was a privateer in the lms but i was wandering if anyone had yet picked up some for alms. i dunno about dyson selling theirs. i hope not, i just dont want the competition to go to shit again in the alms

[Elbow]

Well Dyson is running Mazdas this year.

[blacknightteg]

oh, well damn. the courages? its gunna be a slim class this year again huh. man. oh well.

[Elbow]

oh, well damn. the courages? its gunna be a slim class this year again huh. man. oh well.

No Lolas, only team pulled out is Audi and DHL Porsche but new people are coming.

[speedminded]

fuck i just busted a nut.

THAT IS HOT!

Needs a drop!

[matthewAPM]

I could really care less about prototypes this year. GT2 is going to be AWESOME!!!!!!

[Elbow]

GT2 will be huge, but prototypes help keep the series afloat as well.

[EJ25RUN]

I'm gonna try to be at Sebring. Might be working by then though

[blacknightteg]

i would love to go to sebring. i wish i could go down there for it. i probably could. but i dont trust my car! lol. my ultimate goal is to take my dad to france for the 24

[EJ25RUN]

i would love to go to sebring. i wish i could go down there for it. i probably could. but i dont trust my car! lol. my ultimate goal is to take my dad to france for the 24

Yup im definelty going to le Sarthe one day. I had a chance to go to a Motogp race in Italy in 07 at Mugello but i didn't know the race was the same day i was in Florence which was only 20 mins from the race track. Really sucked watching it on TV and realizing all this then.

[EJ25RUN]

check OP...posted many new pics.

[Elbow]

Wow that thing looks crazy. Huge openings in the front remind me of the old WR's lol.

[dazn]

that thing looks awesome. I wonder why they needed that much air to flow through the car like that. They did a whole lotta work to get all that air out after those huge openings suck it all in. the ductwork is ridiculous

[EJ25RUN]

that thing looks awesome. I wonder why they needed that much air to flow through the car like that. They did a whole lotta work to get all that air out after those huge openings suck it all in. the ductwork is ridiculous

Remember how the cars need to be heavily slowed down for 2009. I think the ACO said 30 secs a lap slower at LeMans.


I think all those little Shark Gills and intricate grooves ptovide extra downforce but in ways not restricted by the regulations. Think of it in the same way as these aero packs being allowed on the F1 cars for 2008 but gone for 2009.

[Elbow]

30 seconds slower???

[EJ25RUN]

30 seconds slower???

Diesel power will be down to get closer the petrol cars and the aero has been altered to try and avoid blow overs like the ones seen at Monza, Le Mans, and Silverstone. The new aero regs will be the most significant as they will severly cut corner speed. I think the Pug and the R10 could hit Le Mans Porsche curves pretty much flat out.

Remember it was the 908's crash at Silverstone last year that prevented a second car coming to Petit.

2009
All Classes:
* Tire warmers are no longer allowed.
* All engines must now last for 2 events and will be sealed.
* Pit stops will only allow 2 mechanics to change tires, and only 1 air gun. This is to encourage tire manufacturers to increase the longevity of their tires, thus reducing the amount of tire changes and the amount of tires private teams must purchase.
* 10% biofuel for all cars.
* Noise limits reduced from 113dB to 110dB.
* Following the 12 Hours of Sebring and first LMS round at Barcelona, the ACO may adjust the rules to increase competition.

LMP1:
* Hybrid-electric engines will be allowed in LMP1 in 2009, although they will not be eligable to score championship points.
* 10% reduction of air restrictors from purpose-built gasoline engines, 3% reduction of air restrictors on production-based gasoline engines. Diesels will have two smaller air restrictors and a pressure limit of 2.75 bar.
* Closed-cockpit cars running air conditioning will be allowed a .3% larger air restrictor to overcome power loss.
* Rear wings are reduced to 150mm high, 250mm long, 1600mm wide. A minimum 20mm Gurney flap is required.

[EJ25RUN]

Found the exact link i needed

Autoblog Sep 17th 2008 at 8:28AM

Diesel power has emerged as the dominating fuel in Le Mans series endurance racing, with Audi and Peugeot competing neck-and-neck for top honors. But that's about to change, if the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) has anything to say about it. ACO, the body that organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the LMS championships in Europe and North America, has announced new rules aimed at reducing the performance of the diesel racers to level the playing field with the gasoline-fueled competitors.
The new regulations would include air restrictors reduced in diameter by 10% and a decrease in allowable turbo boost on the oil-burners. The move is also aimed at impeding laps times in the name of safety, with a 3 minute 30 second La Sarthe lap time as the target, where the Peugeot 908s lapped the circuit in the low 3:08s this year.
Additional rule-book amendments include the banning of tire warmers, a reduction in the permissible size of rear wings and the allowance of only one wheel gun for each pit crew, all in an effort to reduce costs and raise lap times.

[EJ25RUN]

Found the exact link i needed

Autoblog Sep 17th 2008 at 8:28AM

Diesel power has emerged as the dominating fuel in Le Mans series endurance racing, with Audi and Peugeot competing neck-and-neck for top honors. But that's about to change, if the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) has anything to say about it. ACO, the body that organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the LMS championships in Europe and North America, has announced new rules aimed at reducing the performance of the diesel racers to level the playing field with the gasoline-fueled competitors.
The new regulations would include air restrictors reduced in diameter by 10% and a decrease in allowable turbo boost on the oil-burners. The move is also aimed at impeding laps times in the name of safety, with a 3 minute 30 second La Sarthe lap time as the target, where the Peugeot 908s lapped the circuit in the low 3:08s this year.
Additional rule-book amendments include the banning of tire warmers, a reduction in the permissible size of rear wings and the allowance of only one wheel gun for each pit crew, all in an effort to reduce costs and raise lap times.

[EJ25RUN]

High res gallery of the R15

Autoblog...

Following its annual meeting in Germany, Audi released photos and more details of its all-new R15 TDI race car. After some spy shots and one official pic of the R15 being tested in unpainted carbon fiber, we can now see the new LMP1 car in its standard Audi livery of silver and red. Audi is billing the R15 as the first second-generation diesel racing sports car and the company has focused on creating a vehicle that can consistently beat its French challenger, the Peugeot 908 HDi.

When the R10 debuted it was the first diesel-powered Le Mans Prototype and reliability was put ahead of outright speed. This time around, Audi has optimized the aerodynamics, reduced the weight and built an all-new smaller, more efficient powertrain. The 5.5-liter V12 has been supplanted by a new V10. and although Audi hasn't disclosed its displacement, the automaker admits it's more compact, has a lower mass and features new smaller and lighter particulate filters.

While the car doesn't use a hybrid KERS system, it does have a lithium ion battery for its electrical system. The advanced battery provides higher voltage with lower weight -- always a boon in a race car. The R15 will make its racing debut March 21 at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

ingolstadt's Army!

[VooDooXII]

This car is the reason I'm so enthusiastic about diesel technology, and in keeping with Audi's styling principles...this car looks absolutely sinister.

[EJ25RUN]

This car is the reason I'm so enthusiastic about diesel technology, and in keeping with Audi's styling principles...this car looks absolutely sinister.

You've really just hit the nail on the head of what the point of this project is.

[VooDooXII]

Audi has turned LeMans into a company picnic, and now it just seems like they're thinking, "What if we do this?"

And they still win.

Bravo, Audi.

[Elbow]

Peugeot FTW.

[EJ25RUN]

Peugeot FTW.

Not in 07 or 08. lol

[Elbow]

In my heart lol.

09 could be different though

[dazn]

Remember how the cars need to be heavily slowed down for 2009. I think the ACO said 30 secs a lap slower at LeMans.


I think all those little Shark Gills and intricate grooves ptovide extra downforce but in ways not restricted by the regulations. Think of it in the same way as these aero packs being allowed on the F1 cars for 2008 but gone for 2009.

I cant say for sure without looking at the car more in depth, but the ductwork cant really be adding more downforce. They are mostly there to reduce drag caused by the massive front openings and venting for the heat exchangers. Now with that said, the front openings may be mandated to increase the drag on the cars, but i dont know for sure.
I miss the days of the massive tunnel cars.

[EJ25RUN]

I cant say for sure without looking at the car more in depth, but the ductwork cant really be adding more downforce. They are mostly there to reduce drag caused by the massive front openings and venting for the heat exchangers. Now with that said, the front openings may be mandated to increase the drag on the cars, but i dont know for sure.
I miss the days of the massive tunnel cars.

Check the gallery in my latest post. The shots of the car there are much higher quality. You might be able to tell better there.

I'll be the first to tell you i'm no Adrian Newey so my post was generic specualtion.

[dazn]

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/audi-r15-tdi-3/1420307/

vents for heat exchangers.
they must be producing mass amounts of heat.
its hard to tell what is going on in the center of the nose, from what Ican tell there is a bit of added downforce there

[EJ25RUN]

New Hi RES Photos: Click Here to see full gallery!