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One concept car that never made it to series production was the R8 with a turbocharged V12 diesel engine; the R8 V12 TDI concept. Background: In the 2010s, Audi was successful at Le Mans with the R10 TDI and wanted to establish diesel technology for sports cars, which had not existed until then. With 500 PS and a maximum torque of 1,000 Nm, the concept went from zero to 100 km/h in about four seconds – with an average consumption of less than ten liters. The final evolution of the first-generation R8 was the Audi R8 LMX, a special edition released in 2014 that was limited to 99 units and – like the R8 GT a few years earlier – was inspired by racing. With 570 PS, the R8 LMX raced from zero to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, making it the fastest Audi production car at the time. Another unique feature was the laser high beams, which the R8 LMX was the first production car to use. A laser module in each headlight generated a light beam with twice the illumination range of full LED headlights. In eight years, Audi produced just over 26,000 units of the first R8 at the Neckarsulm plant. The Audi R8 as a movie star Thanks to its movie-star looks and Hollywood flair, the Audi R8 was featured in numerous blockbusters. The R8 made its most famous cameo as the companion of Marvel hero Tony Stark, alter ego Iron Man. In all three movies, Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., drove a first-generation Audi R8; in the third installment, it was an electric R8 e-tron. The second-generation R8 also starred in Marvel movies, such as “Captain America: Civil War” in 2016 and “Spider-Man: Homecoming” in 2017. In the 2004 sci-fi thriller “I, Robot,” the main character, Del Spooner, played by Will Smith, drove a super sports car whose basic shape was reminiscent of the Audi R8. The futuristic sports car was an Audi RSQ Concept, designed for the movie by Audi’s design team and then Head of Design Walter De Silva.

Audi starts for tenth time in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Reliability and low consumption are important factors Third Le Mans appearance for the Audi R10 TDI On 14/15 June Audi starts for the tenth time in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. For AUDI AG it is much more than just claiming a possible eighth overall victory in the French endurance classic: Quite probably the world’s hardest car race acts as test bench for new technology later used in street cars. The inventor of TDI engines is currently forcing the development of future generation diesel engines with help from the Audi R10 TDI. At Le Mans Audi has proven that sporting dynamic and efficiency are not necessarily contradictory. The TDI version of the TT and TT Roadster are a logical step from the Le Mans programme. The 500 hp Audi R8 TDI Le Mans is the world’s first Super Sportscar with TDI Power. Audi lines-up at Le Mans this year for the third time with the R10 TDI which was unveiled at the end of 2005, and scooped the headlines worldwide. The brand with the four rings wrote an important chapter in motorsport history with the first win for a diesel car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Audi repeated the triumph in 2007. Therefore, on 14/15 June 2008 Audi Sport Team Joest has the chance to do the hat trick – a feat that was already successfully accomplished with the preceding Audi R8 model in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002. Audi relies on efficiency and reliability for its tenth appearance in Le Mans. The Audi R10 TDI, now in its third year of service, is no longer the fastest prototype on the grid – at least over a single lap. However, over the distance Audi Sport Team Joest has a good chance of winning because in Le Mans it’s all about losing as little time as possible in the pits. That the more than 650 hp V12 TDI engine is particularly efficient and economical is well-known. The same goes for the reliability of the R10 TDI: A 30-hour endurance test in April ran without problems.

Dindo Capello/Allan McNish win at Laguna Seca Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner finish third 13th outright victory for the Audi R10 TDI In the finale of the American Le Mans Series at Laguna Seca (US state of California), Team Audi Sport North America has once again given impressive proof of the performance of Audi TDI Power. With the Diesel technology which is set to enter the US market for road cars in 2008, Dindo Capello (Italy) and Allan McNish (Scotland) were able to beat the best Porsche in a photo finish. Mike Rockenfeller (Germany) and Marco Werner (Germany) completed Audi’s triumph in the final race of the season with a third place finish. It was the 13th outright victory for the revolutionary Audi R10 TDI in its 21st race – on a track that favoured the LM P2 cars, lighter due to the regulations. In the 4-hour race, however, in the end the weight handicap of the LM P1 cars was not so decisive but the enormous torque of the 650-hp Audi V12 TDI engine. Despite the Audi drivers dropping behind the lighter LM P2 cars during the pit-stops, they were always able to re-pass them. In the last 30 minutes, the spectators once again witnessed a thriller: Dindo Capello had to defend the lead he had taken from the “factory” Porsche of Romain Dumas with Marco Werner defending his third place against the second Penske Porsche. Twice, Dumas was able to pass Capello in traffic but both times, the Audi driver hit back immediately. He crossed the finish line just 0.410 seconds in front of the Porsche. Marco Werner had a similarly slender gap, just 0.415-second ahead of the other “factory” Porsche. In the first half of the race, Allan McNish and Mike Rockenfeller had laid the foundations for Audi success. Starting from fifth position on the grid, it took McNish just 15 minutes to conquer the lead.

The spectators at the Norisring can also see Audi’s revolutionary diesel sportscar in action: Frank Biela spools off several demonstration laps with the R10 TDI on Sunday at 1:10 p.m., just before the start of the DTM race. Facts and figures about Audi’s latest victory at Le Mans: 250,920 spectators watched the 75th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans “live” at trackside – a new record. The victorious Audi R10 TDI at Le Mans had the chassis number 202. This car had already won the 12-hour race at Sebring (USA) in March, followed up that victory by completing another 12 hour test at Sebring and completed a 30-hour test at Paul Ricard (France) in April. With its seventh win – from only nine starts – Audi jumped to third position in the Le Mans all-time winners list. Only Porsche (16) and Ferrari (9) have more Le Mans victories. Emanuele Pirro mounted the podium at Le Mans for the ninth time in succession. Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro both celebrated their fifth win at Le Mans. As a result, they now hold third place in the all-time winners list together with Derek Bell and behind Tom Kristensen (seven wins) and Jacky Ickx (six). It was the third successive Le Mans win for Marco Werner. The average age of the winning team was 43 – proof that experience is also needed at Le Mans. It was the ninth Le Mans triumph for Reinhold Joest’s team. As result, it is by far the most successful Le Mans team. Tyre partner Michelin celebrated its tenth successive Le Mans victory. The winning car completed a total of 369 laps (eleven less than last year). This equates to a distance of 5,029.11 kilometres at an average speed of 209.152 kph. Including the second qualifying session and warm-up, the V12 TDI engine in the rear of the triumphant R10 TDI covered more than 5,600 kilometres without a single technical problem.

The next important milestone in this ambitious project is Saturday 18 March: Audi competes in the 12-hour race at Sebring (US state of Florida) with a pair of R10 sports prototypes. The long-distance classic, held since 1952, is the most important sportscar race in the USA, the opening race of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and, more importantly for Audi Sport, the dress rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 17/18 June: The Sebring circuit, a former airfield, is considered to be extremely demanding for both man and machine and, with Le Mans in mind, was the perfect test during the successful R8 project years. Technology proving itself in Sebring also functions, as experience has shown, over twice the distance at the faster race in Le Mans. The main reason for this are the bumps around the American track, but also the predominantly hot and humid weather in Florida tests the engines to the limit. Audi Sport tested twice with the new R10 at Sebring at the end of January and the start of February and discovered in the process several “teething problems”, which have since been sorted out. The high-calibre squads of Frank Biela/Emanuele Pirro/Marco Werner and Dindo Capello/Tom Kristensen/Allan McNish drive the two Audi Sport North America R10 prototypes at Sebring. With the exception of Tom Kristensen, every Audi driver has already tested the R10. The Le Mans record-winner will have ample opportunity to familiarise himself with the peculiarities of the diesel sportscar during the pre-race tests. The Audi R10 is powered by a V12 TDI engine producing almost 650 hp and which has more than 1100 Newton metre torque available. It follows in the wheeltracks of the Audi R8, which is the most successful Le Mans Prototype ever with 61 victories form 77 races to date. Audi has won the 12-hour race at Sebring six times in succession with the R8 since 2000. The R8 is, as a result, the most successful sportscar ever to have competed in this race.

Fourth round of American Le Mans Series close to Salt Lake City Audi R10 TDI with torque advantage Diesel sportscar continues to make headlines Three races, two wins: The results of the Audi R10 TDI in the 2008 American Le Mans Series 2008 are impressive. Boosted by two overall victories on the street circuits in St Petersburg and Long Beach, the Audi Sport North America team comes as championship leaders to Salt Lake City, Utah, where Audi’s diesel sportscar has already played a leading roll twice. Emanuele Pirro in particular made the headlines in the previous two years. In 2006, the Italian kept Lucas Luhr, at that time sill at the wheel of a lighter LM P2 Porsche, at bay during the dramatic closing stages and crossed the finish line as winner by a mere 0.318 seconds. Pirro managed quite probably the most spectacular start of the year at Miller Motorsports Park in 2007: Starting in eighth position with the Audi R10 TDI, he stormed into the lead before the first corner after overtaking every competitor, who had started in front of him, on the long start-finish straight. The sensational manoeuvre was viewed frequently on many Internet based video portals afterwards. It was yet another impressive demonstration of the performance of Audi TDI Technology, which is long since established in Europe and is also launched on the American market at the end of 2008. The Audi R10 TDI, which is known as the “whispering revolution” in the USA because of its quiet engine, heralds Audi’s diesel offensive on the US market. The more than 650 hp V12 TDI engine powering the Audi R10 TDI provides its drivers with the same advantages that a TDI engine has in a road going Audi: reduced consumption, a pleasant low background noise and enormous torque which is available spontaneously. The V12 TDI engine produces more than 1,110 Newton metres of torque, against which no other competitor has anything comparable to offer in the American Le Mans Series.

Capello/Kristensen/McNish win thriller Audi R10 TDI remains unbeaten at 24 Hour classic Eighth Audi victory out of ten starts at the Sarthe 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.

Sunshine, rain and hail on official test day Nine Audi factory drivers complete almost 2,600 kilometres Audi R10 TDI runs with next-generation bio fuel for the first time All set for the “race of the year”: covering a total of almost 2,600 kilometres on the only official test day, the Audi drivers prepared themselves for the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans to be staged on 14 and 15 June. The Audi R10 TDI vehicles completed the eight-hour test without the slightest technical problem. As early as two weeks before the race, the sky above Le Mans provided a small foretaste of the uniqueness and unpredictability of this endurance classic: during the whole day, bright sunshine and summer temperatures alternated with heavy rain. At times, the drivers even reported that they had encountered hail on some of the sectors of the 13.629-kilometre circuit. During each of the two four-hour practice sessions, Audi Sport Team Joest completely concentrated on finding a fast setup for the three Audi R10 TDI cars suiting all of the drivers equally well. The car of last year’s victors, Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner, completed various tests with the Michelin tyres. Car #2 driven by Dindo Capello, Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish tried out different aerodynamics versions, while car #3 with Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and local hero Alexandre Prémat at the wheel was to concentrate on long runs. Although the weather conditions repeatedly affected the programmes planned for the vehicles, Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich provided a positive summary of the tests: “Today was a productive day of testing for us because we were able to work out results in highly varied conditions. This means we’ve already got a basic setup for the race weekend for any type of condition. Today, it was only possible to set really good times for half an hour, which showed us the capabilities of our rivals.