Diesel’s Le Mans

Audi Le Mans Diesel
Reuters News Service Tue 13 Dec, 2005, 16:57

Audi has announced an attempt to win Le Mans – with a diesel engine.
Audi has won Le Mans five times in the last six years and the new racer is intended to continue the winning streak. The engine is a 5.5-litre, 12-cylinder twin-turbo TDI engine, which is said to be extremely quiet and economical. It produces over 650 bhp and a colossal 1,100 Newton metres of torque. It even has two particulate filters to reduce emissions, not traditionally a concern of racing cars.
“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.”