Audi to bring 1st diesel powered race car to 24hrs du LeMans

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I can't personally think of any other diesel race cars. Anyway, as a technology showcase, the new R10 is incredible. From the standpoint of being competitive, it's amazing. The big question is, "which oil for a 24 hour OCI?" Rotella Synth?
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"AUDI AG is once again one step ahead of the opposition: The inventor of ‘TDI’ will become the world’s first automobile manufacturer to fight for overall victory with a diesel engine at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. The all-new Audi R10, which was unveiled on Tuesday in Paris, is powered by a totally new 5.5-litre, twelve-cylinder bi-turbo TDI engine, which is extremely quiet and economical.
The Le Mans Prototype, with over 650 hp and more than 1,100 Newton metres torque, significantly exceeds the power produced by the majority of previous Audi racing cars – including that of its victorious R8 predecessor. Audi ventures into previously unexplored diesel-engine terrain with the V12 power plant manufactured completely from aluminium. As with the TFSI 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 nature. The TDI engine’s specialities presented the Audi Sport engineers with a whole list of 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 must change gear in the R10 far less often than in the R8 because of the TDI engine’s favourable torque curve.
The enormous torque of over 1,100 Newton metres does not only make extreme demands of the R10 transmission system – even the latest generation of engine dynamometers at Audi Sport had to be re-equipped with special gearboxes capable of withstanding the unusual forces.
Additionally, 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."


http://www.fourtitude.com/news/publish/Motorsport_News/article_1852.shtml


http://fourtitude.com/
 
I thought I saw Roddie Gordon running a diesel V-Dub in the Paris to Dakar. Maybe a Toureg? Anyhoo, that R10 is a beaut. A far cry from our old '78 Rabbit diesel!!
 
wow, just an amazing. what would be even better would be if it won. im dont follow the le mans race but it sure would be neat to see a diesel win.

the only other diesel road race engine that i know of isnt finished. it is a duramax that gale banks is messing around with. http://www.bankspower.com/DmaxTypeR.cfm

it would probably need a 513.03 spec oil
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Many have raced Diesels over the years. Cummins raced at Indy in the 30's. Volvo raced a powerful salon/touring class diesel a few years back in Europe off the top of my head.

Terry
 
quote:

Volvo raced a powerful salon/touring class diesel a few years back in Europe off the top of my head.

Now I would've liked to have seen that. Bet it hurt.
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For bio-diesel interest:http://www.d1plc.com/news_show_article.php/138.html Yet another entrant - possibly using the VW V10 ...
 
The Paris-Dakar race Touareg uses a 5-cylinder TDI, which I would really like to have. I wish they would make a version available in their passenger cars.
 
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