วันศุกร์ที่ 24 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2555

>>Audi R8 Le Mans Concept

Audi R8 Le Mans Concept

Audi R8 V12 TDi

Manufacturer	Audi AG
Also called	Audi R8 TDI Le Mans
Production	Volkswagen Group
Class	concept car, sports car
Body style	2-door coupé
Layout	Mid engine, quattro permanent four-wheel drive
Engine	6.0L V12 Twin Turbo TDi
Transmission	Six-Speed Manual
Related	Audi R8 Audi Q7

The Audi R8 V12 TDI (later renamed the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans), was unveiled as adiesel engined concept car as an upgraded version of the Audi R8 (road car), was presented at the 2008 North American International Auto Show on 13 January, and the Geneva Motor Show in March. It was to use a 6.0 litre V12 engine, utilising Volkswagen Group's long-established Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) turbodiesel technology. This engine was rated 368 kilowatts (500 PS; 493 bhp), and 1,000 newton metres (738 ft·lbf) of torque. It uses Audi's quattro permanent four-wheel drive system, and is longitudinally mid-engined. It has a six-speed manual transmission. It accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour (0 to 62 mph) in 4.2 seconds, and its top speed is 325 km/h (202 mph).

The V12 TDIengine in the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans

The R8 TDI Le Mans has modified suspensionsettings and brakes, to cope with the additional power and weight (300 kg (661.4 lb)), resulting from replacing the standard V8 engine with the V12 TDI. The V12 TDI requires more cooling than the standard R8, hence the NACA duct in the roof to feed additional air in to the engine. The vents on the front and back of the car have also been increased by 20% in size. The headlights are all-LED. For its appearance at the Detroit Motor Show, Audi fitted 20 inch alloy wheels. The rear bulkhead has been moved forward in order to accommodate the physically larger V12 engine, meaning it loses the space behind the rear seats usually found on the standard R8.

In May 2009, Audi decided to halt plans to produce the R8 TDI, citing "the cost of re-engineering the petrol R8 to accommodate the massive twin-turbocharged diesel engine is simply too great – and that it would be unable to recoup its investment through sales alone".

>>Audi R8C

Audi R8C

Audi R8C
Technical specifications
Audi R8C at Le Mans Classic 2010
Category	LMGTP
Constructor	Bentley Motors Limited
Designer(s)	Peter Elleray
Engine	Audi 4.0 litre 90-degree V8 twin-turbo,
Competition history
Notable entrants	Audi

The Audi R8C was a Le Mans Prototype automobile built by Audi for the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans designed by Peter Elleray. It was developed alongside the open Audi R8R spyder, prior to being replaced by the all-new Audi R8 in 2000.

.Development

At the time of Audi's announcement of its intention to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1998, the plan was to enter an open-cockpit prototype, known as the Audi R8R. However, following the dominant performance of GT1-class cars in the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) modified classification rules in order to create a new class known as LMGTP, which would be closed-cockpit prototypes, realistically replacing the powerful, purpose-built GT1 cars

Following this rule change, Audi decided that it should invest in this new LMGTP class, thus forcing it to design a whole new car, vastly different from the R8R. With the aid of Audi's new engineering partner Racing Technology Norfolk (RTN), Audi designer Tony Southgate set out to design the new R8C, unlike the R8R which was built by Dallara.

The R8C and R8R both used the 600 hp (450 kW) 3.6 litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, but were radically different aerodynamically. While the R8R would have a large number of vents on the nose of the car, most of the intakes and air exits on the R8C would be placed on the side of the car. The R8C would also use thinner wheel arches, partially due to LMGTP rules stipulating that LMGTPs used thinner tires in comparison to LMPs in order to make up for the better aerodynamic efficiency, and thus increased potential speed, of closed-cockpit cars. Using a styling feature borrowed from the Toyota GT-One, the inside of the front wheel arches would also be opened, in order to not only allow air to exit from the front wheel wells, but also to assist in brake cooling.

For the cockpit of the R8C, a long sloped windshield would extend far down the nose. For the roof, the minimum roof height would be achieved with the use of raised humps above the driver's position, yet would be lowered in between these humps for better aerodynamic efficiency to the rear wing.

The rear of the car featured a boxy, blunt tail that was developed from the improved R8R, yet would be longer in order to better maximize the coupe's aerodynamics.

Racing history

Unlike the R8R, which performed the bulk of the testing because they were completed first, the R8C had very little time to test prior to the initial group test for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in May. At this group test, the cars suffered numerous setbacks and lacked the pace of the open-cockpit brothers. Although they were capable of hitting speeds upwards of 350 km/h (217 mph) on the Mulsanne straight, they lacked the handling ability and overall speed for a full lap. While the R8Rs managed the 8th and 11th fastest times, the R8Cs could only muster 22nd and 28th fastest. The R8Cs mostly suffered from aerodynamic problems, especially in the build-up of air underneath the engine cover. This caused the R8Cs to lose their rear engine covers on several occasions while at speed.

For the race itself, the R8Cs were unable to find much improvement over the month off. Qualifying was more of the same, as the R8Cs managed only 20th and 23rd places, while the R8Rs were still 9th and 11th. During the race, both the R8R and R8C suffered numerous gearbox difficulties. One R8C was forced to drop out of the race after just 55 laps, while the second R8C succumbed to gearbox failure after the midpoint of the race. Even though the R8Rs suffered gearbox difficulties, both cars managed to finish the race, taking third and fourth place.

Following Le Mans, Audi decided it would concentrate on only one of the two types of cars for the future of their program. The dismal performance of the R8C, along with the exodus from the LMGTP class by most major manufacturers, led Audi to develop an open-cockpit car - the R8.

Audi returned to the LMGTP class in 2001 in the form of the Bentley EXP Speed 8. Although similar to the R8C, the EXP Speed 8 shared nothing with the previous LMGTP except for its Audi turbocharged V8. Aerodynamic lessons from the R8C were, however, carried over for the Bentley.

Only two R8Cs were ever built, chassis #101 and #102, both raced by Richard Lloyd's Audi Sport UK. The 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans would be their only competition.

Audi returned to the closed-cockpit competition in 2011 when new regulations took effect: the new car is called the R18; Wolfgang Ullrich stated in an Autosport interview in 2010 that the R18 will be a closed roof coupe similar to the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, the R8C and the Bentley Speed 8.

>>Audi R8R

Audi R8R

1999 Audi R8R

The Audi R8R was a Le Mans Prototype built by Audi for the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans, and a predecessor to the dominant Audi R8 which debuted in 2000. It was raced alongside the British built closed-cockpit Audi R8C.

Development

The R8R project began in 1997, when Audi began research into entering the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first prototype was displayed in 1998, showing an open cockpit car which featured many Audi styling cues, yet lacked some of the practical necessities for sports car racing. The car, designed by Tony Southgate and built by Dallara, featured an Audi 3.6 litre twin-turbo V8 engine. Styling features included a large group of aerodynamic vents in the nose, as well as high sidepods which featured NACA ducts on their tops to feed the turbochargers. A large vent on the side also allowed air out from the front wheel well.

By the car's debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the aerodynamics were evolved. A longer tail was prominent, with the wheel arches more subtly curved into the side pods, instead of an abrupt hard-edge design. The front end was also lower, and featured more aerodynamic styling over the original stylized prototype.

However, following Sebring, further testing was done on the R8R in order to better improve its overall speed in preparation for Le Mans. The front bodywork was further evolved, with a wider and more curved sidepod being used. The NACA ducts were also replaced with a vertical air inlet coming out of the side fender. The tail was also shortened, and aerodynamic elements were added to the styling of the sidepods.

Only five R8Rs would be built total. #204 and #205 would run Sebring only in 1999, while #307 and #308 would run Le Mans. #306 would be added in 2000 to compete in the American Le Mans Series. Lessons learned from the R8R would be later evolved into the R8 for 2000.

Racing history

Following months of testing, the R8R made its racing debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1999. Run by Joest Racing of Germany, the R8Rs showed some initial difficulties in qualifying, managing to set merely the 11th and 12th fastest times. However, during the race, the cars showed their durability by being able to outlast most of the competitors who had initially outpaced them. Even though the also new BMW V12 LMR suffered some problems, one of their entries was far superior in terms of pace and reliability. Following twelve hours though, R8Rs were successful in taking a podium with a 3rd place finish, while the other team car managed 5th.

Following Sebring, the R8Rs returned to testing, joined by the new R8Cs. At Le Mans testing in May, the R8Rs were able to go up against the bulk of the major manufacturers for the first time. The Audis showed their pace by taking the 8th and 11th fastest lap times over the test, beating competitors such as Mercedes-Benz and Nissan.

For the race itself, the R8Rs would again show their reliability. Although they managed to qualify 9th and 11th, they managed to outlast the bulk of their competitors from Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Panoz, Nissan, and BMW. In the end, the R8Rs managed to come home in a respectable 3rd and 4th places, again scoring a podium. They were beaten by a single BMW yet again, as well as one of the Toyota GT-Ones.

Following the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans, Audi had to decide which of the two prototypes they'd continue to work on into 2000. The R8Cs, which failed to finish at Le Mans and showed a lack of pace in comparison to the R8Rs, were scrapped. The R8R would be further evolved into an all-new prototype known simply as the Audi R8, sharing nothing mechanical or stylistic from the R8 except for the engine.

However, although the R8 made its debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2000, the car was returned to Europe by Audi to conduct more testing for that year's Le Mans. This left the older R8R to return to the American Le Mans Series to compete in the next two rounds of the season, at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Silverstone Circuit. At Charlotte, R8R managed to 6th place behind the duo of BMWs and the improved Panoz, although the second R8R suffered mechanical woes and finished well down the order. For Silverstone, the two R8Rs would perform better, again taking a podium finish. Beaten once again by BMW and Panoz, the R8Rs would take 3rd and 4th places. Following Silverstone, the R8Rs were retired permanently as the new R8s would race for the rest of the American Le Mans Series season.

The R8R is estimated to boast around 600 hp (450 kW) from its V8 engine, allowing it to hit 335 km/h (208 mph) in 1999 at Le Mans (the original claims were that the car could go 350 km/h (217 mph)).

วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 23 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2555

>>Audi R8 (race car)

Audi R8 (race car)

Audi R8

History

1998: The challenge

In 1997, sports car racing and especially the Le Mans 24 Hours was popular among factories like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota, Nissan Motors and others. At that time, Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich started to evaluate the options of joining.

With the upcoming American Le Mans Series also providing a stage for the US-market, Audi announced plans in 1998 to compete in 1999, with the R8R and powered by a 550 hp (410 kW) V8 turbo. As it was considered the better choice for a whole race due to less weight and wider tires, Audi ordered an open top roadster from Dallara, to be developed and run by Joest Racing.

Yet, during the fall of 1998, after the necessity of GT1 homologation was dropped in favour of LM-GTP prototypes, regarding the speed and success of these closed GT coupés like the Porsche 911 GT1, Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR, and the Toyota GT-One, Audi also ordered their newly acquired Norfolk based RTN (Racing Technology Norfolk, led by Tony Southgate) to build a closed-cockpit car using the same drivetrain.

The ACO rules for closed-top prototypes allowed cars to run with larger air restrictors, resulting in more power (about 600 hp), which resulted in a higher top speed in combination with the lower drag. To compensate this advantage over the duration of a race, the LMGTPs were limited to smaller tyres and smaller fuel tanks.

1999: The R8R and R8C

Following a period of testing, two R8Rs debut at the 1999 12 Hours of Sebring. The BMW V12 LMR won, which was a strong sign towards the race in France. The already tested open-top Audi R8R, entered by Joest Racing was not fast enough to challenge for a win, finishing 3rd.

After further tests and modifications, the Audis returned for Le Mans. The new debuting R8Cs lacked pace and unfortunately suffered mechanical gearbox woes. Lap times were 10 seconds down from the leading LMP and LMGTP competitors. Joest's R8Rs ran steady, yet still was too slow to run for pole position. After a race which saw the spectacular flights of the Mercedes-Benz CLR as well as leading cars of Toyota and BMW crashing out, the Audi R8R took 3rd and 4th behind the surviving #15 BMW V12 LMR and the Japanese-driven Toyota.

Based on the experiences, Audi decided to regroup for 2000, and built a new R8 spyder together with Joest and Dallara. The British-built R8C coupe was retired, but Audi-owned Bentley developed the concept of the R8C closed cockpit LMGTP and entered the Bentley EXP Speed 8 in 2001, winning the race with the Bentley Speed 8 in the 2003.

1999: Retiring competitors

After the 1999 Le Mans shame, Mercedes retired from GTs to focus on the return of the DTM touring cars in 2000, as well as on F1. Toyota and BMW also went to F1, with BMW at least continuing to race for two years in the ALMS, where the open roadster of Bill Auberlen also suffered a "back flip" during the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in 2000, as the closed-cockpit Porsche of Yannick Dalmas had done in 1998. Despite the BMW V12 LMR not receiving further development, the German team Schnitzer Motorsport was almost as effective as Joest. Still the BMW V12 LMR could not match the Audi R8's might in the championship and lost almost every race against it. BMW returned to race the BMW M3 in the GT class since, dominating in the ALMS and in WTCC as well as at the 24 Hours Nürburgring.

This left only Porsche as a major possible challenger for 2000 — however the Porsche LMP project was scrapped before it had a chance to race. Rumours at that time said that Ferdinand Piech himself made them stay away, using his influence as a co-owner of Porsche as well as his management role at Volkswagen, which would develop the upcoming SUV VW Touareg in cooperation with the Porsche Cayenne. The Porsche V10 racer was turned into the Porsche Carrera GT instead.

2000: The R8

The Audi R8 is a sports-racing car prepared for the LMP900 class at Le Mans and in the American Le Mans Series. The car was developed by Audi Motorsport and Joest Racing and first debuted in 2000, winning the 12 Hours of Sebring.

The R8 won Le Mans five times (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005) and the overall season championship in the American Le Mans Series six times in a row (from 2000 to 2005).

In 2002, the Audi R8 was the first car to beat the Toyota TS020 GT ONE's qualifying lap record from 1999.

Audi R8 2001

The R8 won a hat trick at Le Mans in 2000-2002, campaigned by Audi SportInfineon Team Joest and driven by Tom Kristensen, Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela. First time out in 2000, the team won a 1-2-3 finish, which was just a small preview of what this all-new Audi was capable of. Since then, the Audi R8 has won numerous championships and races, including further wins for 'privateer' teams at Le Mans in 2004 and 2005.

The R8 is powered by a 3.6 L Audi FSI V8. FSI stands for Fuel-Stratified Injection, which is a variation on the concept of gasoline direct injection developed by VW which maximizes both power and fuel economy at the same time. FSI technology can be found in products available to the normal public, across all brands in the Volkswagen Group.

The power supplied by the R8, officially listed at about 610 hp (455 kW) in 2000, 2001 and 2002, 550 hp (410.1 kW) in 2003 and 2004 and 520 hp (388 kW) in 2005, is sent to the rear wheels via a Ricardo six-speed sequential transmission with an electro–pneumatic gear change. That means it has a computer-controlled clutch that allows the driver to make gear changes without touching the clutch pedal. These gear changes can be done by the computer far quicker than even the fastest human being with a conventional manual transmission.

Unofficially, the works-team Audi R8 for Le Mans (2000, 2001 and 2002) is said to have had around 670 hp (500 kW) instead of the quoted 610 hp (455 kW). The numbers were quoted at speed, and were due to the car making 50 extra horsepower due to twin ram-air intakes at speeds over 150 mph (240 km/h). Official torque numbers were quoted for this version of the engine at 516 lb·ft (700 N·m) at 6500 rpm. The equation for horsepower (torque divided by 5250, multiplied by rpm) for these numbers produces a horsepower rating of 638 horsepower (476 kW) at the same 6500 rpm (516/5250*6500=638). Peak rpm for horsepower was 7200, so it can be safely said that the engine made much more than 610 hp (450 kW) in those years.

The Audi R8's structure was designed from the very beginning to expedite parts changes during the race. The car has a chassis that has been likened to a Lego model — anything on the car can be changed and changed quickly. During its campaign, the Joest pit crew was able to change the entire rear transaxle of a damaged R8 — a process which usually takes between one and three hours — in three and a half minutes, a feat that was unprecedented in its efficiency and speed. The reason for this was that the transmission, rear suspension and rear subframe were built as one unit. The car had numerous quick-connect hoses and easily removable bolts. The whole rear section of the car could be removed as a whole and a new back half installed with the help of a crane. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series acted quickly to void this advantage by mandating the gearbox casing be the same item through the duration of the race, with only the internals being allowed to be changed. However, the R8 still had quicker access to the gearbox internals than any other car due to its quick-change construction . This was critical as the gearbox was the weak link in the car.

The R8's structure and body are both composed of carbon fibre, a strong, lightweight polymer material that is both expensive and time-consuming to mold.

Performance - from top speed to acceleration - was, as in most race car cases, variable depending on the car's setup. The highest speed of the R8 at Le Mans was 338 km/h (210 mph) in the practice sessions of the 2002 Le Mans 24 Hours Race. A low downforce setup could generate about 350 km/h (217 mph).

Audi Sport's program saw tragedy in 2001 when on April 25, popular ex-F1 driver Michele Alboreto died in an accident after suffering a high-speed tyre failure during an R8 test session at the Lausitzring in eastern Germany.

2003: Bentley breaks the streak

The Bentley Speed 8, which ran at Le Mans from 2001 to 2003, winning in 2003, utilised a heavily modified 4.0 L version of the V8 engine from the Audi R8. The Bentley racing effort was campaigned by Team Bentley (Apex Motorsport) with assistance from longtime R8 competitor Joest Racing and Audi Sport UK. After 2002 the Joest factory team dropped it's R8 campaign and left it to the privateers. Restrictor changes brought the power down to 550 bhp for anyone still racing with the R8. However the maximum torque hardly changed. Tom Kristensen, who won the previous three 24 Hours of Le Mans races in an R8, was assigned to drive the Bentley Speed 8, and helped guide the team to victory. (Kristensen went on to win the 2004 and 2005 races in an Audi R8). There is some similarity between the Bentley Speed 8 and the Audi R8's successor, the R10 TDI. In some places the Bentley is referred to as being the R9.

2005: End of a legend

Very few racing cars have a racing pedigree comparable to the R8. However, as successful as the R8 was, during the 2005 season, it was evident that its time at the front of the pack was drawing to a close. Audi had made the development of the Audi R10 TDI diesel public, and cars from other manufacturers and teams started to catch up in terms of on-the-track speed. The ACO still felt that the R8 needed to be kept in check, therefore they reduced the restrictor size on the R8's engine, due to the car not meeting new hybrid regulations, and stipulated the car shall carry ballast weight in an attempt to make the races more competitive. The R8 was restricted even further to only 520 bhp. At the 2005 Le Mans, the Audis failed to qualify on pole position; the fastest R8 started the race in third position. However, as a hallmark to the R8's legendary reliability, the car was able to outlast all other competitors to take its fifth checkered flag at the venerable Circuit de la Sarthe and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This victory was also notable since it was Tom Kristensen's 6th straight 24 Hours of Le Mans victory, and a record 7th overall, beating legendary driver Jacky Ickx's previous record of 6 career 24 Hours of Le Mans victories. To date the R8 remains one of the fastest petrol powered LMPs, setting a 3:29 at Le Mans, which was beaten only by the Lola-Aston Martins. However, the R8's best finish was at 379 laps, which is more than the Lola-Aston Martin's best at 373 laps.

Records

Throughout its six year history, the R8 has proven to be one of the most dominant cars in history. Indeed, of all the races it had entered over a seven year period, the R8 lost a mere sixteen races total. Here is a list of some of the achievements of the R8.

24 Hours of Le Mans winner - 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005
American Le Mans Series champion: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006^†
European Le Mans Series champion: 2001
Le Mans Series champion: 2004

† - Season partially run by the Audi R10 as well.

Legacy

2006: The R10 TDI

In response to the new level of competition, development of the successor, known as the Audi R10 TDI, has been completed. The V12 engined turbodiesel won at its race debut at the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring with both cars starting on the front row. However, the pole sitting R10 had to start from the pit lane due to the need to rectify heat exchanger issues.

Emanuele Pirro, Frank Biela and Marco Werner made history by becoming the first drivers to win the Le Mans 24-hour race in a diesel-powered car. The Audi R10 TDI completed a record 380 laps of the La Sarthe circuit, with Pirro at the wheel for the finish. French trio Sébastien Loeb, Eric Helary and Franck Montagny took second in the Pescarolo Judd No 17, four laps adrift. Scotsman Allan McNish was third in the other Audi, which came in 13 laps down after suffering mechanical problems.

Audi R8 road car at the 2006 Paris Motor Show

The venerable R8 continued to campaign the American Le Mans Series through the first half of the 2006 season, and made its final US appearance on July 1, 2006 at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut, piloted by McNish and Capello. The R8 ended its career in style by winning the race, the 50th American Le Mans Series win for the Audi R8. The R10s participated in the rest of the ALMS season, beginning with the race at Miller Motorsports Park, Utah.

2007: R8 road car

The name Audi R8 also is used by the production road sports car Audi R8 which is based on the 2003 Audi Le Mans quattro concept car, not the R8 race car. Production started in 2007.