Category: Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich

Audi presents the new R18 in urban traffic at Le Mans

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“The new regulations that are centered on the efficiency of the sports prototypes mark the beginning of a new era for the Le Mans 24 Hours and endurance racing this year,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “That’s why we came up with a special plan for the presentation of the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro featuring its final graphics plus information on the technology. We’re pleased that the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and the city of Le Mans have supported our idea from the outset and are making this drive in public traffic possible.”

Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO: “We think it’s great that Audi selected Le Mans as the venue for the presentation of the new R18 e-tron quattro – not only for the media but also for the spectators who will be the first to see the new Le Mans sports car on the Place des Jacobins and on its drive to the race track. At the same time, Audi is bringing back memories of an all-but forgotten tradition of our race from the days when the drivers would travel to Le Mans in their own race cars.”

From 12.30 to 13.30, the six drivers who are contesting the entire FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) for Audi in 2014 will be signing autographs at the Audi Sport Team Joest race car transporter parked at the Place des Jacobins in the city center. At 13.30, Tom Kristensen will start the near 15-km long drive with new Audi R18 e-tron quattro via the Rue Wilbur Wright, the Avenue Pierre Mendès France, the Avenue du Général de Gaulle, the Avenue Bollée, the Boulevard Nicolas Cugnot, the Boulevard Clémenceau, the Boulevard Jean Moulin and the Avenue Félix Geneslay to the Welcome Center at the race track. Audi will present the design and the technology of the LMP1 sports car in detail to journalists and invited guests at this location.

“The new efficiency regulations deliberately allow the constructors to use a large number of options,” says Chris Reinke, Head of LMP at Audi Sport. “We’re convinced that, based on the simulations and track testing, we’ve made the right decisions to be successful again at Le Mans in 2014.”

Journalists and fans worldwide will be able to watch Tom Kristensen’s drive through Le Mans and the press conference at the Welcome Center of the race track live on the internet. The broadcast on audimedia.tv will start at 13.15.

From the ‘2014 Le Mans Warm-up’ Audi Sport Team Joest will travel directly to the ‘Prologue’ of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Le Castellet (F).

Audi achieves pioneering feat with e-tron quattro four-wheel drive

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In 2012, Audi became the first manufacturer to win the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with a four-wheel-drive LMP1 sports car. Equipped with the innovative e-tron quattro four-wheel drive, the R18 has won ten WEC rounds to date including the 2012 and 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours plus the WEC World Champion’s titles in the same years. In 2014, for the first time, Audi’s two LMP1 challengers on the manufacturers’ side are also relying on LMP1 sports prototypes with four-wheel drive.

“Innovations only become pioneering achievements when they’re successfully used and others start to adopt them,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “Audi, like no other manufacturer, has repeatedly achieved such feats ever since the debut of quattro four-wheel drive in 1980.” In the DTM, as well, Audi was the first team in 1990 to use four-wheel drive in racing, just like in Super Touring Cars, starting in 1993. In the past two years, on achieving the string of success in the WEC, the brand proved that e-tron quattro – the combination of a hybrid system with four-wheel drive – offers significant advantages.

Up to now, Audi had been allowed to use four-wheel drive only above 120 km/h. But four driven wheels promise to deliver traction advantages particularly at low speed, for instance when the driver accelerates on exiting a tight corner. This year, this speed-related rule no longer applies.

A fundamentally new Motor Generator Unit (MGU), together with a differential, sits in the monocoque at the level of the front axle. Two drive shafts connect the system with the front wheels. Under braking, the kinetic energy of the race car is converted into electric current which flows into an optimized flywheel energy storage device located in the cockpit next to the driver. During acceleration, the recovered energy is converted again by the MGU and powers the front wheels.

“We’ve developed the entire hybrid drive from scratch again for 2014,” explains Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport. “Specifically, it’s become even lighter and more efficient than before.” As of 2014, a single e-machine connected to a front-axle differential is longitudinally mounted. Furthermore, these front-wheel drive components are completely integrated into the monocoque of the R18 e-tron quattro. The recuperated energy is stored in a newly designed flywheel energy storage system.

While the quattro systems of Audi’s factory-fielded rally models and touring cars between 1980 and 1997 used a mechanical connection in the form of a drive shaft between the front and rear axles, the power distribution to the front and rear wheels in the e-tron quattro four-wheel drive system is governed strictly by an electronic control unit. In addition, due to the new efficiency regulations, a modified strategy for the engine and drive system will be used in 2014. The e-tron quattro four-wheel drive with its sophisticated energy flow is characterized by optimum efficiency.

Audi achieves pioneering feat with e-tron quattro four-wheel drive

PRNEWS Leave a comment

In 2012, Audi became the first manufacturer to win the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with a four-wheel-drive LMP1 sports car. Equipped with the innovative e-tron quattro four-wheel drive, the R18 has won ten WEC rounds to date including the 2012 and 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours plus the WEC World Champion’s titles in the same years. In 2014, for the first time, Audi’s two LMP1 challengers on the manufacturers’ side are also relying on LMP1 sports prototypes with four-wheel drive.

“Innovations only become pioneering achievements when they’re successfully used and others start to adopt them,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “Audi, like no other manufacturer, has repeatedly achieved such feats ever since the debut of quattro four-wheel drive in 1980.” In the DTM, as well, Audi was the first team in 1990 to use four-wheel drive in racing, just like in Super Touring Cars, starting in 1993. In the past two years, on achieving the string of success in the WEC, the brand proved that e-tron quattro – the combination of a hybrid system with four-wheel drive – offers significant advantages.

Up to now, Audi had been allowed to use four-wheel drive only above 120 km/h. But four driven wheels promise to deliver traction advantages particularly at low speed, for instance when the driver accelerates on exiting a tight corner. This year, this speed-related rule no longer applies.

A fundamentally new Motor Generator Unit (MGU), together with a differential, sits in the monocoque at the level of the front axle. Two drive shafts connect the system with the front wheels. Under braking, the kinetic energy of the race car is converted into electric current which flows into an optimized flywheel energy storage device located in the cockpit next to the driver. During acceleration, the recovered energy is converted again by the MGU and powers the front wheels.

“We’ve developed the entire hybrid drive from scratch again for 2014,” explains Dr. Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport. “Specifically, it’s become even lighter and more efficient than before.” As of 2014, a single e-machine connected to a front-axle differential is longitudinally mounted. Furthermore, these front-wheel drive components are completely integrated into the monocoque of the R18 e-tron quattro. The recuperated energy is stored in a newly designed flywheel energy storage system.

While the quattro systems of Audi’s factory-fielded rally models and touring cars between 1980 and 1997 used a mechanical connection in the form of a drive shaft between the front and rear axles, the power distribution to the front and rear wheels in the e-tron quattro four-wheel drive system is governed strictly by an electronic control unit. In addition, due to the new efficiency regulations, a modified strategy for the engine and drive system will be used in 2014. The e-tron quattro four-wheel drive with its sophisticated energy flow is characterized by optimum efficiency.