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Motorsport News: Russ Bonds Weekly Report

The Diesel is Coming...

I remember not too long ago, okay, well, a fairly long time ago that the biggest joke of the automotive world went something like this: The Peugeot 504 Diesel Station wagon was the worlds slowest car in 0 to 60 times - you measured it with a calendar, not a stopwatch.

That memory was shattered last week when Audi AG announced that its new replacement for the all conquering R8, dubbed the R10, will have diesel power. What?! A diesel racer capable of - and you heard it here first - dominating at Le Mans?

I could be argued that the current R8 is the most successful sports car in history. It clearly is right

Any thoughts of lackluster diesel performance were shattered last week when Audi AG announced, in Paris, that its new replacement for the all conquering R8, dubbed the R10, will have diesel power. (Photo: Audi of America)

up there with the Ford GT40 and Ferrari 512, and even the king of kings, the Porsche 911. The R8 has dominated at the top level of the sport for eons.

Now, with the new R10, Audi has once again raised the bar, and could well re-invent

Now, with the new R10, Audi has once again raised the bar, and could well re-invent long distance racing. (Photo: Audi of America)

long distance racing - if it doesnt get ruled out of existence as quattro all-wheel drive previously did in Touring Car.

Audi, which invented the TDI designation, will become the worlds first automobile manufacturer to challenge for an overall victory with a diesel engine at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. The R10, which was shown to the world last week in Paris, is powered by a totally

The engine puts out a very respectable 650-hp and has more than 1,100 Newton metres (811 lb-ft) of torque. (Photo: Audi of America)

new 5.5-litre, twelve-cylinder bi-turbo TDI engine. This engine is extremely quiet - not necessarily good for a racecar - and economical - very good for a race car, and ideal for long distance racing.
The engine puts out a very respectable 650-hp and has more than 1,100 Newton metres (811 lb-ft) of torque. This is far superior to the previous R8, which as you know is already the dominant force at Le Mans.

"With the A8 4.2 TDI quattro,

The engine could provide a new experience for the drivers, as max power is from 3,000 to 5000 rpm, a vast difference to the 19,000 rpm screamers of Formula 1. (Photo: Audi of America)

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, during 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 engine could provide a new experience for the drivers, as max power

Testing is already underway, and it wont be long before we can see the new R10 in action. (Photo: Audi of America)

is from 3,000 to 5000 rpm, a vast difference to the 19,000 rpm screamers of Formula 1. The other difference is the massive amount of torque available, and if there is one downfall that could hit the R10 at Le Mans, this would be it. Torque takes its toll on transmissions, driveshafts, and wheel bearings, amongst other things. Keeping the R10s substantial torque under control for 24 hours could be a problem.

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