The Car to Watch

Audi's plan to compete in the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, for which they invited press from around the world, sent ripples through the venue. This was because they would enter four cars, and two of them would be machines equipped with a hybrid system called "e-tron."

The car to watch, dubbed the "Audi R18 e-tron quattro," will compete in the Le Mans Prototype category. This is a groundbreaking development, following the gasoline direct-injection TFSI engine car of 2001 and the diesel engine car of 2006 (which also won overall that year).

It employs a four-wheel-drive system that combines a 3.7-liter V6 diesel engine with electric motors driving the front wheels. Audi calls this "e-tron quattro" and claims it balances hybrid environmental compatibility with quattro's sporty driving dynamics.

The Audi R18 e-tron quattro is a model developed over 18 months and is currently undergoing testing. Electric motors are fitted to each of the front wheels, primarily serving to provide auxiliary drive power during acceleration. Regenerative energy is stored in a lithium-ion battery during braking.

Wolfgang Ullrich of Audi Sport, who oversaw the development, stated, "Development was a series of struggles."
"We had to achieve the perfect balance between weight, performance, the hybrid concept, Le Mans regulations, and the vehicle's packaging. However, by adopting our lightweight technology, codenamed 'ultra,' we believe we have created a superb machine while avoiding an increase in weight."



The Audi R18 e-tron quattro is already undergoing circuit testing and is scheduled to compete in the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps endurance race on May 5th. One of the drivers who appeared at the press conference, Ivan Capelli, described his impression of driving it: "The stability is exceptionally high. When you push hard on the straights, there's an additional surge of acceleration from the electric motor."

The venue, a training center near Munich Airport usually used for dealer training, had its interior transformed like a boutique or restaurant for the day, strongly emphasizing Audi's commitment.

At the end of the press conference, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, head of Audi Motorsport, concluded:

"We approach the Le Mans (24 Hours race) as a completely new race every year. Audi has made bold attempts with gasoline direct-injection and diesel, and has led all of them to success. I believe we will achieve excellent results with the R18 e-tron quattro as well."

The 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans will be held from June 16th to 17th.