2016
Audi R18 LMP1 World Endurance Championship Race Car
Audi,
whose own drivers were just five points behind in the end, is determined to
claw its way back to the winner’s circle and has already unveiled its
challenger for next season. The new race car, which will once again compete in
the premier LMP1 hybrid class of the WEC, is still classified as an R18 but is
significantly enhanced compared to last year’s car (Audi’s first R18 was
launched in 2011).
Audi
says the 2016 R18 is the most powerful and efficient race car it’s ever built.
Specific areas of enhancement include the new aerodynamic features,
next-generation lightweight technologies and modified hybrid system that relies
on lithium-ion batteries for storage of recaptured energy rather than a
flywheel-based system. The car’s diesel engine, a turbocharged 4.0-liter V-6,
has also been made more efficient.
Full
specs will likely be released in the lead up to the Prologue pre-season test
early next year. The 2016 WEC will host its first race at the Silverstone
Circuit on April 17. Audi has also confirmed that it, together with fellow
Volkswagen Group brand Porsche, will each enter just two cars in round three,
the 24 Hours of Le Mans, instead of the three cars that have been run recently,
in the interest of reducing costs.
