Audi diesel racer

DaveKillens · Post 19 Mar 2006, 18:47

Audi just unveiled a brand new endurance car, but with a V-12 diesel engine. They raced this weekend at Sebring as a tune-up for LeMans, and won.
Keep an eye out for the new Audi R10

Tom · Post 19 Mar 2006, 19:37

Its been an on going thing for about 5 month now.

I read McNish's comments on it, and although he said it was fast he didn't think it would win Sebring.

Shows what he knows.

McNish actually only lived 10Km from here.

joseff · Post 19 Mar 2006, 19:41

I don't have the rules and specs handy, but there must be some compelling reason (bigger restrictor?) to move from a V8 to V12, regardless of ignition system. I mean, imagine the weight increase!

IIRC in '04 a new restrictor rule was introduced to handicap the turbo V8's used by the R8's. And they still won.

walter · Post 19 Mar 2006, 20:11

scroll down for info on the car.

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/newsdec05.html

the key benefit of the diesel is the increased fuel economy and the massive amounts of torque. This Audi thinks outweights the disadvantages especially at 24 hours of Le Mans where less stops and probably an increase in top speed on the straights will give them a win again

the only thing that may stop them is the new rule that restricts transmission changes durinng the race. They got a brand new transmission too.

DaveKillens · Post 19 Mar 2006, 20:29

Incredible amounts of torque from this engine. They are able to use a 5 speed transmission, which prolongs reliability, and saves some weight.
The new rules require that only the damaged component may be changed, where in the past they used to change the entire mechanicals from the rear of the engine, in something less than five minutes.

m3_lover · Post 19 Mar 2006, 21:07

I was reading in this month's Car and Driver, and it says that they used the 5 speed tranny, but the wieght of all the components are much heavier because of all the torque, and that they still could not increase the rev range of the engine, it still has the tendency's of a diesel engine.

West · Post 19 Mar 2006, 22:56

They won the 12 Hours of Sebring on Saturday. One of the cars didn't make it, however. It is much quieter than the old car and was reportedly 1.5-2 sec faster than the 2002 car.

The car is also only stated to save gas on full throttle; at partial throttle it eats a lot of it.

Spencifer_Murphy · Post 20 Mar 2006, 01:53

I thought it was a deseil V10?

West · Post 20 Mar 2006, 08:24

It is a 5.5 liter V12.

I think Speed TV mentioned TDi stands for "turbo diesel injection." I think it is turbo direct injection.

The car also incorporates Shell's GTL (gas to liquid technology).

m3_lover · Post 20 Mar 2006, 09:13

Peugeot was planning to introduce there own Diesel Racer in 2007, Audi upstaged them there.

90 degree 5.5 litre aluminum TDI V-12, twin pair of Garrett Turbo's, air to liqud intercoolers
The maximum boost is 27 psi (2.94 bar)

The combustion reside that emerge's will be deal with particulate traps (black smoke)
No Throttles since it is a diesel
isn't 60 degrees the best way for smooth operation?
It weights about 580 pounds, more then 50 percent more then the R8 engine
Over 600 hp and over 811 pd ft of torque
I think Diesel Gas weighs more then regular gas?
I think diesel efficiency advantage is greatest at part throttle?
West is correct that it will save gas at full throttle, two laps per 90 litre refill
I know now that they have the wooden planks like F1 and that the drivers now have air conditioning units in the car

Side note- I think in 1998 a BMW 320d won the Nurburgring 24 hour rac

Tom · Post 20 Mar 2006, 20:42

Can it run on chip fat?

RacingManiac · Post 20 Mar 2006, 21:35

The move to a V12 according to Audi was the bearing load on the crank bearing was too great and V12 was the only way they can get it to work. The engine is all aluminum, and supposedly if this were a V8, would weight the same as R8's engine. Under the diesel rule they are also allowed to run variable geometry turbine blades for the Turbo....not allowed for gas engine. The tranny was changed from the 6 speed Ricardo(ironically building their own diesel V10) to a 5 speed X-trac. The new gearbox is lighter than the R8 unit(design dates back to 1998/1999's R8R), despite the need to cope with the 800lb-ft+ of torque and the use of a aluminum casing rather than magnesium. Audi sport have to upgrade their dyno to cope with the new engine....

They got one of THE coolest promo vid for the car...

http://download.audi.com.edgesuite.net/ ... gh_cbr.zip

Scuderia_Russ · Post 20 Mar 2006, 21:37

Tom wrote:Can it run on chip fat?

Tom · Post 20 Mar 2006, 21:46

Hey, at 60p/L it would be the first thing I'd find out!

m3_lover · Post 20 Mar 2006, 21:58

Racing maniac is right that A v-8 would have been lighter and smaller, but the 12 cylinder design was chosen because the smaller pistons, with their smaller crowns, would be more likely to survive 24 hours of compression ignition in racing conditions without problems, and I just found out that it is 90 degrees because of packaging reasons.