Le Mans / WEC – Audi reveals technical details of its 18 R2014 e-tron quattro

At first glance, you might say that the new R18 e-tron quattro differs little from its ancestor. But ultimately this is not the case. The new photos released today show a very aggressive car. But it’s under the bodywork, above all, that everything is new. According to Audi, it is the most complex car that the brand has ever built. “The next Audi R18 e-tron quattro is part of a completely new generation of prototypes Le Mans, underlines Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, director of the sports branch of the ring firm. The foundations of the new LM P1 regulations have completely changed. The idea is to achieve lap times similar to those we achieved in the past but with considerably less energy. Doing more with less is a very avant-garde approach. »

The basic elements of the new R18 e-tron quattro were defined in 2012 and the design of each component at the end of the same year. Compared to the winner of the last two editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the developments concern the powertrain, chassis dimensions, safety and aerodynamics... Everything in reality. Audi has opted for solutions similar to what has been used until now, but everything has obviously been optimized, and a hybrid system has been added.

As we announced to you exclusively at the beginning of September (see AUTOhebdo n°1925), the Ingolstadt firm will use a modified version of its current V6 TDI, to which a flywheel will be coupled. The latter will store the energy of the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) which will be connected, as was the case this year, to the front axle, as well as that of a second hybrid system, ERS-H (for Thermal energy recovery system). The latter will be linked to an electric motor which will convert the thermal energy released by the exhaust gases into electrical energy, particularly when the boost pressure limit is reached. When accelerating, the stored energy can be returned to the front axle as well as to the new electric turbocharger, depending on the strategy adopted.

At the head of the Audi Sport LM P project, Chris Reinke talks about a “revolution of thought. A fundamental approach to motorsport is abandoned. Instead of emphasizing power, it is energy consumption that is subject to limitation. This is in the spirit of current times and opens up a great space of freedom for engineers. In 2014 we will see a wide variety of concepts on the grid at Le Mans. » We will not complain…

Find here all the photos of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro 2014.