Audi LMP1 Discussion

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Articus

Apologies I didn't make it totally clear - and comparing global sales is like comparing apples to oranges. Different market. If you were being offered a Toyota model of choice, Audi of choice, Porsche of choice free of charge. Which would you choose? - I know I wouldn't even consider any Toyota models... To be totally honest, I've never found my interest in cars to be swayed by which auto maker is winning Le Mans or which automaker is winning Formula 1 (otherwise I'd have an Audi or a Red Bull (whatever that means). Yet these companies seem to think otherwise. Obviously I'm happy for that otherwise there would be no motor racing but...still don't really understand.

The VW Group sold 9.7million cars last year. So theyre not far behind. If I were to take any car of the 3 manufacturers? Lexus LFA.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by TF110

If I were to take any car of the 3 manufacturers? Lexus LFA.

I would pick the Porsche 918. I guess our first picks sometimes tells where our allegiance lies! But I will say that the Lexus LFA likely would be my first choice for a car that wasn't a Porsche.

Richard

[TF110]

Dont care for Audi or Porsche much. I think they make nice cars, but the ones in the U.S. are out of my current budget. Maybe one day. Till then I just hope they all make fast GT cars and lmp1's.

[jimclark]

Originally Posted by TF110

Dont care for Audi or Porsche much. I think they make nice cars, but the ones in the U.S. are out of my current budget. Maybe one day. Till then I just hope they all make fast GT cars and lmp1's.

Huhhh?? 'Been drinkin', have you???

[MyNameIsNigel]

Audi are testing at Aragon this week-end according to DSC.

[chernaudi]

Things that the new R18 has that might be "firsts", or at least stuff that hasn't been used in a while or ever:

Screw adjustable front catwalk "flaps"

LM version seems to be exhausting sidepod air out of the rear fenders primarily

Laserlight high beam head lights

Very noisy hybrid system, makes much more noise than the older system did

LM version is the only car to use the Toyota GT-One/Audi R8C type inner fender holes up front

Anything else unique/strange we can think of?

[Victor_RO]

I think they were marginally beaten to the "racing a laser headlight" punch by BMW in a Z4 GT3 in the VLN earlier in the year.

[chernaudi]

R18 had laserlights since it was first tested last year and for the public showing of the prototype/test car in December.

Also, though the BMW i8 was designed first, the Audi R8 LMX beat it to production/sale.

[chernaudi]

And something that I noticed on the R18 quite a while ago (back druing the prologue test), in addition to the front fenders having an indentation on their inner faces behind the gills (presumably for wheel well venting/flow conditioning), there's some "spot" on the right hand suspension cover plate in front of the windshield.

When it's been opened, there's a wire leading to it. Is it some kind of light or some sensor? It's been on the cars since at least March during the WEC Prologue tests.

Photos:

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...84176197_o.jpg

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...67334745_o.jpg

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...29781961_o.jpg

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Very noisy hybrid system, makes much more noise than the older system did

This is probably because they have to run a gearbox/differential at the front, whereas last year they used two (independent) MGUs.

[chernaudi]

And looking at the nose of one of the F1 cars in Monaco (it was a Lotus), it had the torsion bars concealed within the tub by an inch or two, instead of protruding.

Could Audi be running a similar deal, considering that the nose of the R18 seems a bit tight for coil overs?

[chernaudi]

Sorta got something small answered today: What would the 2013 R18 look like with the 2014 color scheme on it? Audi Sport posted photos from a promotional filming with one of the 2013 R18s decaled to look like the 2014 R18. Looks pretty good I think:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.n...91624257_o.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...66784252_o.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...87014295_o.jpg

[chernaudi]

Just watched this video from Sebring qualifying in 2013 and listened to the noise that the hybrid system was making.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wjIQuKMdwI

Then I compared it to onboards from this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-1xjkpmwWo

The hybrid systems themselves don't sound much different, but the high-pitched whine sounds like gearbox whine, typical of a transmission with straight cut gears. Since it's so much louder than that the R18's gearbox would be making, could this be the front differential I've heard some mentions of?

I think that this is definite proof, though I've heard some dependency between what was/wasn't allowed, since technically a team can run only one MGU on each end of the car. But it sounds like the front axles are connected to some type of gearbox assembly just based on noise, like the MGU has a PTO that engages with a differential cluster. It sounds like a road racing gearbox used in NASCAR, or a supercharger, that type of noise.

Maybe we'll see some good shots of the front of the R18 to get an idea of the diff/electric motor packaging.

[MyNameIsNigel]

"Audi R18 e-tron quattro ready for official test day at Le Mans"... but once again without Oliver Jarvis ? So it seems at least.

[carbon_titanium]

He is busy with super GT, anyway he ran at le mans in the last couple of years so he doesn't need to perform the rookie test.

[J Jay]

He doesn't need to attend the test day, but surely Audi would want him in the R18 as much as possible? With the No. 3 car well off the pace at Spa it would seem that its crew/drivers have the most work to do for Le Mans out of the Audi entries.

[carbon_titanium]

Yes is true, but realisticly audi it self doesn't expect that #3 will be the fastest car...

[Simmi]

Have to agree it's not ideal at all to have Jarvis miss so much seat time - especially with the new cars this year. Would be interesting to know how many kms he's actually clocked up in testing.

Just because the #3 isn't seen as a 'lead' car doesn't mean Audi will just let it slide. They need as many bullets in the gun as possible.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Just because the #3 isn't seen as a 'lead' car doesn't mean Audi will just let it slide. They need as many bullets in the gun as possible.

Further to this, remember last year's race - the #3 was fast enough to be in contention, if not for the puncture.

[MyNameIsNigel]

Technology that "should" have been raced on the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro, namely the e-turbo, finds its way in the Audi RS5 TDI concept:

(source: autobild.de)

[TheNo1F1Fan]

Ever seen this, Audi fans?
http://appadvice.com/appnn/2014/05/r...paign-and-cars

[Velociraptor]

VW Group in F1?

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/re...switch-report/

[MyNameIsNigel]

Originally Posted by Velociraptor

VW Group in F1?

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/re...switch-report/

Possibly but most probably not with Audi.

[Velociraptor]

Originally Posted by MyNameIsNigel

Possibly but most probably not with Audi.

Audi and Porsche are in WEC, VW in WRC... that leaves, what, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and the unlikely SEAT or Å*koda. Probably Lambo, they also habe a bull

[Deleted]

Red Bull Racing Lamborghini would have slightly better ring to it than Red Bull Racing SEAT... not really a brand that can be associated with youthful, energic sporting imago RB feeds.

Anyway usually with these VW news you can just laugh at them and dismiss them immediately (they surface after every couple of months and then they get denied) however as it was Marko that mentioned them as possible supplier now, it's different.