2016 Audi R18 | FerrariChat

2016 Audi R18

Discussion in 'Other Racing' started by Remy Zero, Nov 29, 2015.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Remy Zero

    Remy Zero Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 26, 2005
    23,319
    KL, Malaysia
    Full Name:
    MC Cool Breeze
  2. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 30, 2007
    91,702
    #2 GuyIncognito, Nov 29, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  3. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 30, 2007
    91,702
    btw, both Porsche and Audi have announced they will only field 2 LMP1 cars each at LM24 this year, down from 3 each; and Porsche will skip 2016 as a factory GTE squad in WEC (customer cars and support will go on as planned). these changes are directly related to cost savings needed due to the DieselGate problem :(
     
  4. F2003-GA

    F2003-GA F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 2, 2003
    13,066
    Sunbelt
    Full Name:
    Bro
    Yuck
     
  5. Turbopanzer

    Turbopanzer F1 World Champ

    Oct 2, 2011
    11,120
    Under a bonnet
    Full Name:
    Panzer
    It's sex on a stick !! Endurance racing just keeps getting better!
     
  6. vinuneuro

    vinuneuro F1 Rookie

    May 6, 2007
    2,574
    Chicago
    Full Name:
    Vig
    I believe this is rather related to the fact that they're working on the 2017 car for the following season (though the LMP1 scale-back is due to cost). Citroen is doing the same in WRC.
     
  7. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 30, 2007
    91,702
    that's the excuse ;)

    the '16 GTE Pro program got pulled last week. '17 car has been in the works for a year.
     
  8. Remy Zero

    Remy Zero Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 26, 2005
    23,319
    KL, Malaysia
    Full Name:
    MC Cool Breeze
    Well the Diesel issues have really hit them hard. Nissan will be running with two cars only as well. ANy news on Toyota?
     
  9. ferraripete

    ferraripete F1 World Champ

    she will be fast...but her face could stop a clock!!!!
     
  10. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 30, 2007
    91,702
    two cars for Toyota as well.


    I'd love to see Rebellion pick up a "customer" program for one of the spare Audi or Porsches but somehow doubt that will happen.
     
  11. Igor Ound

    Igor Ound F1 Veteran

    Sep 30, 2012
    8,102
    The Horn
    Full Name:
    Igor Ound
  12. NürScud

    NürScud F1 Veteran

    Nov 3, 2012
    7,273
    I thought that Nissan's LMP1 was the ugliest...until i i saw Audi's 2016 car. It has something from Nissan's last year car and i find it ugly. Yup, UGLY is the word!
     
  13. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2006
    25,447

    Aesthetic has never been a priority in LMP, efficiency is.

    The dorsal fin is imposed by the rules, just like some dimensions.
     
  14. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
    Sponsor

    Nov 3, 2003
    6,086
    En El 305
    Full Name:
    Barton Workman
    11/28/15 Ingolstadt/Munich Sports

    ​More powerful and efficient than ever before: Audi R18 celebrates world premiere in Munich
    Audi Sport Finale 2015

    New hybrid race car for the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours

    The brand with the four rings will be entering the 2016 motorsport season with the most powerful
    and efficient race car Audi has ever built. The new Audi R18 celebrated its world premiere on the
    occasion of the Audi Sport Finale at the Audi Training Center Munich on Saturday.

    Audi Sport has fundamentally re-designed the Audi R18 for the 2016 season. The LMP1 race car
    that competes in the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)
    features innovative aerodynamics, represents the next stage in lightweight design and has a
    modified hybrid system with lithium-ion batteries for energy storage, plus an efficiency-optimized
    TDI engine.

    “With our new Audi R18, we’re setting a clear signal: Audi continues to put the pedal to the metal
    in motorsport, deliberately relying on TDI – the world’s most successful automotive efficiency
    technology – at Le Mans,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. - End.

    It is surprising that Audi is abandoning their flywheel approach for the lithium-ion battery
    set up for 2016. The technology is obviously going in this direction as this will be the
    approach of Porsche and Toyota for 2016 moving forward, likely more of a weight savings.

    Likewise, the combination of TDI turbo diesel and move to 6MJ should put Audi level with
    Porsche and Toyota petrol engined cars that will be in the 8MJ category. The further limits
    on fuel requirements will see to it that the cars are going to be as light and slippery as
    possible.

    Aesthetically, doesn't bother me so much as these cars are being developed with CFD and
    wind tunnel testing and so there must be an aerodynamic benefit, the cars are getting
    funky looking which is to be expected.

    Haven't seen anything lately with regard to Nissan's plans other than they plan to enter
    two cars at Le Mans. There is a test coming up at Sebring next week, Audi will be there
    and Nissan was part of this test last year where we remember they discovered a major
    chassis issue.

    BHW
     
  15. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
    Sponsor

    Nov 3, 2003
    6,086
    En El 305
    Full Name:
    Barton Workman
  16. rdefabri

    rdefabri Three Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 4, 2008
    33,571
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Rich
    I actually think it looks awesome and sinister.
     
  17. Turbopanzer

    Turbopanzer F1 World Champ

    Oct 2, 2011
    11,120
    Under a bonnet
    Full Name:
    Panzer
    Looks like LeMans 2016 is shaping up to be a battle royale. I think with Audi stepping up and Nissan commited to the entire season, Porsche at the top of the heap.......This is going to be a war!!! This should bring some great racing with it.

    We now return you to Indy Car and NASCAR.....resume boredom!!! :D
     
  18. CornersWell

    CornersWell F1 Rookie

    Nov 24, 2004
    4,874
    Obviously, the aero is driving the design. Form follows function, but it's not a looker in my eyes. I think the earlier LMPs like the R8 were much better looking. But, looks don't necessarily win. As the bumble bee.

    CW
     
  19. Turbopanzer

    Turbopanzer F1 World Champ

    Oct 2, 2011
    11,120
    Under a bonnet
    Full Name:
    Panzer
    And isn't that why we race? We make things better when we try to improve functiion. The more efficent we are, the faster we go!
     
  20. singletrack

    singletrack F1 Veteran

    Mar 16, 2011
    5,767
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I threw up a little in my mouth.
     
  21. F1tommy

    F1tommy F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 15, 2007
    10,254
    Chicagoland USA
    Full Name:
    Tom Tanner
    It's more the rules drive them to make ugly cars. They have a starting point that requires the cars to all be ugly and aero mods make them even uglier. That thing is hideous!!!
     
  22. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
    Sponsor

    Nov 3, 2003
    6,086
    En El 305
    Full Name:
    Barton Workman
    Perhaps, but just watch it go.

    Let's wait until Audi does their annual test at Monza for their high speed test sessions
    prior to Le Mans.

    And, as good as they are on the straights, they're even better now in the turns as we
    learned from Le Mans this year.

    BHW
     
  23. Turbopanzer

    Turbopanzer F1 World Champ

    Oct 2, 2011
    11,120
    Under a bonnet
    Full Name:
    Panzer
    Everyone worries about the candy coating when the choclate center is going to determine who is top dog. Look past the candy coating guys. This thing may be the beast to beat, I still say Porsche but Audi isn't laying down.
     
  24. singletrack

    singletrack F1 Veteran

    Mar 16, 2011
    5,767
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Nice analogy : )

    I also "worry" about all the systems these cars have. They are amazing feats of engineering, but it takes something away from the driver competition IMHO.
     
  25. BartonWorkman

    BartonWorkman F1 Veteran
    Sponsor

    Nov 3, 2003
    6,086
    En El 305
    Full Name:
    Barton Workman
    Isn't this concern about cars such as WEC and F-1 being "too technical" and the drivers having no
    input interesting?

    Remembering back to the days of the FIA Group C, originally a fuel economy based formula.
    Cars had to run to very rigid (for the time) set of fuel mileage standards. More casual fans (or those
    whom were biased towards IMSA GTP for example) complained that Group C was
    "boring" and "fuel mileage" racing.

    What Group C brought in terms of technical aspects that found their way to the everyday family car
    was computer monitored electronic fuel injection systems, improved braking, etc, etc. all things which
    are taken for granted these days, made the Group C cars mechanical and technical marvels of their time.

    These same people who thought Group C was boring fuel mileage procession back in the 1980s and 90s
    interestingly now point to this era as one of the greatest racing eras of all time.

    For the driver's, all that need be done is ask a driver of these cars today what the challenge is and they'll
    point to a 200 or more page book of engineering systems that they must memorize and be able to manage
    in the cockpit during the course of a race. Drivers have to be smarter than ever along with being in excellent
    physical shape in order to do double, triple or quadruple stints in these cars.

    The current era of WEC is the most relevant form of racing on the planet. And, when
    manufacturers are able to pass the technology from there racing programs to their road cars,
    racing is fulfilling its duty as a technical proving ground to the car buying public .

    We'll see what Porsche and Toyota have up their sleeves for 2016. No matter what, Le Mans
    is going to be epic again and how many series and races may we say that about these
    days and really mean it?

    BHW
     

Share This Page