motorsport & production magazine - e-tron quattro (english, 2012)

7/30/2019 Motorsport & Production Magazine - e-tron quattro (English, 2012)

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quattroHybride-tron quattro

CFRP

e-tron

mirror

WEC

Monocoqu

wnsizing

r

Efficiency

lightweight

Rotating mass storage device

VTG technology

MediaInfo

Motorsport and Productione-tron quattro

uction


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Editorial by Michael Dick

Return of quattro

Audi R8 e-tron and R18 e-tron quattro

The quattro story

Hybrid concept

Interview with Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich

Allan McNish on the Audi R18 e-tron quattro

VTG technology

ultra lightweight technology

The ten Le Mans victories

Hybrid technology in production

Audi A1 e-tron test drive

Digital rear-view mirror

Technology transfer

Masthead

4

6

10

16

24

30

34

38

42

48

54

58

62

64

66

Contents


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Editorial


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for road vehicles. At Le Mans, this mirror will help improveactive safety for the drivers. So we are testing it in the

most extreme conditions. In road traffi c, such a mirror

may be contributing to active safety in the future as well.

With its youngest generation of LMP

sports prototypes Audi is aiming to achieve its eleventh

victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours and its first title win in

the new FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

After the first World Rally Championship title with quat-

tro all-wheel drive (1982), the first victory of a TFSI

engine at Le Mans (2001) and the first TDI success (2006)

this will give our brand the chance to go down in history

yet again and to become the hybrid pioneer in motorsport.

Kindest regards

Michael Dick

There are concrete connections betweenthe modern sports prototypes and production.

The future in focus at Audi,we like to take this literally

for the development of our

cars. Our aim is to continue

to build on Vorsprung durch Technik as the genetic

core of our brand. Therefore, our employees are inten-

sively working on tomorrows complex challenges each

and every day. We also bank on motorsport in our efforts

of developing optimal products for our customers. Audi

Sport has been integrated into AUDI AGs Technical

Development for more than 30 years. Today, both sides

of the house benefit from each others findings.

The new Audi R18 e-tron quattro and its

sister model, the Audi R18 ultra, embody the future like

no other race cars. The e-tron quattro is the first diesel

hybrid sports car in history. And ultra lightweight tech-

nology has been pursued in both models more rigorously

than in the past. Numerous technical solutions, methods,

and materials as well, deliver concrete benefits to the

production side of the house. Our new rear-view mirror

featuring AMOLED technology is a fitting example of

technology transfer. We were able to pass this develop-

ment on to Audi Sport before possibly producing it later

Michael Dick

Member of the Board of Management of

AUDI AG, Technical Development


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on trackFours back

7

Return of the quattroSince 1980, Audi has been causing a sensation with

quattro our-wheel drive in production and in motorsport. A meeting o

the rst and the youngest quattro model rom Audi Sport.


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The picture almost looks like

a joke. A high-on-the-road

rally vehicle and a modern

LMP sports car can hardly be

compared with each other in earnest. Yet they have more

in common under the symbol o the our rings than

meets the eye.

Venturing into a new age that is whatthe beginning o the all-wheel drive era rung in by Audi in

motorsport in 1981 was. The legendary our-wheel drive

guaranteed new, unrivaled traction on rally gravel tracks

and the impressive and international name quattro

(the Italian word or the number our) evolved into the

symbol or highly advanced technology in modern high-

perormance sports cars. More than three million cus-

tomers to date have opted or the version with our

driven wheels when buying an Audi. quattro all-wheel

drive prevailed on rally tracks, won our world champi-

ons titles, conquered Pikes Peak in Colorado and then

continued its winning streak in circuit racing in the DTM

and worldwide in many super touring car championships,

among others until it was banned rom racing.

At the end o 1997, a actory-elded

Audi A4 quattro did its nal laps on a race track beore

the FIA prohibited all-wheel drive. The technology wastoo commanding, the rivals did not stand enough o a

chance.

In 2012, quattro all-wheel drive is

returning to the world o racing, albeit only as a part-

time quattro or the time being. Today, the Audi R18

e-tron quattro is as much a pioneer as the Audi quattro

rally car was in its day. This year will see a diesel hybrid

sports car with our driven wheels compete at Le Mans

or the rst time. While in 1980 permanent all-wheel

drive was a special eature o production vehicles and a

novelty in the rally car, e-tron quattro today stands or

the road to the uture. A V6 TDI power-plant with an out-

put o more than 375 kW (510 hp) acts on the rear axle

while the ront axle is driven by electric power.

Like grandather

and grandson: Therst Audi quattro(right) and theAudi R18 e-tronquattro (let)

Back then and today, Audis

concepts in motorsport

have relevance for

production vehicles as well.


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The complex system between the ront

wheels makes it possible to recover energy during brak-

ing events that is returned when the car accelerates. Up

to two times 75 kilowatts o output, equating to 204 hp,

is then sent to the ront wheels or a short time.

For comparison: The 2.1-liter ve-cylin-

der turbo engine o the 1981 Audi quattro produced an

overall output o just 237 kW, in other words 320 hp.

And that made it the most powerul vehicle in its day.

Both models purposeully pursue the

path o technical innovation, both venture into unknown

territory in their motorsport discipline, both stand or

challenge in its purest orm. When the depicted rally car

with chassis number 85 AO 900011 was assembled in

August 1981 there were many observers who harbored

doubts about all-wheel drive being the best solution.

Only a ew years later, all renowned competitors switched

to our driven wheels. Now the modern hybrid sports car

wants to prove in the FIA World Endurance Champion-

ship (WEC) that the electrication o the drive system

with energy recuperation is a particularly innovative andecient solution.

Whereas both axles o the 1981 Audi

quattro were still connected by a drive shat Audi has

made an immense efort to perect the control strate-

gies between the conventional rear-wheel drive o the

R18 e-tron quattro and the electried ront axle. Back

then and today, Audis concepts in motorsport have rel-

evance or production vehicles as well. So, when the rst

Audi with e-tron quattro drive is ready or volume pro-

duction one day customers can be proud o beneting

rom technologies that were also tested in motorsport

in keeping with a cherished Audi tradition that spans

more than the past three decades.

Flashback: 31 yearsseparate the rst

all-wheel driverally model and theyoungest sportsprototype rom Audi

Perect quartet:The our drive

shats o theAudi R18 e-tron

quattro symbolizequattro


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Electric


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Audi R8 e-tron and R18 e-tron quattroTwo outstanding Audi projects prove how perectly

electried drive systems and sportiness harmonize with each other.

rapids


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Into the uture with electricity

all too long, this idea was asso-

ciated with smallest vehicle

concepts, slow-go with the ow

in urban trac or short ranges. In other words: sacrice.

With Audi, though, no consumer has to

make any sacrices, as a wide range o concepts or indi-

vidual purposes are in the pipeline. Audi is preparing or

a uture in which customer demands will develop in very

diferent ways with respect to electric vehicles. In addi-tion to the specic aspects o the markets, the intended

purpose o a vehicle will play a major role in this context.

An all-electric passenger car will only be suitable or

shorter distances up to about 200 kilometers or the

mid-term uture. A model with a range extender makes

medium distances possible. Long distances o 500 kilo-

meters and more will be the domain o hybrid drives,

either as conventional or plug-in hybrid systems.

The Audi R8 e-tron is a particularly as-

cinating project. As early as in 2012, the high-peror-

mance sports car will be the rst all-electric Audi model

to hit the road in a small series. It is produced at quat-

tro GmbH in Neckarsulm which has a wealth o experi-

ence in making exclusive sports cars.

At the same time, Audi is venturing into

new territory in motorsport. Following the successul

pioneering eats with quattro all-wheel drive in rally and

circuit racing and the brands winning o the 2006

Le Mans 24 Hours with the rst diesel sports car, the

R10 TDI, the time has come or the next step. The new

Audi R18 e-tron quattro is the rst diesel hybrid sports

car to run at the worlds most amous endurance race

and at the same time marks the return o quattro all-

wheel drive to motor racing.

As diferent as production and race

sports cars are by nature, both stand or top peror-

mances in their respective categories. The R8 e-tron will

deliver a maximum output o 230 kW (313 hp), allowing

it to accelerate rom 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. Itstop speed is limited to 200 km/h.

The model thus belongs to the top

league o electric sports cars. Its structure is geared to

the requirements o the new technology in every respect.

The large liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery and power

electronics are located right behind the passenger com-

partment.

Optimization in the wind tunnel: Sophisticated aerodynamics support the R8 e-trons intelligent energy management and range


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quattro GmbHproduces the Audi

R8 e-tron at theexternal acility

o the Neckarsulmplant in Heilbronn-

Biberach

Tenimod modesenisquas utharum accumquepe comnis dolestautempore,utemquo ssimenenonem consequiunt

The Audi R8 e-tron is Audis rst

model eaturing an all-electric

drive system and will be

launched or the road in a small-

volume series.

The 550-kilogram drive battery consists

o numerous connected single cells with high energy

density. It stores 53 kilowatt hours o energy o which

42.4 kilowatt hours are usable enough or a range o

about 250 kilometers according to the New European

Drive Cycle (NEDC). Recharging o a completely depleted

battery with 230-V current takes between six and eight

hours, and around two and a hal hours with power cur-

rent. By means o recuperation the battery is also

recharged on the road during braking and deceleration

periods. The driver can select the desired degree oenergy recovery using paddles in the steering wheel.

Energy recovery this is a connecting

element between the Audi R8 e-tron and the Audi R18

e-tron quattro. Although the sports car is o a basically

diferent construction to meet the requirements o the

FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) the central

idea o the electried drive includes recuperation.


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prescribe special zones on each race track in which

energy may be used.

Ater cornering, the storage device elec-

trically provides its energy again to the MGU which drives

the ront wheels. The system can shortly supply up to

150 kW (204 PS) to the ront wheels. By contrast, the

rear axle o the Audi R18 e-tron quattro is driven by a

very compact V6 TDI engine. It delivers over 375 kW

(510 hp) although the regulations limit displacement to

a mere 3.7 liters, prescribe an air restrictor and a maxi-

mum charge pressure o 2,800 millibar. The interlinking

The uture o

mobility will be

shaped by diferent

technologies and

energy sources being

used side by side or

many more years to

come.

Insights: Amechanic inthe process oinstalling theMGU in the chassiso the Audi R18e-tron quattro(above). A warninglight indicatesthe operatingcondition o theelectrical system(below)

Up to now, the high kinetic energy gen-

erated in braking events has been converted into ther-

mal energy and was thus lost. In the Audi R18 e-tron

quattro, though, two drive shats transmit the rotary

motion o the ront wheels to a motor-generator-unit

(MGU). The system is programmed so that the kinetic

energy that is generated when the driver brakes to enter

a corner is converted into electric energy, like it would in

the case o a dyno. This energy then drives a rotating

mass storage device at a speed o up to 45,000 revolu-

tions. The storage device may deliver a maximum o 0.5

megajoules o energy. Furthermore, the regulations


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Nomen est omen:The Audi R18e-tron quattro isthe rst dieselhybrid sports caror Le Mans

Purpose-designedcockpit: The Audi R18e-tron quattro ofersthe driver plenty ocontrols to changesettings

o these two diferent types o drive systems or the

ront and rear axles o the R18 e-tron quattro is particu-

larly complex and challenging in terms o electronics.

Whether all-electric or as a hybrid the

R8 e-tron and the R18 e-tron quattro are equally asci-nating, orward-thinking and brimming with high tech-

nology and innovative solutions. Yet they are not the only

cars to point the way toward the uture. In racing, Audi is

simultaneously competing with the conventionally pow-

ered R18 ultra whereas in production various concepts

exist in parallel.

The uture o mobility will be shaped by

diferent technologies and energy sources being used

side by side or many more years to come. With its hybrid

and e-tron models, as well as with the TDI and TFSI

engines plus the new uels Audi is perectly poised or

the uture. Customers will be able to choose rom a wide

range o drive technologies. Audi will ofer the best solu-

tion to anyone anywhere.


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The quattro story1980 was the year in which all-wheel quattro drives

march o triumph began in motorsport and in production. There is hardly

another technology that has made such a strong and lasting impact.

Fo(u)r


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titude


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Paradigm shit: A wonderul

word that academics in var-

ious disciplines like to use.

It denotes a radical change

in underlying belies or theory. Two driven wheels, that

was the standard in passenger vehicles back in 1980. And

our-wheel drive? It existed almost exclusively in rugged

o-road vehicles, long beore the dawning o the

SUV age.

Four permanently driven wheels in pas-

senger cars, particularly in sporty high-perormance

vehicles, were not available on the market in those days.

Until Audi, in March o 1980, surprised the automotivecommunity with the Audi quattro. At the Geneva Motor

Show, a dynamic coupe boasting strength o character

and unusual technology celebrated its debut. A 147 kW

(200 hp) ve-cylinder turbo engine, permanent all-wheel

drive with three dierentials and independent suspen-

sions at the ront and rear this was Audis admission

ticket to the class o high-end automobiles, albeit with a

concept that was unique in this segment.

Audis quattro proved its powerul per-

ormance and high vehicle-dynamics saety reserves not

only in comparison tests run by thrilled automotive jour-

nalists. At the beginning o 1981, Audi used the break-

through technology or the rst time in rallying as well.

Manuacturers world champions titles in 1982 and

1984 plus Hannu Mikkolas 1983 and Stig Blomqvists

1984 wins o the drivers world championships no longer

let any room or doubt.

The consequences have remained

remarkable to this day. Only a ew technological innova-

tions have ever caused the kind o paradigm shit that

quattro drive has. The our-wheel steering concept

avored by some competitors, or instance, never had the

potential to do so. Quite the opposite is true. Those who

wanted to ollow Audi had to introduce all-wheel drive

too. Audis highly ecient and compact solution o using

a hollow transmission shat was considered a stroke o

genius. It allowed the transmission to be installed in an

extremely small assembly space while making a perma-

nent all-wheel drive system possible and minimizing ric-

tion losses compared with rivaling solutions by omitting

other power take-os.

While competitors were still looking or

answers Audi was ready to take the next step as early as

at the end o 1982. The Audi quattro, designed and mar-

keted as a luxury vehicle, continued to be reserved to anexclusive clientele. In parallel, Audi started oering all-

wheel drive in other model ranges. The Audi 80 quattro

was the rst little brother o the amous quattro. All

model ranges o Audis portolio at that time were pro-

gressively made available to customers with optional

quattro. The premiere o the Audi A1 quattro that is lim-

ited to 333 units means that this is the case again today

each model range now includes quattro versions.

A brand that claims Vorsprung durch

Technik has to provide proo o this claim and continu-

ally advance in its development. Audi thought up new

solutions or its all-wheel drive system at breathtaking

speed. How closely motorsport and production were

interlinked even back then is demonstrated by a topic

that has remained intriguing to this day dierential

technology. To achieve better handling with the Audi

Sport quattro S1 in rallying Audi Sport used a Torsen di-

erential in 1985. A year later, Audi was the rst automo-

bile manuacturer to oer this technology to its custom-

ers or splitting power between the ront and rear axles.

This dierential opened up completely new options com-

pared to the bevel-gear center dierential used up to

that time. Torque could be transerred in a continuously

variable process to the axle with the higher traction.

Two legends: Thetwo-time WorldRally ChampionWalter Rhrl andquattro


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The rst small quattro: Following the success

o Audi quattro the brand made all-wheel driveavailable as an option in additional model

ranges in this case or the Audi 80 quattro

The youngest small quattro: TheAudi A1 quattro that delivers 188 kW(256hp) is limited to 333 units

Ater initial successes, Audi

started oering quattro all-wheel

drive or all model ranges early on.


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Another advantage was the act that the Torsen solution

produced its locking eect only under load. As soon as

the driver lited the lock was released. This meant that

the anti-locking braking system, ABS, always remained

eective when it was needed. This had not been possible

beore when the dierential lock was engaged in the

bevel-gear dierential. The new development substan-

tially improved active saety in road trac.

To show how sae and advanced quattro

all-wheel drive was Audi developed an unusual campaign.

A production Audi 100 CS quattro, merely complementedby a ew additional saety systems, drove up a ski jump in

Finland. The commercial acquired cult status with last-

ing eects to this day.

Like the mid-sized sedan climbing up

the ski jump with consummate ease, Audi Sport risked

the next challenging step. That quattro had advantages

on unpaved ground in rallying was obvious. On the tar-

mac o circuit racing, though, the parameters o physical

riction are dierent enhancing the chances or cars

with two-wheel drive. The debut was thereore all the

more impressive. In 1988, the Audi 200 quattro immedi-

ately won the TRANS-AM Championship in the United

States. In 1990 and 1991, the brand with the our rings

secured the DTM title with the Audi V8 quattro. The high

engine output o these race cars could be transerred

with particular eectiveness to our driven wheels.

Conversely, the lower the engines out-

put, the more dicult it becomes to ully use all the

advantages o our-wheel drive. When Audi Sport in

1993 initially turned to super touring car racing with the

80 quattro this was exactly the situation it encountered.

With a mere 220 kW (300 hp) o engine output the

advantages o all-wheel drives were questionable. Audi,

though, was not put o by such doubts and continued to

purposeully bank on the technology that had broughtthe brand high international acclaim.

quattro was a guarantor o success yet

again as long as Audi was given the chance to be suc-

cessul. Around the globe, the Audi A4 quattro won many

national titles and the 1995 Touring Car World Cup. A

season later, the touring car crowned its career by taking

seven titles in a single year ve championships in

Europe, one in South Arica and one in Australia. Com-

petitors had to admit deeat with their all-wheel drive

systems not a single all-wheel drive rival managed to

equal Audis achievements in super touring car racing.

The downside o this dominance was

that the regulations started to impose progressively

New developments such as the Torsen

dierential substantially improved active

saety in road trafc.

The greatestchallenge: Supertouring cars like theAudi A4 STW onlydelivered around300 hp. Yet all-wheel drive paid oeven in this race car


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The Torsendierential

opened up newoptions in 1986

Audi purposeully continued to

develop the technology o quattro all-wheel drive. A

major initial step was the Torsen dierential that used

the eects o worm gears and enabled various locking

actions.

The sport dierential (right) is

conducive to achieving high levels o vehicle dynamics.

When used as a rear-axle dierential the speed o the

outside wheel is increased by means o overlapping

steps (power ow shown in yellow). This has a

benefcial eect on turn-in behavior while cornering.

Cars equipped with the sport dierential perorm as i

they were running on rails.

A drive withbrains.

Unorgotten: Thedrive up the ski

jump became aworld-amouscommercial


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quattro all-wheel drive has always

been combined with selected

vehicle concepts as well.

S or spirit: Models likethe Audi S6 stand orrened sportiness

S-pecially pleasant:The spectacularAudi Sport

quattro S1 rallymodel initiated theS model line


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higher amounts o ballast on the A4 quattro up to the

point o making the car chanceless. In 1997, the FIA ulti-

mately enorced a ban on our-wheel drive in circuit

racing not only to the disappointment o the many ans

that Audi had won worldwide with quattro motorsport

programs. The nineties saw an accelerated evolution o

quattro technology in production vehicles without Audi

having the opportunity to roll out comparable parallel

developments in motorsport.

The hydraulic multi-plate clutch, or

example, made its debut in 1998 in the Audi TT quattro

and in the A3 with quattro drive. Through hydraulic pres-

sure variation in the clutch the power distribution to theront and rear axles can be infuenced. The sel-locking

center dierential in the second-generation Audi RS 4 in

2005 was another major step. The system, designed as a

planetary gear-set, remained true to purely mechanical

principles but marked a major step orward compared

with the Torsen dierential. As Audis rst mid-engine

vehicle, the Audi R8 launched a year later has enjoyed a

special position in the model line-up. The degree o vis-

cosity o the oil in a viscous coupling controls the power

that is applied to the ront axle.

For enhanced vehicle dynamics, Audi

introduced the sport dierential in the dynamic S4 sedan

or the rst time at the end o 2008. It allows a specic

application o torque levels to the outside wheel in cor-

nering situations and thus counteracts under- or over-

steering tendencies. The crown gear center dierential

represents the most recent urther development. Exactly

30 years ater quattros debut, this dierential allows

wheel-selective torque control or brake management.

The new system makes cornering maneuvers even more

precise and dynamic.

Alongside these technological advances

Audi has always managed to combine all-wheel drivewith selected vehicle concepts, or instance in concept

cars like the Avus quattro, the quattro Spyder or the

quattro concept. The exclusive, sporty S and RS models

are ascinating as well. In 1990, Audi launched its rst

S model the S2 Coup with the power o a perormance

car and rened style initiated a new, successul line. The

S models have always been technological pioneers and

continue a nomenclature that had its origins in the leg-

endary 1985 Sport quattro S1 in rallying.

The RS models with their powerul

engines orm the dynamic spearhead o the Audi model

line-up. In them quattro GmbH, a subsidiary o AUDI AG,

presents vehicles o purposeully sport y character. quat-

tro drive is standard equipment or production cars in

this line-up as well. Audi is currently oering the TT RS as

Coup and Roadster versions, the RS 3 Sportback, the

RS 4 Avant and the RS 5 Coup.

Whether as entry-level or top-peror-

mance models: In the rst three decades, more than

3.7 million customers have so ar opted or a version t-

ted with quattro all-wheel drive. In the uture, an all-new

drive concept will be available to them in the e-tron quat-

tro. In the case o this parallel hybrid, the our-wheel

drive system is partially electried as one axle is driven

strictly by electric power, thus combining sportiness and

eciency in exhilarating unity . The new Audi R18 e-tron

quattro eatures a similar principle. New parallelsbetween motorsport and production are thus created in

a way the world has not seen or a long time.

Fascinating concepts:The quattro Spyder

model is just oneo many examples

o one-o-a-kindquattro cars

The specialist: Power fow in the Audi R8 is rom the rear to theront. A viscous coupling is used or torque splitting


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Hybrid conceptA compact, cylindrical unit at the ront

axle is a central component o the hybrid drive used in the new

Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP sports car.

Rotary

revolution


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Visible message:quattro all-wheel

drive is back inmotorsport

this time incombination with

e-tron


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It looks simple yet exudes an air

o mystery. The bright, lus-

trous motor generator unit

(MGU) with its cables shrouded

by orange-colored insulation that is mounted at the

ront end o the o the Audi R18 e-tron quattro embodies

a technological revolution. An electrically driven ront

axle in an LMP sports car is a novelty. Audi is competing

at Le Mans with the rst diesel hybrid sports car in

history.

The car is based on a sophisticated con-

cept. Whereas the rear axle is driven by a V6 TDI engine

the ront axle perorms a dual unction. For one, it helps

recover energy and or the other this stored energy isreturned to the axle during acceleration events. Ater

the TDI phase had begun, we soon started to think about

the hybridization o a Le Mans sports prototype when it

was oreseeable that the regulations would open up this

option, explains Head o Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolgang

Ullrich. Ater evaluating the various concepts, we

quickly recognized the opportunity to bring quattro all-

wheel drive back to motorsport in a technologically new

version. Unortunately, it had been banned rom circuit

racing in FIA series since 1998.

Yet what sounds like a simple return has

been one o the biggest tasks ever tackled in the history

o Audi Sport. In the concept design phase there was no

in-house experience available with hybrid drive systems

Concept view: Audihas integrated thehybrid system atthe ront axle intothe monocoquein a particularlycompact way

Audi is competing

at the Le Mans

24 Hours with the

first diesel hybrid

LMP sports car inhistory.

in racing, and packaging an additional ront-wheel drive

plus a hybrid system in a sports car is no mean eateither. With a width o two meters and a length o

4.65 meters, the race car has large exterior dimensions

but under the striking body shell there is a monocoque

construction which in motorsport has been classically

optimized or totally dierent aspects than the integra-

tion o a ront drive axle or the incorporation o a hybrid

system. Even a separate low-temperature cooling circuit

had to be installed to cool the MGU. Under ull load, indi-

vidual cables can heat up to 80 to 90 degrees centigrade.

The cooling circuit also made it necessary to involve the

aerodynamicists.

Consequently, the achievements o the

engineering teams are particularly impressive. For exam-

ple, because the complete drive unit is installed inside

the carbon ber structure or optimal protection. Or

because the orward length o the monocoque is longer

compared with the predecessor model. This shortens the

crash structure in ront o it, which still has to success-

ully pass all crash tests though. Or because o the

extreme proximity to the driver, which requires special

protection measures. Or because o weight, as in


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To guarantee a thrilling

competition the

guardians o the

regulations saw a need

to balance theperormance

capabilities o the

difering concepts.

Attention: A warning indicates the charge stateo the high-voltage system

motorsport every gram counts. Or because o the peror-

mance capabilities. Never beore has such a small and

light-weight system recovered so much energy. Energy

recuperation takes advantage o a physical phenome-

non. The momentum a vehicle has when traveling at high

speed is lost i it is simply decelerated by braking. During

the braking event the kinetic energy is converted into

thermal energy, which is released to the environment

and thus totally useless. Now a phenomenon comes into

play that every bicycle rider is amiliar with. As soon as

the dyno is switched on the bicycle slows down and ped-

aling becomes more dicult.

In the case o the Audi R18 e-tron quat-

tro, the MGU perorms this unction. It is activated when

the brakes are applied and transorms the rotar y motion

o the ront wheels that is transmitted to the inside o

the MGU by two drive shats into electric power. Com-

pared with a bicycle, the amounts o energy involved in

this case are enormous. They are used to electrically

drive a rotating mass storage. The rotor sits armor-

clad in a high vacuum next to the driver in the cockpitand operates at a speed o up to 45,000 revolutions,

which is nine to ten times the rate at which the crank-

shat o a diesel engine rotates.

Ater cornering, this energy is available

again to power the electric motors o the MGU. They now

transer torque to the ront wheels and help accelerate

the vehicle. Up to 150 kW (204 hp) o short-term power

can be supplied to the ront axle.


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Ambassador o theuture: The Audi

R18 e-tron quattrovisualizes the innovative

hybrid drive with itsprogressive exterior

Such outputs suggest that the Audi R18

e-tron quattro could be signicantly aster than its con-

ventionally powered brother, the Audi R18 ultra. To

avoid this and to guarantee a thrilling competition, the

guardians o the regulations saw a need to balance the

eld in terms o perormance.

The regulations use several levers to

achieve this. The uel tank capacity has been reduced by

two liters compared with the conventionally powered

R18 ultra, the maximum amount o energy that can be

used ater recuperation is limited to 0.5 megajoules, and

the number o braking zones is dened or each track.

Between two such zones the specied amount o energy

must not be exceeded. For the Le Mans 24 Hours, seven

braking zones have been established.

In addition to diesel and diesel hybrid

sports cars, the eld o the FIA World Endurance Cham-

pionship (WEC), and thus at Le Mans, includes gasoline

and gasoline hybrid developments. Can a balance

between such dierent concepts be achieved? The ACO

and the FIA are aced with a really dicult task when it

comes to ratings, says Dr. Wolgang Ullrich. The larger

the number o dierent technologies involved, the more

dicult it becomes to reconcile all o them.

Fully integrated:A well-shieldedfywheel in thecockpit serves as

an energy storagedevice in thehybrid system


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Interview with Dr. Wolgang UllrichThe Head o Audi Motorsport explains how the

most uturistic LMP sports car to date benets the brands customers.

Futurist


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Dr. Ullrich, in LMP sports

prototype racing Audi

has ventured the next

major technological

step the rst diesel hybrid sports car. What is the aim?

Dr. Ullrich Were dealing with a com-

pletely new topic at Audi Sport the electrication o the

drive system. Our colleagues in production development

are intensively working on this as well. This marks the

beginning o a new era or the sports prototypes and,

as always, Audi is a pioneer right rom the beginning and

thus a trendsetter.

The Audi R18 e-tron quattro has a com-

plex hybrid drive. At the same time, youre putting the

R18 ultra on the grid, a conventionally powered sister

model. Why?

Dr. Ullrich The answer is very simple.

The TDI invented by Audi is still the most ecient engine

in the world. Weve also been demonstrating this at

Le Mans since 2006. Its not a matter o chance that

turbo diesel engines have been unbeaten there or six

years now despite the act that the regulations have

been progressively restricting the capabilities o the die-

sel vehicles. Were convinced that theres a lot more

potential in the TDI. Especially with respect to downsiz-

ing were gathering valuable ndings in motorsport that

are very useul or the production side o the house.

Thats why Audi, in motorsport as well as in production,

is not strictly banking on hybrids but on the simultane-

ous urther development o the conventional drive. The

combination o TDI and hybrid is no doubt particularly

attractive and promising though. And thats exactlywhat the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro stands or.

With the rotating mass storage device

youre pursuing a diferent strategy or energy storage

than Audi is or its hybrid production vehicles. Why?

Dr. Ullrich The decision in avor o a y-

wheel storage device was driven by requirements that

are specic to racing. The energy density o a storage

system and the conditions or charging and extraction

suggested this decision. Thats why a battery system is

currently out o the question with our ultra lightweight

design. But I can saely say that the things were testing

with ywheel storage are interesting or production as

well. The combination o diferent systems will have to

be considered or various applications in the uture.

Good thing in a small package: Never beore has a sports car been lighter, o a more compact design and technological complexitythan the 2012 generation o the Audi R18. The R18 e-tron quattro is the worlds rst diesel hybrid sports car


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From TDI technology and hybridization

through to the AMOLED rear-view mirror,

there are maniold benefts to our customers.

Dr. WolgangUllrich has been at

the helm o AudiSport since 1993.During this periodAudi has achievednumerous supertouring cartitles, six DTMchampionshipwins and all oits ten Le Mansvictories

Youre entering into new territory with

hybridization. To what extent were you able to make

use o the know-how available in Audis development

department?

Dr. Ullrich Hybrid technology is verycomplex indeed. Yet a brand that claims Vorsprung

durch Technik will always try and nd a solution o its

own. At Audi Sport, weve been beneting rom the

resources o AUDI AGs Technical Development yet again.

Right rom the beginning o this project we were working

closely with our colleagues rom the production side

where concepts are being developed that are tested or

use in uture production vehicles. They worked out a

solution o driving one axle by an internal combustion

engine and the other one by an electric motor, dening a

new quattro drive the e-tron quattro. This is the strat-

egy were pursuing in motorsport as well.

Did you ever consider having such a

new technology developed externally like other teams

in racing have?

Dr. Ullrich O course, as in many other

areas o motorsport, weve been cooperating with part-

ners with respect to engineering individual compo-

nents such as with WHP or the rotating storage device

or with our long-standing partner Bosch or the motor

generator unit MGU. Yet all these assemblies have been

specically developed to our standards. Never beore

has such a system been integrated into the monocoque

o a sports car. When it came to interlinking the singlesystems we elt that we had to control this ourselves.

This is a ver y dicult and complex task but Im convinced

that its the right approach. We need strong, capable

partners but the responsibility or the overall system

rests with us.

Audi Sport has made a lot o break-

through projects reality, rom the rst rally winner with

all-wheel drive, the Audi quattro, through to the rst die-

sel sports prototype, the Le Mans winning Audi R10 TDI.

How do you assess the efort that has been invested in

the R18 e-tron quattro and R18 ultra models?

Dr. Ullrich When you look at the time-

line or this project then the e-tron quattro with very

complex technical content and plenty o new territory

was no doubt one o the most challenging projects weve

ever had. At the same time, we should remember that

the R18 ultra as the lightest sports car ever built by Audi

Sport created the prerequisites or hybridization in the

rst place. The overall complexity o this project is

very high.

Will the customers o the Audi brand

prot rom this years LMP sports car generation too?

Dr. Ullrich At Audi, there has been a con-

necting link between motorsport and production or

many years. Vorsprung durch Technik that we ofer toour customers benet in their road vehicles has oten

been motivated by and initially implemented in motors-

port. It is, in a manner o speaking, a guideline that has

always provided us with orientation in our motorsport

activities. This diferentiates us rom many other brands.

Motorsport at Audi is a motivator to drive technologies

to the extreme in competition, to bring them to success

there and to then make every thing that has been learned

in the process to our colleagues in production or their

development activities. From this, technologies or use

in road-going vehicles can be developed, which give our

Audi customers clear advantages compared with all com-

petitors. From TDI technology or the ndings gained

rom hybridization through to the AMOLED rear-view

mirror, there are maniold benets to our customers.


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Allan McNish on the Audi R18 e-tron quattroAudi actory driver Allan McNish has experienced

many new vehicle premieres in his career. Beore taking the wheel o theAudi R18 e-tron quattro or the rst time, the Scotsman was particularly

eager to see what this new car would be like.

First time


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inside


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How do new technologies

eel? On switching rom

the TFSI engine to the

TDI power-plant in

2006, Allan McNish immediately celebrated victory at

the Sebring premiere. Now, the Scotsman experienced

the racing debut o the Audi R18 e-tron quattro.

Beore driving the Audi R18 e-tron quattro or the

rst time I didnt know what to expect, the Audi ac-

tory driver reely admits. Youre used to a particular

driving style ater so many years. All o Audis LMP

sports cars have had rear-wheel drive so ar. Now, the

ront axle suddenly comes into play in the drive s ystem.

So I asked mysel, What does this mean or us drivers

o the R18 e-tron quattro?

In this car, the ront wheels eed the

kinetic energy o the race car that is generated during

braking events into a s ystem, the motor generator unit(MGU). It converts this kinetic energy into electric

power which in turn drives a ywheel sys tem. You can

eel how the system operates, says the two-time

Le Mans winner. On approaching a corner you get the

impression that the brakes are even a bit more eec-

tive. While this eect may be minimal the real sur-

prise comes later: When turning in, the system has no

eects. But when you accelerate again you can immedi-

ately eel how the electrical energy drives the ront

wheels. This eect is a dream or any racer but in this

particular case the dream is over in a ash, as a strict

time limit has been imposed on it.

Boosting results in additional accel-

eration. Unortunately, theres a maximum o energy

that may not be exceeded according to the regulations.

Once this energy has been used up we completely rely

on the TDI drive again, explains McNish. While the

eect during braking is minimal you can o course

clearly eel the additional boost o around 200 HP when

accelerating. The R18 e-tron quattro suddenly becomes

much aster. And this is exactly what counts because as

drivers we always want to move orward as quickly as

possible.

As only a very limited amount o energy

0.5 megajoules may be ed to the ront axle again

the driver eels the eect only or a very short time.

Compared with other pioneering eats achieved by

Audi, such as permanent all-wheel drive, TFSI gasoline

direct injection or the TDI engines boasting particularly

high torque and efciency, the eect is impressive on

the one hand but on the other, due to the regulations

and the amount o energy that is basically recovered,

its duration is drastically limited.

Audi decided to design an e-tron quat-

tro and to eed the energy to the ront axle. On exitingtight corners were not allowed to use the ront axle or

power transmission initially. Only rom 120 km/h on,

the regulations permit the power to be ed to the ront.

Once the boost sets in theres a balance eect in the

car, says McNish. Personally, I really enjoy it when the

combustion engine drives the rear axle and the electric

motor the ront.

The way in which Allan McNish sums up

his experience shows how he assesses the role o the

R18 e-tron quattro in his career: When I was a young

racer I was only thinking about driving and winning,

without having spent a single thought on the act that

I might also be driving technologies orward on track.

Beware o turn:The electric drive

o the e-tronquattro is usedonly in certain

situations

Part-time quattro:The R18 e-tronquattro is only

allowed to eedback a limited

amount o energy


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Audi is heavily shaped by technology. You can

feel the constant desire to improve both in

racing and in production.

Notable eect:Allan McNishis pleasantlysurprised withthe good-naturedoperation o thesystem

But when I joined Audi I learned that racing is part o

the brand. The company is heavily shaped by technol-

ogy. You can eel the constant desire to improve both

in racing and in production. We saw that with quattro

in rallying, with FSI direct injection in the R8 at Le Mans,

with TDI and now with e-tron quattro. These technolo-

gies were thought up by people w ho constantly want to

improve their products. Im thankul that were part o

this as racers. New technologies like these can help us

win even more races.


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VTG technologyThe V6 TDI diesel engine o the Audi R18

is an extremely compact module that combines a wealth oinnovations in what is truly a total work o technological art.

midgetPowerful


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It sits at the rear o the Audi R18

quite inconspicuously the

V6 TDI engine. No Audi LMP

sports car beore 2011 has had

such a small number o cylinders. And never beore has

an engine like this V6 with its at cylinder bank angle omerely 120 degrees been as compactly concealed by

other large assemblies.

The power-plant harbors a well-kept

secret: the mono turbocharger with a variable turbine

geometry (VTG) and innovative channeling o the gas

ow. Only this combination makes a V6 TDI or Le Mans

easible in the rst place. But let us look at one thing

ater the other. To prevent the race cars at Le Mans rom

becoming too ast organizer ACO uses a lap time o

3m 30s or rating purposes the designers are slowed in

their eorts time and again. The most recent step: The

5.5 liters o displacement that were still available to the

Le Mans winning Audi R15 TDI in 2010 have shrunk to an

upper limit o 3.7 liters in 2011, equating to a loss o

32 percent. To achieve an output o more than 375 kW

(510 hp) despite this reduction (aka downsizing in engine

designers lingo) each piston now has to deliver higher

perormance. The perormance o the piston areas and

the cylinders has considerably increased, explains Ulrich

Baretzky, Head o Engine Development at Audi Sport. To

achieve such increases were operating with much higher

pressures and temperatures in the engine than in the

past. Both are hot topics in volume production at the

moment as well. Motorsport is proving its useulness or

road-going products yet again.

The project required the engine devel-

opers at Audi Sport to venture into unknown territory.

The charging concept used in the Audi R18 has been a

particularly well-kept secret until now. The engineers

designed a central mono turbo system in the inside V o

the engine. In combination with the inboard exhaust

maniolds it makes particularly efcient use o the laws

o physics. A single, large turbine increases overall ef-

ciency, as gap losses are signicantly reduced. The con-

solidation o the entire exhaust gas ow in a single tur-

bine leads to higher turbine perormance and more

uniorm loading by exhaust gas surges. In the extremelyshort pipes o the exhaust system clearly less thermal

energy is lost. This increases perormance plus the tur-

bines exhaust gas temperature due to the higher energy

content o the exhaust gas and makes the required

capacity available on the compressor side where around

2,000 cubic meters o air per hour must be compressed

or efcient combustions. The mono turbocharger thus

has to put through a similar amount o charge air or over

375 kW (510 hp) as was previously the case in the V10 TDI

or 404 kW (550 hp).

The unique design o this charger was

kept under wraps up to now. The exhaust maniolds

located on the inside o the compact V6 engine let the

exhaust gas ow radially into the charger rom both sides.

When it comes to

downsizing, motorsport

is proving its usefulness

to production

development yet again.

Ulrich Baretzky isin charge o enginedevelopment atAudi Sport andhas designed theconcepts or allo Audis Le Manswinning engines


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Red-hot passion: The pressures in the V6 TDI are high and temperatures can reach up to 1,050 degrees centigrade

The secret hasbeen unveiled:The monoturbochargerwith innovativegas ow and VTGtechnology

The compressor side is o a very similar design. The char-

ger aspirates air in axial direction rom a central intake.

Ater compression, the air exits again on two sides.

The variable turbine geometry (VTG) o

the turbocharger has provided another key to this tech-

nological breakthrough. It makes it possible to channel

the exhaust gas ow in a way so that the turbine can con-

tinuously be adjusted to varying operating conditions

such as load changes. Without it, the entire concept o

a compact downsized engine with an inboard single tur-

bocharger would have been inconceivable, explains

Ulrich Baretzky. The response o a single, large chargerwould without VTG would be ar too low. Thanks to the

variable geometry we have resolved this issue.

And the drivers continually benet rom

these achievements. When during a shiting event, which

lasts around 30 milliseconds without operating the

clutch, injection is reduced there is a risk o charge pres-

sure loss. However, thanks to sophisticated electronic

shiting strategies and a sensitive actuator, Audis VTG

system provides the required quick response. Even the

Le Mans organizer ACO was amazed, says Baretzy with a

smile. The ACOs technical stewards could hardly believe

it when they were reading the engine data and couldnt

nd any indications o charge pressure having dropped

during shiting events.


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ultra lightweight technologyIron alloys such as steel are still the

most commonly used materials in automotive engineering.Yet motorsport is already pointing the way toward the uture.Composites have long become the backbone o all sportsprototypes. In the Audi R18 every gram counts, as theextremely light door shows that is held by Chris Reinke,Technical Project Manager LMP at Audi Sport.

defcit

Iron


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Acomponent that is remi-

niscent o a rhino and

another one sporting the

style o a bottle opener:

One could almost get the impression that engineers at

Audi Sport enjoy playing with orm. Yet right the oppo-

site is true. Every shape, material, structure and the

highly complex milling lines do not serve the purposes o

aesthetics but those o uncompromising unctionality.

The work o the engineers ollows a cen-

tral axiom. Durability or endurance races like the

Le Mans 24 Hours is not a mere wish but an essential pre-

requisite. An element o this objective is the challenge to

design a car that is as light as possible. Yet a look at the

regulations reveals that an LMP sports car such as the

Audi R18 has to tip the scales at least at 900 kilograms.

So why make a car lighter? Particularly

when considering the act that Audis sports cars gener-

ally weigh less than the minimum o 900 kilograms to

begin with and have to be lled with ballast again to

comply with the minimum weight requirement. The

name o the game here is to create some latitude that

allows the weight to be placed in such a way that it can be

In the case o small parts the ew grams

literally count that would typically play

more o a role in homeopathic practice

rather than in racing.

What lookslike the artisticabstraction oa rhinocerus is

a lightweightcomponent used

to attach the rearwing

When installed,the rhino joinsthe carbon bercomponents o therear wing mount withthe wing


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45

used to the greatest advantage. Particularly low, or

instance, in order to lower the center o gravity. Or in

specic relation to the length o the vehicle and its

wheelbase in order to achieve a avorable distribution o

mass to the two axles.

Quite similarly as the engineers in Audis

Technical Development division, the race car designers

are tasked to save every gram. In production vehicles,

Audi has long turned the weight spiral around. The newA3 weighs up to 80 kilograms less than the comparable

predecessor models. In racing, there are currently two

major challenges. Diesel engines such as the innovative

and highly ecient Audi TDI engine have to withstand

much higher mechanical loads and, due to the technical

principle behind them, are heavier than comparable gas-

oline engines. The second novelty: The new Audi R18

e-tron quattro is considered as a milestone, as it is the

rst diesel hybrid sports car at Le Mans with all-wheel

drive. The electried drive module on the ront axle costs

weight too, as such a system simply did not exist in any o

the previous sports prototypes.

The only chance to become around ten

percent lighter lies in designing every single part with

The delicately milledaluminum component that

looks a bit like a bottleopener is the plate or

the rocker mounts in thesuspension

lighter weight, says Head o Audi Motorsport Dr. Wol-

gang Ullrich.

As a result, careully crated parts like

the rhino or the bottle opener are created. In their

case, the ew grams that normally tend to play more o a

role in the practice o homeopathy rather than in racing

are crucial. They are made o metal which, or certain

applications, still provides advantages over other mate-

rials. Yet there is another material that has practicallybeen traveling down victory lane. Like hardly any other

material, CFRP (carbon ber reinorced plastics) stands

or light-weight construction. The abric that is based on

carbon is a dream or the aerospace industry, or race car

constructors and, increasingly, or the automotive indus-

try as well. Some bodywork panels o the Audi R8 Spyder,

or instance, are made o this plastic material, as are the

ront enders o the Audi RS 3 Sportback.


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O course, since Audis sports car pro-

ject was launched in 1999 major component assemblies

o all LMP prototypes have been made o CFRP. So, in

which new areas can carbon be used? In the R18 e-tron

quattro and the R18 ultra, Audi is relying on a transmis-

sion housing made o the black material or the rst

time. At the rear end, the weight saved is highly valuable

due to the engines weight, explains Dr. Ullrich. With

the new carbon ber transmission housing we achieved

the biggest single innovation step compared with the

predecessor model.

Something like this has never existed in

an LMP sports car beore. The special aspect that difer-

entiates this design rom a single seater in which this

technology is already used is that the ully structural

transmission has to bear a much higher base load o

900 kilograms. In addition, it holds up to endurance dis-

tances o several thousand kilometers straight. And with

more than 850 Newton meters the engine torque that

acts on the transmission in the R18 clearly exceeds the

corresponding torque level in a Formula One car. All

orce induction points made o metal have been ullyintegrated into the transmission.

Of limits: ideally, the drivers should only support themselveswithin the marked area

A new eatureo the sportsprototype is

the structuraltransmission

housing made oCFRP


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No compromises:in the impacttest, the saetycell o the R18demonstratesits strength. Thecrash nose absorbsthe energy

Easy tounderstand:ultra lightweighttechnology is acore Audi messagein racing andproduction

The highly integrative hybrid system othe R18 e-tron quattro is another example o lightweight

technology. The shared housing o the MGU (motor gen-

erator unit) or two electric motors, two planetary trans-

missions and two converters at the ront axle is ex tremely

compact and the hybrid system control unit which is inte-

grated with the existing engine control unit is another

clever solution that makes the car lighter. No other sys-

tem exhibits such a avorable ratio between its own

weight and the stored amount o energy.

Compromises in terms o saety,though, are totally out o the question in the search or

weight savings, stresses Dr. Ullrich. The high-strength

one-piece carbon ber monocoque o the Audi R18 TDI

helped Allan McNish and Mike Rockeneller survive two

serious accidents at Le Mans unharmed last year.

The surprises tend to be ound in the

smallest details though. The wishbones, or example,

shine as i they were chrome-plated. In reality, these

stainless steel parts produced in a complex process are

electropolished to protect them against chemical reac-

tions with oxygen. Whereas these components are hid-

den in the suspension, observant race spectators have a

chance o catching a glimpse o a piece o lightweight

construction ater all. Four red triangles mark a eld

below the cockpit doors. This is the only area in which

our drivers should support themselves when getting in

and out o the car, explains Dr. Ullrich. Outside these

areas even carbon ber, the magic material, would

yield.

The drivers have to make another con-

tribution to weight savings, albeit not by being required

to go on a diet to lose weight now. But they do have to

make some adjustments. The content o the drinkingbottle that was seldom ully consumed in the past has

been reduced by about hal a liter or weight reasons.

Ater all, not a single gram has the privilege o not being

looked at when victories are at stake.


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and orthe road

Serial winners on track

48


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The ten Le Mans victories

Audi purposeully uses the Le Mans24 Hours as a test lab or new technologies. Ten Le Mans

victories perectly conrm this idea.


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2000: Debut victory

2001: Direct connection

2002: Hat-trick

Audi contested the Le

Mans 24 Hours or the

rst time in 1999. For

the 2000 season, Audi

Sport developed a new prototype, the R8. The new

design won on its Le Mans debut with Frank Biela/Eman-

uele Pirro/Tom Kristensen. It eatured signicant

changes compared with its predecessor, the Audi R8R,

not only in terms o aerodynamics. In addition to the

radiators now located close to the engine instead o at

the ront they included the pneumatically operated

gearshit and a lower basic weight. With that, Audi Sport

Team Joest managed an impressive one-two-three result

at La Sarthe.

Never beore had the drivers commands been

executed so switly, purposeully and with

predictable characteristics as they were in

the case o the new V8 TFSI engine. The Audi

actory drivers came to particularly value this direct connection between the

driver, the gas pedal and the engines at Le Mans in 2001. The endurance clas-

sic went down in history as a wet race and the new engine in the Audi R8

considerably helped its drivers in such dicult conditions. For the second

time in succession, Biela/Kris-

tensen/Pirro won ahead o another

R8. Gasoline direct injection was

introduced in production vehicles at

Audi shortly aterward.

Yet again it was Audi Sport

Team Joest, the R8, plus

Biela, Pirro and Kristensen

running in ront thus

marking a special event in history as Le Mans silver,

designed to be a challenge trophy, becomes a permanent

possession o the victorious team only in such an excep-

tional case, according to the statutes. In addition to the

impeccable team perormance, the updated Audi R8 had

its part in this success. Modied aerodynamics at the

rear urther improved ow around the rear wing.


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That a race car can celebrate fve victories

at a competition as tough as the Le Mans

24 Hours is hardly conceivable. The eternally

young R8 managed this eat nonetheless

despite more stringent conditions.

2004: Big in Japan

2005: Victorious quintet

The time had come: Since2001, Audi customer teams

had been relying on the R8

as well. In 2004, they bat-

tled or overall victory or the rst time. Team Goh o the

Japanese owner Kazumichi Goh was not only big in

Japan but acquired worldwide acclaim by also clinching

overall victory at Le Mans. Seiji Ara, Dindo Capello and

Tom Kristensen won the classic in France in the white-red

R8 elded by the Japanese team and in more dicult

conditions than beore. Quick-change transmissions

were no longer permitted in the Audi R8. The air restric-

tors had been reduced rom 32.4 to 30.7 millimeters as

early as in 2003, causing output to drop rom 449 kW

(610 hp) to 404 kW (550 hp). The British team Audi Sport

UK Team Veloqx with Jamie Davies/Johnny Herbert/Guy

Smith nished as the runners-up and ADT Champion Rac-

ing rom the USA took third place with JJ Lehto/Emanu-

ele Pirro/Marco Werner.

That a modern-day race car

could celebrate ve victo-

ries at a competition as

tough as the Le Mans

24 Hours was hardly conceivable. The R8 managed to do

so nonetheless despite the conditions having been

tightened yet again. The air restrictors o the prototype

were reduced to 29.9 millimeters and output lowered to

382 kW (520 hp). The sports car also had to put an addi-

tional hundredweight on the scales (950 instead o

900 kilograms). Yet its reliability and solid handling plus

the perormances o JJ Lehto, Tom Kristensen and Marco

Werner gave ADT Champion Racing victory with a two-

lap advantage.


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2006: Diesel debut

2007: Counter-attack

For the rst time, an automobile manuacturer

competed with a diesel sports car at Le Mans.

Audi had taken the risk and designed the impres-

sive R10 TDI. Initial concept studies had begun in

2003, and in June 2004, the decision or the project was made. In 2004 and

2005, the engineers careully approached the subject with modied V8 TDI

production engines and May 2005 saw the aluminum V12 TDI in operation

or the rst time. At the 2006 Le Mans race, Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro and

Marco Werner entered their names

in the Le Mans history books as the

rst overall winners powered by die-

sel. Ater quattro in rally racing and

TFSI gasoline direct injection, Audi

was running at the very ront with

TDI technology now in motorsport

as well.

In its second year o competing

with the R10 TDI Audi received

a serious rival: Peugeot

returned to Le Mans now also

using a diesel sports car. The uel tank capacity o the

diesel vehicles was reduced by nine to 81 liters in 2007 in

order to improve the chances o the gasoline engines. Yet

only Audi and Peugeot claimed podium nishes. Ater a

thrilling battle, Biela and Emanuele Pirro celebrated

their respective th Le Mans victories and Marco Werner

his third consecutive one. Similarities in the design o the

V12 TDI used in the race car and in the new Audi Q7

V12 TDI proved the close proximity between sport and

production at Audi.

The R18 TDI with the compact,

downsized V6 TDI engine, the ultra-

modern ull LED headlights and ultra

lightweight technology provided

valuable fndings rom which the

development engineers o Audisproduction vehicles beneft as well.


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2008: Epic duel

2010: Reliably in ront

2011: Close call

Dindo Capello, Tom Kris-

tensen and Allan McNish

perormed a herculean

eat at Le Mans. In its

third year, the R10 TDI had to ercely deend itsel

against the Peugeot 908. Rainy weather with constantly

changing intensity made the work o the strategists at

the pit wall dramatically more dicult while the driver

trio had to maintain utmost concentration through to

the nish. In the end, merely 4m 31s separated the win-

ning Italian-Danish-Scottish team rom their pursuers in

the Lion vehicle. For Tom Kristensen, this marked as

much as his eighth win nobody else had been equally

successul up to then. The ans at La Sarthe experienced

the actory-elded twelve-cylinder sports car or the

last time.

The Audi R15 TDI radically

difered rom its predeces-

sor, the R10 TDI. In the

2010 season, the open

sports car shone with the ten-cylinder TDI in the plus

evolution by delivering extreme reliability. With a series

o engine ailures, rival Peugeot paid ar too high a price

or better lap times. The three young Audi racers Timo

Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockeneller cele-

brated their rst triumph at La Sarthe. At the nish, Audi

revealed that it had clinched the success with VTG turbo-

charger technology.

2011 saw a closed LMP

sports car rom Audi run-

ning at Le Mans or the rst

time again since 1999. The

R18 TDI was brimming with innovative details. From the

compact downsized 3.7-liter V6 TDI engine and the mod-

ern ull LED headlights through to ultra lightweight

design, the R18 TDI provided valuable ndings rom

which the development engineers o Audis production

vehicles beneted as well. Marcel Fssler, Andr Lotterer

and Benot Trluyer won Le Mans with guidance rom race

engineer Leena Gade. With that, the 2011 line-up o Audi

sports car drivers had each celebrated at least one

Le Mans victory in their careers.


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Moving

orward


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Hybrid technology in productionAudi is intensively working on uture mobility in which the electrication odrive technology plays an important role. With respect to hybrid electric

vehicles, customers meanwhile have the choice between three models.


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In hybrid technology, Audi looks

back on more than two decades

o experience. The rst genera-

tion o the Audi duo a tech-

nology concept based on an Audi 100 Avant made its

debut as early as in 1989. A ve-cylinder gasoline engine

powered the ront wheels and a selectable electric motor

with an output o 9 kW (12 hp) the rear wheels. Nickel-

cadmium batteries were used or energy storage. Two

years later, another duo variant based on an Audi 100

Avant quattro ollowed.

In 1997, Audi was the rst European

automobile manuacturer to produce a hybrid vehicle in asmall series the Audi duo based on the A4 Avant. It was

powered by a 1.9-liter TDI unit with 66 kW (90 hp) and a

water-cooled electric motor with 21 kW (29 hp) supplied

with energy rom a lead gel battery at the rear. Both

sources powered the ront wheels.

Like the two concepts beore it, the pro-

duction duo ollowed the pioneering plug-in-concept its

battery could be charged rom a socket. In addition, its

electric motor was able to recuperate energy during

deceleration. In electric operating mode, the duo

reached a speed o 80 km/h, with TDI power a top speed

o 170 km/h. The concept was ahead o its time too ar

ahead or the market.

Hybrid drives are meanwhile available in

several Audi production models. Since 2011, Audi cus-

tomers have been able to purchase models with electri-

ed drive systems initially available in the Q5 hybrid

quattro and meanwhile in the A6 hybrid and the A8 hybrid

as well.

With the Q5 hybrid quattro, Audi has

set a milestone. The perormance SUV is the worlds rstull hybrid vehicle in its segment using modern lithium-

ion batteries. Designed as a parallel hybrid, it combines

the perormance o a six-cylinder with the uel economy

o a our-cylinder power-plant.

Propulsion is provided by a 2.0 TFSI

engine with 155 kW (211 hp) and an electric motor deliv-

ering up to 40 kW o output and 210 Nm o torque. The

total system output is 180 kW (245 hp), allowing the Q5

hybrid quattro to achieve remarkable perormance. It

accelerates rom zero to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds and

achieves a top speed o 225 km/h. At a constant speed o

60 km/h, it covers a distance o up to three kilometers in

purely electric mode. Its top speed o 100 km/h in elec-

tric mode sets benchmarks as well. Average consump-

tion amounts to only 6.9 liters per 100 kilometers,

equating to CO2 emissions o 159 grams per kilometer.

Power is transmitted by a signicantly

modied eight-speed tiptronic transmission that does

not require a torque converter. The converter s unction

is perormed by an electric motor that is combined with

a multi-plate clutch. It connects and disconnects the

Meeting betweengenerations: In 1989,the Audi duo (below)was the brands rsthybrid vehicle; today,the A6 hybrid (above)is one o severalproduction modelseaturing electrieddrive


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The Audi Q5 hybrid quattro is the worlds

frst ull hybrid in its segment using modern

lithium-ion batteries.

In 2011, the Audi Q5hybrid quattro wasthe rst model oAudis most recenthybrid generation.The schematicillustration aboveshows the drivesystem in the AudiA6 hybrid

e-motor and the TFSI engine. A lithium-ion battery sys-

tem that weighs only 36.7 kilograms is used as the

energy storage device. The battery provides a rated

energy o 1.3 kWh and output o 39 kW. A complex two-

way air cooling design keeps it within the suitable tem-

perature window.

Audis two other vehicles with electri-

ed drive, the A6 hybrid and the A8 hybrid, use the same

parallel hybrid concept as the Q5 hybrid quattro, albeit

difering rom it in one respect, as power is applied to the

ront wheels in their case. The two large sedans achieve180 kW (245 hp) o system output as well and their con-

sumption is clearly below 7.0 liters per 100 kilometers.

These models make Audi the rst pre-

mium manuacturer to concurrently ofer ull hybrids

with lithium ion technology in the B, C and D segments.

Power electronics

High voltage battery module

High voltage wiring harness

Battery cooling module

Electric air conditioningcompressor


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Test drive of the Audi A1 e-tron

Tom Kristensen is already amiliar with

electried drive rom racing in his Audi R18 e-tron quattro. Buthow does Audis e-tron technology perorm in everyday driving?A sel-test at Le Mans.

with excitementCharged


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Its not easy to surprise Tom

Kristensen with something new

at Le Mans. The Dane has won

the 24-hour race as many as

eight times to date, which makes him the lone record

holder, and has been there every year since 1997. This

year, or the rst time, he is not moving around the track

exclusively powered by an internal combustion engine, as

his Audi R18 e-tron quattro is equipped with an electri-

ed ront axle.

But what is it like to drive an all-electric

vehicle in Le Mans? At the beginning o a sel-test at the

historic location, the Audi actory driver is obviouslycharged with (nervous) energy. Im a bit excited. It goes

without saying that Im dying to nd out how good this

technology eels in road trac, he reveals. It is so t or

everyday driving that Audi began to use 20 Audi A1 e-tron

cars in a eet test in Munich in September 2011.

It is a car like this that Tom Kristensen

sits in to electrically explore Le Mans. At rst, the

A1 e-tron gives the same impression as any other A1

except perhaps or its e-tron graphics on the outside. But

then the Dane pushes the start button. This is denitely

diferent. Instead o letting you hear the starter and the

engine, the Audi A1 e-tron just produces a so t whirring

sound, he marvels. He moves the shiter to D and

without the slightest sound the Audi immediately lters

into the trac on the roads around the circuit. The car

dynamically whirs down Avenue Georges Durand toward

the center o the city. Only sot tire noise is noticeable,

wind noise does not occur yet at all at this speed. Thats

unusual but un and I like it, admits Kristensen. He easily

ollows the pace o urban trac and is amazed when he

pushes the accelerator pedal once in racers style at a

green light. The car really accelerates well. Its impres-

sive to eel the torque these electric motors develop. Up

to 240 Newton meters act on the ront wheels.

Audi has attached great value to making

these cars t or everyday purposes. The electric motor

drives the ront wheels with a maximum output o 75 kW

(102 hp). Constant output amounts to 45 kW (61 hp).

The system is supplied by a lithium-ion battery that sits

in ront o the rear axle and has a capacity o 12 kilowatt

hours. For comparison: The regulations permit an output

o only 0.139 kWh in the electrical drive system o the

Audi R18 e-tron quattro LMP race car. This means that

the A1 e-trons energy storage is 86 times higher a

slightly unusual relation o magnitude. Yet while the race

car is simultaneously powered by a TDI internal combus-

tion engine on the rear axle the A1 e-tron exclusively uses

electricity or locally emission-ree propulsion.

Im a bit excited.It

goes without saying

that Im dying to

nd out how good

this technology

eels in road trafc.


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Two symbols o time: TheSaint-Julien cathedral inLe Mans stands or theMedieval Age, the A1 e-tron orthe uture

Theres a charging station over there,

says a pleased Tom Kristensen ater having spotted one

o only two lling stations or electric vehicles currently

available in Le Mans. But here not ar rom the Place de

la Rpublique where Technical Scrutineering takes place

in the Le Mans week the Dane does not have to think

about recharging the battery yet to continue his urban

adventure. The A1 e-tron has an all-electric range o

50 kilometers. And even then it does not have to be

plugged in or recharging. It is equipped with a range

extender that charges the battery. The single-disk Wan-

kel engine with 254 cubic centimeters o displacement

sits at the rear underneath the trunk oor, quietly rotat-

ing without any vibrations. With an output o 15 kW (20

hp) it even allows driving through the countryside, with a

range o up to 250 kilometers. The Audi A1 e-tron is

always propelled by an all-electric drive there is no

mechanical connection whatsoever between the range

extender and the driven ront wheels. The patrons at the

ca in ront o the Saint-Julien cathedral are amazed as

well when the eight-time Le Mans winner drives by in his

electric car. Is that really Tom Kristensen? And the car

runs strictly on electric power?

This is truly a clever solution, Kris-

tensen says, analyzing the concept or major population

centers over a cappuccino. It perectly covers all your

essential driving needs in and around the city.

Back at the race track the small Audi has

long won the heart o the eight-time Le Mans winner. Id

love to just keep it and commute between the track and

the hotel during the whole Le Mans week. Ive seldom

moved in city trac with as little stress as this time,

he says.

The A1 e-tron even has sporting talents.

In July 2011, Audi participated in the 2nd Silvretta E-Auto

Rallye Montaon, celebrating overall victory with the

A1 e-tron in the total eld o 32 electric vehicles. This is

a eat which even the Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen

highly respects.

Electried: Tom Kristensen tests the Audi A1 e-tronin Le Mans beore tackling the 24-hour race in theR18 e-tron quattro


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Digital rear-view mirrorThanks to a digital rear-view mirror the Audi actory

drivers catch a glimpse o the uture in terms o active saety too.

in the sky

Clear vision thanks to tech-

nology in the Audi R18, a

new, digital rear-view mir-

ror provides the drivers

with an unobstructed rearward view. With it, active

saety in racing is improved yet again. At the same time,motorsport at Audi serves as a orerunner o a orward-

thinking topic in production development.

Up to now, Audis sports car drivers

watched the on-track action behind them in rear-view

mirrors. At high speed, though, there was not much or

the racers to see. The inevitable vibrations made the

rearward view impossible.

Since its debut at the WEC round at Spa

in early May a tiny rearward camera on the roo o the

sports car has been capturing the action on the track. It

transmits its signals to a new type o screen. Instead o

an LCD display with LED backlighting an active matrix

OLED display (AMOLED) is now used. The organic

materials in this type o display are sel-luminous and

thus no longer require backlighting. Consequently, AMO-

LEDs are much thinner and lighter than conventional dis-

plays. In addition, they exhibit extremely high contrast,

very good color and switching times o just a ew milli-

seconds, irrespective o temperatures. Thereore, the

Audi achieves an absolutely uid image ow in real-time

transmission even at 330 km/h.

As the new screens can be reely pro-

grammed, Audi uses them to display other data as well.

Additional inormation such as the gear currently

engaged or slip level o the tires plus individual warning

lights have been integrated into the central instrument.

Helping to clinch victory: In the spray o the WEC round at Spa,Loc Duval and his team-mates Romain Dumas and Marc Genbeneted rom the new AMOLED screen

Eye


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The weather-neutral unctionality o

the system is another major advantage. In the case o

conventional outside mirrors the eld o vision is severely

impaired by the spray occurring in rain. For the digital

solution, Audi has worked out various day and night

driving modes. Even when a rival approaches with high-

beam headlights the image resolution is superb and not

just a glaring light spot.

Weve previously achieved major

efects not only with basic concepts but also through

detailed innovations, says Head o Audi Motorsport

Dr. Wolgang Ullrich with obvious delight about the plus

in active saety. The introduction o a tire pressure

warning system in the Audi R8 in the 2001 season is justone case in point. Our drivers came to highly value the

digital rear-view mirror right on its debut at Spa. Dr. Ull-

rich expressly recognizes the support rom AUDI AGs

Technical Development (TE): With respect to the screen

and the programming we greatly beneted rom the

work o our colleagues. Im sure that well be able to

return valuable ndings to them, rom packaging the

system into a very small space and the aerodynamic

efects o the camera through to energy consumption.

The intensity o the demands in motorsport, such as at

the Le Mans 24 Hours, will cause a system like this to

mature at an accelerated pace.

The new AMOL

motorsport & production magazine - e-tron quattro (english, 2012)

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