Audi Sport's newest and most striking Le Mans challenger was revealed on Saturday at the Audi Sport Finale in Munich. The re-profiled and re-designed R18 prototype debuted at Audi's annual year-end celebration of the manufacturer's motorsport activities, and will take the track in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship.
The refreshed, aggressive front fascia is the most striking of the 2016 R18's all-out aerodynamic reprofiling, and under the bonnet of the R18 is a new lithium-ion battery hybrid powertrain attached to Audi's latest energy-efficient 4-liter V6 TDI diesel engine. The new R18 also represents Audi's move up into the 6mJ hybrid sub-bracket, alongside newly-crowned World Endurance Manufacturers' Champions Porsche and perennial rivals Toyota.
The other big news of the R18's launch is the consolidation of both Audi and Porsche's LMP1 programmes, as both German teams will run only two cars at the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans. The decision comes as a proactive effort by Audi and Porsche, both part of the Volkswagen Audi Group, to cut costs as the group continues to fight its way out of the ongoing emissions scandal. The third Porsche LMP1 entry, driven to overall victory at last year's LM24 by Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber, and Nico Hulkenberg, will not return in 2016.
Audi retains their full-time driver trios of three-time Le Mans winners Andre Lotterer, Benoit Treluyer, and Marcel Fassler in one entry, and Lucas di Grassi, Loic Duval, and Oliver Jarvis in the second.
"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," said Head of Audi Motorsport, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.
Audi also announced that the new Audi R8 LMS is in high demand by GT teams around the world, and they are looking to increase production of the new GT3 challenger in the lead-up to its first full season in competition. They also announced the continuation of their DTM programme for the 2016 season, retaining their eight-man driver lineup from last year that won ten of the eighteen races in 2015.
Do you believe that the changes to the R18 will help Audi move back ahead of Porsche and stay ahead of Toyota and Nissan in the WEC next season?
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