This week, Audi began attempts to change the global perception of diesel engines with the unveiling of its new diesel-fuelled R10 Le Mans car. Powered by a 5.5-litre, twin turbocharged 90 degree V12, producing over 650bhp and enough torque to up root an oak tree, the R10 will be race ready in time for the Sebring 12 hours in March, before attempting to be victorious at La Sarthe in the summer.
You may be wondering why go for an oil burner; surely there is more to be gained from using a gasoline engine in race conditions. But you will be forgiven for forgetting that Le Mans isn't a sprint but a marathon, where fuel economy or more to the point the number of pit stops required over 24 hours of racing, counts. This coupled with a broader power band that will allow less gear changes and therefore, in theory, less mechanical wear on the transmission, should give Audi the edge over its competitors.
Audi isn't the first to compete at Le Mans with a diesel. Lola, in the
2004 race, used a 5-litre V10 VW engine with a Caterpillar diesel fuel system. Like the R10 it used twin Garrett turbochargers, though with the substantially lower peak power of 530bhp. That effort ended prematurely in transmission failure, something that Audi must have as a primary concern. However, the Lola-Caterpillar did achieve 17 laps per tank compared to 10 to 11 laps for the gasoline powered cars.
The Car Enthusiast has been present at Le Mans for the past two years and will be there in 2006. We can then vouch for Audi's claims that not only will it be one of the most fuel-efficient cars; it will also be one of the quietest. Noise levels were low for the Lola-Caterpillar car in 2004, when it earned the nickname
"le Tapis Volant" - the flying carpet. Audi hopes that reduced noise levels will increase driver comfort and reduce fatigue and hence improve performance over the 24 hour race.
Audi expects to use the halo effect of motorsport to change the viewpoint of the modern motorist. Even with huge sales figures of diesels in Europe, increasing refinement and astonishing performance figures there are still markets around the globe, most notably America, that still view diesel as a dirty product. Audi will hope to use a strong Le Mans performance to sell more of their high performance diesel offerings, such as the A8 4.2 TDI Quattro.
With a diesel powered Peugeot Le Mans car being developed as we speak, Le Mans could turn out to be spectacular battle of the fuels in years to come and
The Car Enthusiast will be there to cover it as it pans out.
Paul Wilkinson - 16 Dec 2005
