Audi's new toy.

[935k3]

This is Audi's new Lemans challenger the R18 in the wind tunnel. These cars look so sinister in raw carbon. More pics at this link Audi R18

[kitbash1]

If Darth Vader raced, he'd drive this.

[Joe Handley]

Nasty looking car, is it going to be an oil burner too?

[935k3]

To quote Audi "the R18 will be powered by a 3.7-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel and will soon begin an extensive testing program."

Edited December 11, 2010 by 935k3

[Peter Lombardo]

This is Audi's new Lemans challenger the R18 in the wind tunnel. These cars look so sinister in raw carbon. More pics at this link Audi R18

This car would look sinister in pink and baby blue!

[Brendan]

Here's a link to Mulsanne Corner. He has some better pictures of the car. I don't know if anyone has noticed but it looks kind of like a modge podge of the R15 and the Bentley.

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/newsnov10.html

[Jon Cole]

What's up with the dorsal fin? In spite of it, I still like it.

Edited December 12, 2010 by Jon Cole

[Brendan]

What's up with the dorsal fin? In spite of it, I still like it.

The new rules for sports cars require them to have it. All P1 Prototypes be closed coupe. The fin is there for high speed stability. It's what you would see on the Indy cars in the U.S. It is also there to prevent the cars from flipping over when they spin at high speeds. Saw this happen at Le Mans a couple of years ago with the Peugeots.

[Zhu]

<<===== I bet it’s not as fast as my oil burner

This car is proof that aliens live & work among us.

Audi must also have an “area 51†because this thing is surely from another planet.

[CAL]

Interesting.

Peugeot has a new car in the works too, but most are speculating that it's going to be a gasoline car. It has some tell-tailed intake cues that don't make any sense for an oil burner. Unlike the Audi, which looks like it will continue on with diesel (it has a compartitively small intake), as there is no big air-intake scoop like the new Peugeot, which suggests gasoline for the later.

It does look like a knitted together hodge podge of stuff from the parts bin. No where as pretty as the EXP Speed 8 or 908 HID FAP.

Audi must be taking their cues from F1. It sure kills the profile lines of it though, it is supposed help high speed stablity.

Speaking of F1 2013 the new era of TURBOs are coming in a 4cyl high boost turbo 1.6l, and they are talking up to 500 bar fuel pressure and 4,000 less rpm.

It will be interesting to see what the boyz come up with. The last time turbos were allowed they were 1.0l to 1.2l and produced a whopping 1600+ bhp in quali trim, which is more than twice what they are running now.