Assault 2016

The dust covers come off Audi’s 2016 WEC monster.

With the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship only just wrapped up, Audi has unveiled its redesigned R18 e-tron quattro for its assault on the 2016 season. The most powerful and efficient race car the brand has ever built.

29 November, 2015

If looks could kill, the opposition would already be reeling from the first glimpse of the all-new Audi R18 eton quattro set to light up tracks around the world in the 2016 WEC series. Although certainly recognisable from the cars that have so successfully competed in the last two seasons, the new car has been fundamentally re-designed for the LMP1 category, and features the very latest lightweight design and construction, aerodynamics and drive system in what is the most powerful and efficient race car Audi has ever built.

The new car will once again rely on the proven hybrid combination of diesel and electric power used in concert, but with a modified hybrid system with lithium-ion batteries used for energy storage and an optimised TDI engine for ever greater efficiency than ever before.

Head of Audi Motorsport, Dr Wolfgang Ullrich – the man who has driven and guided Audi’s extraordinarily successful race program for so many years is excited by this next chapter of the Audi racing story and the potential of the new car.

“With our new Audi R18, we’re sending 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,” he said at the launch of the new R18 in Munich at the Audi Training Centre.

“We’re proud about being able to again represent the Audi brand in 2016 with such an extensive commitment in motorsport. The new Audi R18 marks a major step that we’re expecting a lot of at Le Mans and in the WEC.”

This year, Audi and sister brand Porsche fought an epic battle throughout the season and the expectations will be high again in 2016 as the two bands go head to head once more.

The 2016 WEC season kicks off at Silverstone (Great Britain) in April and Audi will be on the starting grid with two of the new R18s fielded by Audi Sport Team Joest. Indeed, in an agreement already struck with Porsche, both brands will once again line up at Le Mans with only two cars each instead of the three car teams that have been present in the last several outings.

No announcement has yet been made on the make-up of the teams to man each car, but with such depth on the Audi side, the hardest decision will be who not to include.

Nevertheless the coming season promises another battle royale, and one that Audi is quietly confident of winning. This new Audi R18 sends a very clear signal.

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Assault 2016

The dust covers come off Audi’s 2016 WEC monster.

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