Audi Motorsport recently unveiled the new 2012 Le Mans prototype, which combines a highly efficient TDI diesel engine with hybrid technology and an all wheel drive. The Le Mans prototype labeled as R18 e-Tron quatrro will make its debut in a 6 hour race at Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps on 5th May and will race again at 24 hours of Le Mans on June 16 and 17, 2012. At Spa Francorchamps, it will be raced by Dindo Capello Tom Kristensen, André Lotterer, Allan McNish and Marcel Fässler.
Exteriors of the car looks like a racing machine, but the hardware inside are completely different and redesigned. In these LMP racers, an internal combustion engine powers one axle in a traditional manner while electric motors move the second axle. The R18 e-Tron recovers kinetic energy whenever the brakes are applied, stores the same in the flywheel accumulator as electricity and then sends it to the electric motors on front wheels. The flywheel releases the energy to the front wheels once the vehicle crosses the speed of 120km/h while the rear wheels are powered by 375kW V6 TDI engine tuned to produce a power of 510 horsepower. Why is the energy released only after 120 km/h? Most likely because releasing a flywheel storing huge amount of kinetic energy will boil the fronts at lower speeds.
The car has a heavy hybrid system, so Audi designed the gearbox using carbon fiber composite housing, which removed a good amount of weight brought about by the complicated drive train. This will be the first time that carbon fiber gearbox housing will be used in endurance racing.
In the gallery, you can see the first images of Audi R18 e-Tron quatrro LMP1 racecar. June is quite far right now, for the time being, bring down your appetite by seeing these pictures.
Via: Greencarcongress
