Audi takes on Le Mans with diesel V12

Audi claims it is set to become the world’s first automobile manufacturer to fight for overall victory with a diesel engine at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car that will represent the Ingolstadt marque is the new R10 -- successor to the petrol bi-turbo V8 R8.

The all-new racer was unveiled online this week from Paris and is powered by a 5.5-litre V12 twin-turbo direct-injected all-alloy diesel engine.

Audi claims the powerplant produces over 650hp and more than 1100Nm of torque.

"With the A8 4.2 TDI quattro [not available Down Under], Audi already builds one of the most powerful diesel cars in the world,” explained Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, at the R10 presentation in Paris.

"The Le Mans project will help our technicians to extract even more from TDI technology. Nowadays, every second Audi is delivered with a TDI engine. We expect that the percentage of diesel engines will be even larger in the future.”

The R10’s V12 power unit uses ultra-high injection pressures -- in excess of the 1600 bar mark of Audi's production TDI engines. The engine's prodigious torque output has also required the development of special gearboxes.

"The R10 project is the biggest challenge ever to have been handed to Audi Sport,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich.

"TDI technology has not been pushed to its limits in motorsport yet. We are the first to confront the challenge. The demands of such a project are accordingly high. Long-term technology partners such as Bosch, Michelin or Shell support us in our quest. Together we have the chance to write new chapters in the history books of motorsport and diesel technology.”

The new Audi R10 successfully completed its first test at the end of November.

An extensive test programme, including the 12-hour race at Sebring (USA) in March, is scheduled before the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 17-18 this year.