To say that Audi is pretty good at the Le Mans 24 Hours is like saying a lap in the McLaren P1 would be 'a bit of a laugh'. Or that the
Brabus E-Class
discussed earlier today has 'adequate power'.
With nine wins under its belt over the last 10 years, Audi is the team to beat. Which explains why rival teams will be poring over the picture above - it's the first time we've seen the latest version of Audi's R18 E-Tron Quattro.
Look who's coming - Porsche has point to prove
Technical info is thin on the ground - Audi is keeping that quiet for now, although we anticipate a full reveal later this month. Expect a diesel/electric hybrid with even greater efficiency than last year's winner, to comply with 2014 regulations.
These are aimed at improving fuel efficiency by up to 30 per cent by increasing the amount of energy the hybrid system is allowed to produce - and by allowing teams to choose one of five Energy Recovery System densities. The choice between diesel and petrol remains too... choosing the right configuration is going to be crucial.
The first prototype (pictured above) has been built and is now being tested at Sebring. "The tests are mainly focused on achieving high mileage, coordinating the highly complex hybrid drive systems and working out an efficiency-optimised total package that has never before been as complex as this one," Audi Motorsport chief Dr Wolfgang Ullrich commented.
They'll need to have got their sums right too because next year sees the eagerly awaited return of Porsche to LMP1, headed up by Mark Webber and also carrying considerable weight of expectation based on past glories.
Can it, or anyone else for that matter, stand a chance of competing with the hugely experienced Audi team, particularly in a year when experience may prove so crucial? Or could 2014 be the best chance in more than a decade that anyone has of conquering the mighty Audis? The next few months of testing is going to be rather telling, we reckon...