Monday 9th December 2013

Audi reveals 2014 LMP1 car

Porsche will ensure Audi has to work harder for its LMP1 domination next year

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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...

 

 

 

 

[vz-r_dave]

Are Audi throwing any of their findings (R&D) into the R8, their only super car? I am tired of all the talk of efficiency more so than it being a race car. Happy to see Porsche involved, hoping they will create separate classes for engine and drive train so that there is no longer any competition and the dull oil burners can die off. Toyota, Porsche, Maclaren, Ferrari etc with their petrol hybrids will be so much more fun and competitive if they all end up entering into LMP1 (as unlikely at it probably is).

[virgilio]

I had a look at the new LMP1 rules, and I have to say they are the best motorsport rules in any category since group C was binned in 1990!
Basically they have a fuel consumption limit, a size limit, some aerodynamics limits, crash test regs and that's it.

Love it, and I know which motorsport I am going to watch in 2014 (if only I can find some channel showing it...).

F1 looks pathetic in comparison!

[Fartgalen]

That front on view reminds me of this :

[zebedee]

virgilio said:

I had a look at the new LMP1 rules, and I have to say they are the best motorsport rules in any category since group C was binned in 1990!
Basically they have a fuel consumption limit, a size limit, some aerodynamics limits, crash test regs and that's it.

Love it, and I know which motorsport I am going to watch in 2014 (if only I can find some channel showing it...).

F1 looks pathetic in comparison!

Motors TV is your best bet, then Eurosport - or WEC is live streamed in really good HD, better quality than the TV feed. Internet has Radio Le Mans too (as does Motors) but internet is your best bet if they do that again and you can watch live.

Agreed re: F1.

[virgilio]

zebedee said:

Motors TV is your best bet, then Eurosport - or WEC is live streamed in really good HD, better quality than the TV feed. Internet has Radio Le Mans too (as does Motors) but internet is your best bet if they do that again and you can watch live.

Agreed re: F1.

Thanks!

[goron59]

What, no comments about how all Audis look the same?

[steviegunn]

goron59 said:

What, no comments about how all Audis look the same?

Or Porsches, though aren't these both VAG products, there are some subtle similarities, like a VW Polo and a Skoda Fabia kind of look similar but different.

Edited by steviegunn on Monday 9th December 16:44

[J B L]

Isn't it a bit much to expect Porsche to beat Audi in their first year back in LMP1? I assume they'll be running a petrol/hybrid system against Audi very efficient TDi/hybrid. That in itself looks like their biggest hurdle.

[zebedee]

J B L said:

Isn't it a bit much to expect Porsche to beat Audi in their first year back in LMP1? I assume they'll be running a petrol/hybrid system against Audi very efficient TDi/hybrid. That in itself looks like their biggest hurdle.

The cars should be able to carry the same amount of energy, so I'm sure Porsche will be there or thereabouts on engine performance and it wouldn't surprise me if the Porsche is quicker. It is a myth to think the Audis have always been the faster cars, Pescarolo, then Porsche and now Toyota have all built cars that have been seen to be quicker than the Audis on pace.

The Audis have been reliable, strong in incidents, quick to repair when needed, driven consistently quickly and never too far off the pace and that is why they have been dominant for so long.

[mildmannered]

Batmobile! Looks very cool

[vz-r_dave]

zebedee said:

J B L said:

Isn't it a bit much to expect Porsche to beat Audi in their first year back in LMP1? I assume they'll be running a petrol/hybrid system against Audi very efficient TDi/hybrid. That in itself looks like their biggest hurdle.

The cars should be able to carry the same amount of energy, so I'm sure Porsche will be there or thereabouts on engine performance and it wouldn't surprise me if the Porsche is quicker. It is a myth to think the Audis have always been the faster cars, Pescarolo, then Porsche and now Toyota have all built cars that have been seen to be quicker than the Audis on pace.

The Audis have been reliable, strong in incidents, quick to repair when needed, driven consistently quickly and never too far off the pace and that is why they have been dominant for so long.

Let's not forget the extra laps per stop that they have been able to do. That is where they run away with it in comparison to the petrol's.

[J B L]

zebedee said:

J B L said:

Isn't it a bit much to expect Porsche to beat Audi in their first year back in LMP1? I assume they'll be running a petrol/hybrid system against Audi very efficient TDi/hybrid. That in itself looks like their biggest hurdle.

The cars should be able to carry the same amount of energy, so I'm sure Porsche will be there or thereabouts on engine performance and it wouldn't surprise me if the Porsche is quicker. It is a myth to think the Audis have always been the faster cars, Pescarolo, then Porsche and now Toyota have all built cars that have been seen to be quicker than the Audis on pace.

The Audis have been reliable, strong in incidents, quick to repair when needed, driven consistently quickly and never too far off the pace and that is why they have been dominant for so long.

Fair enough but aren't Audi always able to use that energy 'packet' more efficiently therefore allowing them fewer stops than their petrol engined competitors thus becoming an issue/advantage (depending which team you're in) when a race goes to plan?

Then again I can't see Porsche signing a multi million Euros cheque on a loser and Toyota getting close last year so I suppose the diesel/petrol balance has become nearly right.

Will be interesting

[hyper jay]

a very interesting year in wec to come .all new regs all new cars i hope audis huge budget and multiple car entries wil be matched by Porsche and the the two ts040 can equal them with a technical advantage .
game on ..

[zebedee]

The Toyotas drove away from the Audis in the last WEC round, I don't think there will be any laurel resting going on at Audi (not that there ever has)

[Vocal Minority]

The wax and waine of teams form in Le Mans is interesting.

The end of this year seems very much like the end of last year, with Toyota starting to make themselves felt at the front.

However, Audi had a mighty off-season last year, and by the time Spa came around had stolen a march it would take until the other weekend to lose.

Hopefully Toyota will take last year as a reminder that they really need to go for it over winter.

As has been said above Audi hasn't always been the out and out fastest - arguably they were last year - and in 2012 the Toyota wasn't ready. But throughout the Pug rivalry 2007 - 2011, Pug almost exclusively had the edge on pace, but for the most part found themselves out-reliabilitied or out thought by Audi. Joest are just the best in the business in terms of savvy.

[Dave Hedgehog]

The question is will VAG allow Porsche to beat Audi

I suspect Audi to win and Porsche to use this as development time and then Audi to pull out when Porsche are up to speed

[Vocal Minority]

If they show even slightly equivalent pace to Audi, VAG will know it will be a bullet in the foot of Porsches brand credibility to be seen doing that.

[Vocal Minority]

If they show even slightly equivalent pace to Audi, VAG will know it will be a bullet in the foot of Porsches brand credibility to be seen doing that.

[Gorbyrev]

Fartgalen said:

That front on view reminds me of this :

with a headache! Perhaps that front end is to scare lesser classes out of the way

[Red Firecracker]

Dave Hedgehog said:

The question is will VAG allow Porsche to beat Audi

I suspect Audi to win and Porsche to use this as development time and then Audi to pull out when Porsche are up to speed

Yes, they will race. As has been said many times, both marques are free to race without interference at board level. Both teams have stated that they consider the other their main rival and Audi have gone to the extent of stating, publically, that Porsche's Le Mans record is something they wish and desire to challenge. WEC is the most relevant series for both marques, it obviously works for them both to be there.

However, there are reports that things are not all sweetness and light for Porsche. They have possibly lost their chassis to a fire at Paul Ricard (and subsequently cancelled their Sebring test) and Mulsannecorner report that staff are leaving the project already. Testing times.