Audi has officially taken the wraps off its 2014 R18 e-tron quattro and revealed some of the technology it hopes can secure a hat trick of World Endurance Championship (WEC) wins.
While the new car looks like a redevelopment of the car that took victory at Le Mans this year changes to the LMP1 rule book means that Audi has had to redevelop "every single component." With the new rules opening up engine displacement size but restricting fuelling the option to retain the mid-mounted V6 TDI engine comes as no surprise. Neither does the inclusion of the quattro e-tron system that proved so successful to date. What is new is an electric turbocharger unit that can generate electricity to store in the flywheel recovery system (which previously harnessed energy just from brake recuperation) for use at another time. The flywheel's energy can flow back to the turbocharger too to boost acceleration.
The result, says Audi, is a car that is 30 per cent more economical that its predecessor, though the changes to the drivetrain do not account for all of this saving.
The new car is also thinner than before with 100mm trimmed from its width and it rides 20mm higher. Enforced changes to the front end now mean that the R18 has a front wing with changeable flaps that can be swapped out to suit each race track. Previously a redesign of the front end of the car would have been required.
For the safety of the drivers and spectators the cockpit area of the car has been redesigned and the engine housed in a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) structure that is capable of absorbing up to nine metric tonnes of force. Wheel tethers have now also been made mandatory with each wheel being tied to the car's structure by a minimum of two tethers.
Anything else?
The updated R18 e-tron quattro will make its debut at the Silverstone six-hour race on April 20 with the big draw being the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 14/15 where Audi will battle with Toyota and new boy Porsche.