Encounter Technology Magazine 2/2014

Long Way Home Page 16 Le Mans Rules Page 24 The Masters Choice Page 28 Time Lords Page 32
Saving at the Limits Page 42 The Force Field Page 52 The Engineer Page 54
Light My Fire Page 58 Fit to Run Page 74 Life in the Pit Lane Page 80 Grip Tease Page 88 Days of Thunder Page 94
The Champions League Page 96 Speed Worker Page 104 The Sound of Success Page 112
The Audi Technology Magazine

2/2014
The Audi Technology Magazine

2/2014
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We are approaching this enormous challenge in performance

and efficiency with the same sporting ambition that has
been driving our engineers, technicians and race drivers in motorsport
for decades.

Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg
The 24 Hours of Le Mans are a legend and an irrepressible urge that consumes all motorsport fans. In 2013, we celebrated the 90th anniversary of the historical race and the magnificent
victory of the Audi team. In 2014, Le Mans takes place very much
under the spotlight of the new, energy-based regulations and the
sporting competition between Audi, Porsche and Toyota.
We enter the toughest, most demanding and exciting
race of this motorsport season as 2012 and 2013 world champions.
And we are putting our full force into achieving victory once again.
The new Audi R18 e-tron quattro is the most complex race car we
have ever developed. Its electrified quattro drive combines a fourliter V6 TDI engine with well over 500 hp at the rear axle with a
hybrid system generating more than 230 hp at the front axle. Never
before has an Audi race car achieved such good lap times with so
little energy input.
But we wont know how good our chances actually are
until we are on the track. Going head-to-head at Le Mans this year
are a lineup of completely different technical concepts. Our Audi
R18 e-tron quattro diesel hybrid will have to work without one
major advantage used by diesel engines in road traffic. Its higher
efficiency compared with gasoline engines has been neutralized
through the amount of available energy. The higher weight of the
diesel engine also reduces the installable electric power of the hybrid line. This means that our team will have to work with an extremely clever strategy and make absolutely full use of the characteristics of the R18 e-tron quattro.
We are approaching this enormous challenge in performance and efficiency with the same sporting ambition that has
been driving our engineers, technicians and race drivers in motorsport for decades. In mid May, we took part in the traditional Grand
Prix Historique in Monaco with two racing icons the Audi Union
Silver Arrows. For someone like me, with a real passion for technology, it was a very special experience to be able to drive a 12-cylinder, twin-supercharged race car from 1939 on the legendary city
circuit through Monaco. I have enormous respect for the achievements of the engineers and drivers of the Silver Arrows. Some
images from Monaco are included in the pages of this magazine.
Encounter Technology
Also on the following pages, you will read about how we

are preparing ourselves for Le Mans with maximum innovation,
precision and passion, and what has connected Prof. Ferdinand K.
Pich, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, with
Le Mans for decades.
Motorsport is the toughest test bed for series production. We have first tested countless technical developments on the
race track, before successfully transferring them into series-production Audi models. One good example is the TFSI (turbocharged
direct injection) technology that brought us victory in Le Mans in
2001. The lithium-ion battery, the production version of which is
used in our hybrid models, was premiered at Le Mans in 2009. The
same goes for lighting technology: We are now offering customers
our energy-efficient Matrix LED headlamps, which we used for the
first time in 2013 in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro.
What stands as a major challenge in Le Mans, also applies to series production. Top performance and top efficiency are
critical for success on the finish line and in the showroom.
Our customers expect Audi to deliver sporting character, emotion, premium quality in every detail and, at the same
time, utmost sustainability and efficiency matched to their individual mobility requirements. Not every customer needs the very
top variant of what is technically feasible. And, the more complex
the technology, the more intuitive it must be to use. This is also very
much the definition of Vorsprung durch Technik. Being close to
the customer means offering concepts that are exactly the right fit
for their needs. A special efficiency matrix will help achieve this.
Performance and efficiency are the major parameters
of our development work en route to becoming the most sustainable premium manufacturer. At the end of the day, achieving the
crucial lead at the finish line is just as important as the lead in the
competition to secure enthusiastic customers for our brand.
Enjoy!
Yours,
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Hackenberg

Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG
Technical Development
CONTENTS Mindset.
104
16
Long Way Home

The Audi R8 LMX with
Laser High Beam
Skills.
42
42
Passion.
94
Saving at the Limits

The Technology of
the Audi R18 e-tron quattro
24
Days of Thunder
Audi at the Grand Prix Historique
96
52
The Force Field

Audi and its Competitors
28
The Champions League

The Successful Volkswagen
Group Brands in Le Mans
54
Le Mans Rules
The New Efficiency Rules for
the 24 Hours
104
The Engineer
What Will Drive Audi in Future
The Masters Choice

Ferdinand Pich and His Le Mans
Speed Worker
A Conversation with Generations
of Le Mans Winners
58
32
112
Light My Fire
TDI The Most Successful
Efficiency Technology
Time Lords
A Conversation about Time
and Timekeeping
The Sound of Success

The Motorsport Heroes of the
Audi Brand
74
120
Fit to Run
The Race Drivers
and Their Sport Program
Imprint
80
80
28
74
Life in the Pit Lane

The Choreography of Pit Work
16
88
Grip Tease
The Racing Tires
for the Le Mans Prototypes
94
32
58
88
LMX
Three letters designate the new top version of the Audi R8 high-performance sports car.
The 99-unit limited edition will be presented in Le Mans. Where else?
Page 16
New Luminance
The laser high beam considerably increases nighttime visibility ideal for a sports
car like the Audi R8 LMX, the worlds first series-production car with this
technology. However, it is also ideal for a race car which is why the combination
of LED and laser high beam is making its first appearance at the
24 Hours of Le Mans in the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro. This sees Audi continue its
tradition of testing new production technologies in motorsport.
99
pit stops, or even more, could occur for all three Audi R18 e-tron quattros
always depending on how the race unfolds, on the weather, on vehicle reliability and on the
accident-prevention skills of all competitors.
Page 80
Real Teamwork
Movements rehearsed to the point of perfection, absolutely reliable
equipment and one-hundred percent understanding among all co-workers
the optimum pit stop demands perfect choreography and
permits not a single error. An endurance race may not be won in the pits
but it can certainly be lost there.
537
horsepower, equal to 395 kilowatts, perhaps a few more, are generated
by the new four-liter race engine. The TDI was and is the superlative efficiency technology
although the new Le Mans regulations certainly dont make life easy for it.
Page 42
Technology for Road and Track

Audi has been successful in Le Mans with the TDI since 2006 first a revolution,
then a consistent great. The new 4.0 TDI is already the fourth completely
new development and, once again, the dynamism of competition on the race track
is driving technology forward. This is also very much to the benefit
of customers, as many developments from this, the worlds toughest test bed,
have already found their way into series production.
86,400
seconds, 1,440 minutes, 24 hours Le Mans lasts a whole day
and a whole night. It takes all 86,400 seconds to win, but it takes just one to lose.
Page 32
Seconds Count
Decades ago, mechanical stopwatches were sufficient. You could measure
on an ongoing basis whether the individual lap times where still
within the desired range. Today, telemetry delivers high-precision data from the
race cars in real time, which is decisive for selecting the right race strategy
and for monitoring compliance with the rules.
Mindset.

Mindset
It was the courage to innovate that put Audi at the top.
The company wants to expand its lead with a constant stream of new
ideas and with a clear approach.
14
16
24
28
32
Long Way Home

Le Mans Rules
The Masters Choice
Time Lords
15
Long
W y
a
16

The Bright Impression
The Audi R8 LMX is the worlds first series-production car with laser light
technology. It is a very special pleasure indeed to drive such a car through France
to Le Mans the place where, in a few days, the R18 e-tron quattro
will turn night into day on the race track, thanks to its laser high beam.
Home
17
Text
Armin Gtz
Photos
Bernhard Huber
Around 150 kilometers west of the Vosges, the 570 hp

R8 LMX passes the impressive 19th century Chaumont viaduct. To
build the train line from Mulhouse in Alsace to Paris, French railway
engineers had to bridge the depths of the Marne Valley. After little
more than a year of construction, the first steam train puffed its
way across the 53-meter high and 600-meter long structure on
November 25, 1856. It was an amazing feat of engineering. 2,500
workers ultimately built 60,000 cubic meters of stonework. The
sandstone blocks were brought from nearby quarries by 300 horses and worked to their finished size and shape on-site.
Back then, around 30 years before the Patent-Motor
wagen Nr. 1 took its first test drive in Mannheim in July 1886,
travel was considerably more time consuming and arduous. Never
theless, the local press of the day attested that this carriage will
have a good future. They were referring, of course, to the very first
automobile, which was more like a motorized coach than a confidence-inspiring, hi-tech driving machine.
Weaving through the bends of the French

Vosges in a sports car like the Audi R8 is
enormous fun. Most would, of course, do it by daylight, but the Ara
blue R8 LMX entices every driver to partake of a night drive. The
laser beam pierces the darkness like a light saber, transforming the
asphalt for up to 500 meters in front of the sports car from night
into day. This is thanks to the very latest technology: Inside the
so-called phosphor converter, the original blue of the laser beam,
with a wavelength of 450 nanometers, meets with yellow phosphor. The result is a beam of white light with twice the range of LED
light.
The laser light in the R8 LMX is the first step. As the
virtually ideal single-point light source, the laser unlocks still unimaginable possibilities for the future, explains Stephan Berlitz,
the man at Audi responsible for the development of lighting innovations. Berlitz works closely with his colleagues from motor
sport. As a consequence, the combination of LED and laser light
will enter service for the first time mid June at the 24 Hours of Le
Mans in the new Audi R18 e-tron quattro. With the R8 LMX, which
has been available to order for just a few weeks, Audi is already
offering this innovative technology in a series-production car. The
race at La Sarthe, with its extreme demands on man and machine,
is always an ideal test bed.
3
4
1 Future meets history the 600-meter long

and up to 53-meter high railway viaduct
by Chaumont has endured for almost 170 years.
4 Blue wonder above 60 km/h, the R8 LMX

activates the laser spot by night for optimum
visibility.
2 By day and by night weaving through the bends

of the provincial roads in the R8 LMX is pure joy.
5 Perfect workstation black interior with blue

accents such as those on the steering wheel and
seat stitching.
3 Aesthetic powerhouse 570 hp accelerate the

sports car to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds.
18
19
Today, another 128 years later, this future is driving

through the impressive viaduct. Only 99 units will be built of this
limited series with laser light. The high-revving mid engine accelerates the R8 LMX with the aluminum bodyshell featuring ASF (Audi
Space Frame) construction to 100 km/hin just 3.4 seconds. The
5.2-liter V10 engine sends torque of 570 Nm to the crankshaft at
6,500 rpm. Its top speed of 320 km/h where traffic regulations
permit delivers travel times that nobody could possibly ever have
dared dream of in the 19th century.
Its a good 100 kilometers from Chaumont to Troyes in

theheart of Champagne a distance that can be covered quickly on
the A5 highway or on smaller and, at times, winding provincial
roads. Both are fun with the R8 LMX even in bad weather or when
the sun has long dropped behind the horizon. The laser light brings
with it a genuine safety benefit.
The town, with its 60,000 inhabitants and lovely halftimbered houses, lives primarily from tourism. Many come to enjoy
a glass of what is surely the worlds finest drink champagne.
Virtually all of the regions grapes are pressed into the famous sparkling wine. Also in Troyes is Devanlay better known as Lacoste
one of the last textile companies still to produce in France. The
clothing and accessories emblazoned with the crocodile are almost
as famous as the softly bubbling liquid specialty.
The blue Audi contrasts well with the ancient town
walls. Passersby gaze in amazement at the extraordinary sports car
in the twilight. Then it is time to move on. The R8 LMX leaves
Champagne and heads for its ultimate destination the Circuit des
24 Heures in Le Mans. After around 120 kilometers, it is worth taking
a detour to the Chteau de la Bussire a little farther south one of
the famous Loire Chteaux. Along the river and its tributaries, a
host of fortresses and castles have been built since the Middle Ages
in a wide array of architectural styles they bear impressive test
imony to European cultural history.
6 Champagne and great visibility lightshow

of the R8 LMX in Troyes.
7 Chteau de la Bussire the red anodized
brake calipers command respect, even from the
stone lions.
8 Exclusive the special edition of the R8 LMX
is limited to 99 cars.
20
21
10
We reach the circuit in La Sarthe. A few weeks before

the big race, there is not much evidence of the hectic activity that
will unfold here in June. Then, the professional teams and private
drivers will roll in with their trucks and all the equipment necessary
for the toughest of all endurance races over 24 hours.
Special clearance permits the R8 LMX onto the track for
one hour a brief venture into the special atmosphere of this place
that knows so many legends, and a few photos. For a short time,
the R8 LMX dominates events on the track. The six race cars that
have spent the whole morning running their test laps, spend this
time parked in the pit lane. Their drivers disappear for a lunch
break.
Quite by accident, the intruder meets three bright red
Audi RS4 safety cars; you might say the vanguard of the Audi Sport
troop that will arrive here in a few days with the R18 e-tron quattro.
Like its series-production sibling, the R8 LMX, the race cars will turn
the night on the race track into day with their laser light. This will
most surely be a slight advantage for Filipe Albuquerque and his
teammates, who perhaps will be able to cover each lap those decisive few seconds faster by night than their rivals from Porsche and
Toyota seconds that could ultimately lead to victory.

11
Audi R8 LMX
Laser light
1 Control unit
2 Base plate with fan
3 Low-beam light group
(3 modules with a total of 6 reflectors)
4 Casing for indicator/daytime running light
with LEDs on Flexboard
5 Laserlight design faring with
backlit technology
6 High beam
7 Design faring
8 Thick-wall daytime running light with
backlit design faring
9 Casing for daytime running
light with LEDs on Flexboard
10 Laser module
11 Low beam
12 Converter
13 Laser beam 450 nm
14 Laser diodes
15 Casing
9 The town of Blois on the Loire the mighty,

ancient stone bridge allows access from the south
east.
10 Pit lane in Le Mans for one hour, the race track
belongs to the R8 LMX.
The Chteau close to Gien is now in private ownership

and can be viewed from April until October. It is most definitely a
pleasure to attend one of the classic concerts that take place from
time to time within these ancient walls. Today, however, visitors to
this historical place are more amazed by the futuristic looking R8
LMX. The most distinctive elements are the engine cover, the side
flics and the large rear spoiler made from carbon-fiber reinforced
polymer (CFRP), which increases the downforce on the rear axle.
From the front, too, the titanium grey Singleframe grille and the
air intake mesh generate a strikingly sporty look.
Back on the A19, the sports car continues its way westward. The last stop before the town with gasoline in its veins is
Blois. At the center of this seat of royalty, first mentioned in the 6th
century, is the Renaissance castle of Louis XII. The mighty 18th
century stone bridge allows access from the southeast. However,
anyone wanting to explore the town should be in good shape it
was built on several hills, accessed by countless flights of stairs.
Just under 150 kilometers or one and a half hours separate the Ara blue sports car from the race track. The excitement
rises after all the tranquility behind it, this fireball wants to prove
itself on the track. There wont be many laps, though, as there is
testing underway on the track on an almost daily basis and the
sporty Audi cant be allowed to get in the way.
11 Made it the R8 LMX at the legendary Circuit des

24 Heures.
12
Scan the QR code and experience

the laser light in the animation.
15
2
3
4
13
5
14
6
10
13
12 Brothers in light the laser light connects the

R18 e-tron quattro race car with the R8 LMX sports
car.
9
13 Range comparison the laser beam
illuminates the darkness for twice the distance
of an LED high beam (A: LED low beam;
B: LED high beam; C: Laser spot as of 60 km/h).
22
11
C
8
23
12
The New Rules at Le Mans

We all know them, right? Games that initially get on your nerves with complicated rules,
but then provide hours of thrilling entertainment. Its much the same for the new
regulations governing the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), which includes the
famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Text
Alexander von Wegner
Illustrations
Barbara Stehle
The 2014 season marked a major shift in

endurance racing. In order to achieve some
very straightforward targets, the powers that be had to put together a set of complicated rules: How can we cut fuel consumption? And how do we ensure the most efficient wins, not the most
powerful?
Two years ago, in summer 2012, the Automobile Club
de lOuest (ACO) and the Fdration Internationale de lAutomobile
(FIA) presented a first draft, which ultimately led to a new set of
regulations. Those responsible were guided by a few fundamental
principles:
1.
Efficiency and sustainable development. Fuel consumption should
fall by up to 30 percent.
2.
The sporting spectacle itself must not suffer. The race has to remain
understandable and the one that is first to cross the finish line must
also be the winner. There cant be, as in the past, an index-based
evaluation for calculating fuel consumption.
3.
Technological freedoms should motivate the manufacturers to
realize top-quality development work.
4.
Safety must be further improved.
5.
The new technologies must be relevant to the further development
of series-production cars.
24
What initially sounds simple, plausible and progressive

is, in its implementation, incredibly complex. This applies to the
sport regulators as much as to the engineers at Audi and its competitors.
How, for instance, do you limit energy consumption
and, at the same time, generate the incentive to drive fast? If this
contradiction is not addressed, it threatens to create the very opposite of exciting racing those who drive slowly have the best
chances of consuming the least fuel. Therefore, if Le Mans awarded
the most fuel efficient, it would probably be the last traditional race
result. The bible quotation The last will be the first should not
set the bar at La Sarthe. The sheer boredom of such an approach at
Le Mans would soon send racing to its grave.
So it is not about fuel economy, but about efficiency
about the ratio of energy used to speed achieved and lap time.
Previously, while energy consumption may not have been completely irrelevant, it was certainly unlimited. The tank volume was
restricted, but the teams were allowed to fill up as often as they
wanted. Now, energy consumption has been fundamentally turned
on its head: An upper consumption limit has been set for each lap,
while the flow rate of fuel within the car has been set to a maximum
amount. Audis diesel is permitted to consume a maximum of 3.95
liters per lap, while the gasoline engines used by the competition
can use up to 4.79 liters still without any influence from the hybrid systems. This will be monitored by the race management in
real time via telemetry data from the cars. The drivers must comply
with these figures under all conditions or compensate for any excess within two laps by reducing fuel consumption, or be subject
to severe time penalties.
This is therefore not just a matter for the technology,
but also for the people. It is expected that all race drivers adapt
their driving style to suit for instance, by lifting off the gas earlier
ahead of a bend, saving fuel without any significant loss of speed.
Refined measurement and display systems in the cockpit help the
Audi works drivers to remain within the specified limits.
The fundamental idea of the efficiency regulations

gives the teams a very simple incentive: Each manufacturer has to
extract the maximum from a fixed amount of energy, sums up Audi
Motorsport boss Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. Those who come farthest
in a given amount of time have done the best work, built the most
efficient race car and therefore have the best chances of victory.
So much for the key parameters. But there are further
factors. A table also regulates the relationship of gasoline to diesel
engines, because drives such as Audis modern TDIs are significantly more efficient than gasoline engines. Therefore, the diesel
engine is artificially limited in order to preserve the chances for
gasoline engines. In principle, the TDI is far superior to the competition. As a consequence, over 100 kilometers in Le Mans, the Audi
drive has to make do with around 6.2 liters of fuel less than the
gasoline engines.
Furthermore, the regulations specify a tank volume of
54.3 liters for the diesel engine, while the gasoline-powered cars
are permitted to fill up with 68.3 liters. This results in different pit
stop intervals for refilling. If Audi makes optimum use of its maximum amount of energy per lap, the R18 e-tron quattro can theoretically cover 13.74 laps at Le Mans on one tank. The competition
from Porsche and Toyota theoretically dont have to come into the
pits for 14.26 laps not counting residual amounts in the tank and
fuel system. In plain English Audi has to fill up every 13 laps and
the competition can go one lap further. If the race runs smoothly,
i.e. without safety car, accidents, heavy rain, repairs or other incidents, Audi would have to come in for its 14th fuel stop after 182
laps. In the same lap, the Toyota and Porsche drivers would be returning to their pit crews for just the 13th time.
From a tactical standpoint, this makes the race more
transparent, because the spectators can work out this spacing for
themselves with the help of the specified energy quantities. This
wasnt possible before, because the teams kept their consumption
secret. What is strange, however, is that spectators familiar with
the benefits of TDI from their own experience (e.g. its high range)
will nevertheless have to watch Audi refuel earlier on the race track
flying in the face of all real-life experience.
But it is not just fossil energy that is regulated. The
rules for hybrid drive are also highly differentiated. The previous
situation in Le Mans was that a maximum of 500 kilojoules of energy could be used at seven points on the track, i.e. 3.5 megajoules
per lap. Now there is an incentive to develop more powerful hybrid
systems. At least one system is mandatory and up to two are permitted. Works teams like Audi have to decide whether to use 2, 4,
6 or 8 megajoules per lap. The more powerful the hybrid system,
the more energy can be recuperated and fed back into the system.
Those with more hybrid energy at their disposal can accelerate
faster and can therefore achieve better lap times. However, to ensure discrepancies are not too great, race cars in higher hybrid
classes are entitled to less fuel. This classification the increase in
hybrid energy paired with a decrease in fuel quantity is, nevertheless, in no way proportional. There is a definite incentive to use
more hybrid energy.
27
This gives powerful hybrid systems the advantage.

However, their greater power comes with increased size and
weight. Because, with a minimum weight of 870 kilograms, the
race cars are permitted to be 45 kilograms lighter than last year,
the room for maneuver is tight. Plus, Audi is using a diesel engine,
the fundamental structure of which is considerably heavier than
that of a gasoline engine. This means we dont have the chance to
choose freely between all the hybrid classes, without ending up on
the grid with an overweight car, says Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. We
absolutely have to achieve the minimum weight, as well as a balanced weight distribution, if we are to be successful. Audi is therefore starting in the 2 megajoule class.
The issue of weight gains added importance this year
through a second key aspect of the regulations. Alongside efficiency is also the matter of safety. A layer of the extremely tearresistant material Cylon along the sides of the cockpit provides the
driver with even better protection in the event of an accident. A new
carbon structure at the rear end absorbs the energy in a rearward
collision e.g. after spinning on contact with a crash barrier. Eight
retaining cables two per wheel reduce the danger of a wheel
flying off during an accident. Plus, the test loads for the monocoque that protects the driver have been raised. This means yet
more improvement to the high standards of safety in our sport,
stresses Audis motorsport chief. Audi is also using a seven-speed
transmission for the first time. Altogether, these steps add more
than 20 extra kilograms to the scales.
More than ever before, the manufacturers are therefore
compelled to build efficient race cars. And how do we measure
whether they were successful? The best and, in motorsport, only
reward that really counts is the one revealed by lap times. The latest
generation of LMP1 race cars is more or less as fast as the last, yet
consumes up to 30 percent less. And the sport retains its thrill.
The sports prototypes are once more proving themselves as a leading class in international racing, sums up Dr. Ullrich. The regulations must ensure that the different drive concepts have the same
chances. The efficiency targets are perfectly in tune with the targets
that the auto makers have to achieve with their products. There is
a concrete incentive for technology transfer. This is what makes
motorsport such a valuable test bed.

Text
Eckhard Schimpf
The Masters Choice
Illustrations
Bernd Schifferdecker
FERDINAND PICH AND HIS LE MANS

The challenge of the 24 Hours has been a constant presence
for the current chairman of Volkswagen Groups
supervisory board throughout his entire engineering life.
Ferdinand Pich has a very special kind of

bond with Le Mans. As a technical visionary,
he values the 24 Hours as a test bed. The stronger the technical
interplay between sport and production, the more valuable such
activities become, he stresses. Audi demonstrates this extremely
convincingly. In the last 15 years, Audi has won Le Mans twelve
times. And on almost every one of those occasions, Ferdinand Pich
has been there as a silent observer. But he also knows the electrifying atmosphere of this marathon from another perspective. Five
decades ago, he stood here at the pit wall as Porsches head of
motorsport sometimes round the clock. And there are not many
managers who have shot down the Hunaudires straight at 350
km/h as Pich did in 1969 with the Porsche 917. This was, however, after the race, when the sports cars were driven home to their
garages in Mulsanne on the still closed track.
28
For todays Chairman of the Supervisory Board of

Volkswagen AG, Le Mans is the toughest test in motorsport. Pichs
assessment is unequivocal, This race is a synonym for extreme
endurance and for the most demanding engineering skill. This is
why he sees the upcoming competition between Audi and Porsche
as something positive with zero reservations. Perhaps it was even
he who pushed for this slugfest. The better team should win, he
reckons. The anticipation brings a rare smile to his face. There can
be no doubt that the racing world will experience a showdown evocative of the colt dual in the classic western High Noon. Who is
better him or him? But Pich also reveals his cool judgment of the
situation when he stresses, My own untamed sports enthusiasm
has subsided noticeably. I have become more relaxed, more objective and make a more precise evaluation of the cost-benefit factor.
29
The day-and-night power play on the 13.5-kilometer

circuit south of the town of Le Mans is the worlds most famous
motorsport event alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and the
Indianapolis 500. That clearly has to do with its history, as the classic race has been running since 1923. But it is also a question of its
technical challenge. It is colossal. 24 hours, foot to the floor with
top-class cars packed with cutting-edge technology.
Motorsport, this mix of triumph, tragedy and technical
highlights, is exactly 120 years old. Since the very first race (Paris
Rouen 1894), companies have been battling one another with
works cars. That Le Mans, with Audi and Porsche, will now play host
to a dual between two world-famous brands belonging to the
same group, has never happened before. What other corporate
chiefs would prevent with a single command is a matter of pure
calculation for the Volkswagen Group. Pich sees the benefits,
Racing is a kind of bodybuilding for engineers. He is convinced
that it promotes performance, creativity and self-confidence
among employees, as well as their pride in the company. Pichs
thinking is, Race developments keep engineers on their toes. And
thats also good for series production.
those seated at Pichs table in the Hotel Okura in Tokyo was prepared to believe what he threw in more-or-less as an aside, Youll
see that a diesel will soon win at Le Mans. Of this he was utterly
convinced. Hmmm thought all the guests at the table thats a
bit of science fiction. Just like the 18-cylinder that he drew on a
serviette, and the 1,001 hp that this fairytale power unit would
generate. Today, we know that the man sees everything he undertakes through to its conclusion with dogged determination.
And that was what happened with the diesel victory at
Le Mans. In 2006, Pich sat with his wife Ursula in the grandstand
opposite the pit lane when the sliver/grey Audi R10 TDIs drove
across the line in triumphant formation somehow unnaturally
quietly. By winning with the V12 diesel, Biela/Pirro/Werner opened
a new chapter in racing history. Audis diesel race cars have now
long become favorites in Le Mans and elsewhere, too even with
ongoing downsizing. The number of cylinders dropped from V12,
through V10 to V6, while displacement decreased and lightweight
design produced an astonishing stream of new advances. For 2014,
Audi motorsport chief Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich summed up the task
for the R18 e-tron quattro thus: Its about achieving roughly the
same lap times as before with considerably less energy. Making
more from less a forward-looking approach. This coincides pretty precisely with Pichs penchant for hi-tech superlatives. His oneliter car, the VW XL1, is one of them.
The young Pich, gifted grandson of automotive designer Ferdinand Porsche, frequently had to look on between 1963
and 1968 as Porsche failed to come through at Le Mans. When he
began his career in Zuffenhausen, Porsche was an underdog. It was
a likeable outsider, but one that seemed destined only for class
victories. Overall victory was reserved for others Ferrari, Ford,
Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar. For an ambitious engineer like
Pich, this was utterly unacceptable. His thinking was that a sports
car company with such a famous name has to dominate the racing
scene, and that includes world championship titles and Le Mans
victories. This was Pichs conviction when, in 1965, he was appointed Head of Technical Development (and therefore Head of
Motorsport). His first race design was the Carrera 6. In 1966, it won
the Targa Florio and a host of hill climbs, but was not yet sufficient
for an overall victory at Le Mans. Nor was its successor, the 907.
Then Pich decided to go for all or nothing. A strategy paper that he put in front of his inner circle on May 9, 1968,
noted in a few dry words: Layout: 4.5-liter vehicle. Twelve-cy
linder. Total weight (including fuel and driver) 980 kilos. Weight
distribution front/rear: 40:60. In top gear, top speed of 420 km/h
at 9,000 rpm. It was a task of breathtaking proportions. It was
immediately clear to all involved that there had never before been
a super racer of this kind with 600 hp generated by what was
practically two six-cylinder engines coupled together. The car
surged forwards with such mind-blowing propulsion that even
battle-scarred professionals took fright. They even refused to drive
what they called the abscess.
For four months of 1969, the 917 seemed undriveable.

The white giant reached around 400 km/h in Le Mans. But its road
holding was so jittery that every lap was an absolute nail-biter.
Nevertheless, in August 1970, Jo Siffert/Kurt Ahrens claimed the
first victory for the 917 at the Austrian Grand Prix. And, at subsequent testing on the sterreichring, the engineers suddenly discovered the reason for the drive problems. It was a breakthrough.
Pich: Back then, we didnt have the aerodynamic knowledge we
have now. In 1970 and 1971, the Porsche 917 left the competition
standing. It was so vastly superior that the FIA quickly drew up new
rules to exclude the all-powerful 917. Porsche turned its attentions
to the USA and won the Can-Am Series with 1,000 turbocharged
horses. It was precisely then that Pich moved from Porsche to Audi.
Audi gradually changed its image under Pichs influence firstly as technical boss, then as chairman of the board. The
company with the somewhat leisurely paced models became one
of the sportiest and most innovative auto brands in the world.
RACING IS A KIND OF BODYBUILDING FOR

ENGINEERS. RACE DEVELOPMENTS KEEP
ENGINEERS ON THEIR TOES. AND THATS ALSO
GOOD FOR SERIES PRODUCTION.
The term pioneering achievement may sound a little

bit old hat these days. But it still has a clear definition. It means
something that nobody has ever achieved before. One example of
that is all-wheel drive. It was Pich who sent the Audi quattros into
rally battle in the 1980s, winning four world titles. Four driven
wheels have now long been available in every single road-going Audi
model. In 2012, Audi brought all-wheel drive technology back into
motorsport, as the hybrid drive in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. And
it was unbeatable at Le Mans in 2012 and 2013. Since its first appearance in Le Mans (1999), Audi has implemented some of the
things pushed by Pich during his active time as boss of the
Volkswagen Group (until 2002). These include gasoline direct injection (FSI or TFSI). The victorious Audi R8 from 2001 benefited considerably from this innovation. Pich: When, thanks to FSI, Audi is
able to save two out of every thirty refueling stops, this is a message
that the regular consumer can also appreciate. There was another
tiny benefit that was only of value in racing. During pit stops, it was
possible to shorten the engines starting phase, because the directly injected fuel combusted immediately as Ulrich Baretzky, the
great mind of race engine development, once revealed.
Pichs vision of a diesel race car was something that
everyone initially considered to be somewhat whacky. None of
30
THIS RACE IS SYNONYMOUS WITH EXTREME

ENDURANCE AND THE MOST
DEMANDING ENGINEERING SKILL.
Pich also immediately thought of Le Mans in 1998
when he bought British brand Bentley. The contracts were barely
signed when as so many times before the strategist stated his
vision: Bentley must return to Le Mans. This brand, always surrounded by an air of exclusivity, won there five times between
1924 and 1930. And, with these victories, the Bentley Boys, led
by diamond billionaire and playboy Woolf Barnato, laid the foundation stone for Bentleys noble sporting image. And so it came to
pass in 2003 that a Bentley once more won in Le Mans albeit
powered by Audi.
Looking back, Le Mans played a key role early on in the
life of Ferdinand Pich. It was here that, more than 40 years ago,
he took a big chance that even he sees as the greatest risk of my
whole career. What we are talking about is the design of the nowlegendary Porsche 917, which, driven in 1970 by Herrmann/
Atwood, scored the first victory at Le Mans in what would later
become a long series of Porsche successes.
In 1969, in parallel to the development of the 917,

Pich engineered an unprecedented deployment of 908 eightcylinders and a dozen professional race drivers. It also helped that
Porsche had now attracted a powerful sponsor Volkswagen. The
Wolfsburg company committed to contributing more than two
thirds of the cost of Porsches racing activities. Pich had negotiated the deal with then management board member for sales CarlHorst Hahn. VWs interest was in promoting the powerful aircooled engines and thus communicating to the public a certain PR
statement: Air cooling is the best. This was the technology that
powered not only the Beetle back then, the most prolific car in
the world but also the VW 1500. And it would be a valuable message if the worlds fastest race cars were also now to win with
air-cooled engines.
Thus, Porsche steamrollered everything in 1969. Just
half way through the season, the Stuttgart company had already
secured the manufacturers title in the world championship for
the first time in Porsche history. The season had just one blemish
Le Mans was lost once again. This race had all the makings of a
bestselling novel or action movie after the most exciting final in
the entire history of Le Mans, it was once again won by a Ford GT
40, just a few meters ahead of the Porsche 908 after the full 24
hours. Le Mans 1969 was a double blow for Pich, because the new
917s dropped out, too albeit from the leading position.
31
quattro dominated the rally scene with aces like Mikkola, Blom
qvist, Rhrl and Mouton. In the USA, race cars bearing the four
rings showed Americans the meaning of made in Ingolstadt at
the Trans-Am Series, the IMSA Series and Pikes Peak. In Germany,
Audi outclassed the competition in the DTM of 1990 and 1991.
For Pich, there was still one goal left Le Mans. He himself moved
to Wolfsburg in 1993 to head up the Volkswagen Group, but recommended the Le Mans task to his successors. In 1999, the Audi
R8 rolled onto the starting grid for the first time and just one year
later, Kristensen/Pirro/Biela claimed the first of Audis twelve victories.
To-date, Volkswagen Group brands Audi, Bentley,
Bugatti and Porsche have chalked up 36 victories at the 24 Hours.
No other group has been more successful. You can safely say that
Le Mans is firmly in the grip of the Volkswagen Group.

Text
Gisbert L. Brunner
time
Rally suitable
the Chronoswiss Stopmaster is a stopwatch
with a central 60-minute
and off-center twelve-hour counter.
Photos
Manuel Uebler
lords
Time and Timekeepers
In racing, every thousandth of a second counts. Even a race run over 24 hours depends
on exceptionally precise timekeeping. Audi board member Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg
talks to watchmaker Gerd-Rdiger Lang and specialist journalist Gisbert L. Brunner about
dynamic strategy and the fascination for the finest mechanisms.
Watch lovers
Gerd-Rdiger Lang, Gisbert L. Brunner
and Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg
discussing timekeeping instruments.
33
Brunner: Naturalist Charles Darwin once said, Time is

the most important ingredient in the recipe of life. In
this sense, what does time mean to you, personally, as
an extremely busy top manager, Dr. Hackenberg?
Dr. Hackenberg: Time is something you cant buy, and
therefore must use with great care. Thats why Im an
early riser. And I go to bed relatively late at night. Even
at the weekend, if I happen to be free, I still get up at
six in the morning in order to make the best possible
use of the day in that case, personally, of course. I
might go and play a round of golf. But I do that very
early, too, to leave me the rest of the day for family and
other hobbies.
Lang: I have a completely crazy job, because I can set
clocks so that people have more or less time.
Dr. Hackenberg: Thats something I do, too. I put my
watch forward in the morning to help me keep on
schedule.
Lang: Then I thought about it and came to the conclusion that all this manipulation doesnt bring anything
in the long term, because it all evens out in the end. In
general, time is one of the few commodities that cannot be multiplied, and that makes time particularly
valuable. We have to tell people how to use their time
sensibly.
Dr. Hackenberg: This is exactly my thinking. Time management plays an extremely important role in my life.
I have had a wide range of bosses over my career; and
some of them had absolutely no consideration for their
employees time. They arrived late or sometimes not at
all. My approach is to be the exact opposite of that.
Naturally, Im not always able to stick to it one hundred
percent. Occasionally it takes longer to get there,
sometimes another appointment overruns. However, I
try to be punctual at all times, because it is not just
about my time; its always about other peoples time,
too.
Brunner: The first chronograph, or time recorder, was
invented in 1821 by Nicolas Matthieu Rieussec, and was
a very archaic instrument indeed. It actually wrote with
ink. Gerd-Rdiger Lang is known as Mr. Chronograph.
So when did we begin in sport to think about measuring
even shorter time intervals?
Lang: When the sporting disciplines became ever faster.
At the end of the 19th century, the British traveled to
Switzerland, to Davos and St. Moritz, in fact, to ride
downhill on the ice with the skeleton. Speed increased
on skies, too. Something also had to happen with the
stopwatches. The recorded units had to become shorter so that the winner could be determined more accurately or you could say more honestly.
Lang: I totally agree. However, with motor racing, there

are other parameters that are often forgotten. As long
as a track is completely visible, theres no problem. At
the Nrburgring, to name one example, it takes a long
time for a car to reappear after completing a lap. Theo
retically, someone suffering a malfunction could wait
for two laps, then drive back out again just in front of
the others. Finding this out and avoiding it was a task
that, until just 20 years ago, was a job for a timekeeping
team consisting of 15 to 20 people.
Brunner: If I remember rightly, the desire to record
times more precisely was also related to betting on the
race outcome. As well as horse racing, this also applies
to dog racing.
Lang: I have to agree. The British, in particular, had a
huge passion for betting.
Brunner: Lets talk about cars now, as we are, after all,
at Audi in Ingolstadt today. These days, it comes down
to fractions of a second, primarily in qualifying, because
thats what decides the starting grid. Or am I mistaken,
Dr. Hackenberg?
Dr. Hackenberg: Qualifying is crucial for determining
the starting positions. But, when you look at it more
closely, the matter is a good deal more complex. Through
timekeeping, we want to know what speeds are being
achieved by whom. If you look at endurance races, such
as Le Mans, you have to know very precisely what times
you can achieve when and where. The cars are not always driving with their absolutely top times. What it
ultimately comes down to is average times. These allow
you to calculate how many laps you can manage in what
time. You also have to know how long a pit stop takes
refueling, servicing, tires and driver change. The car
then drives back onto the track with a certain time loss
that obviously has to be taken into consideration. This
is what you use to calculate how many laps you can
cover. In critical situations, you have to think about
postponing a pit stop or leaving it out altogether. All of
this has to be worked out very precisely in order to know
how capable you are of winning, or not.
Authentic sound what did a wrist

chronograph from circa 1920 sound like?
Brunner: So you cant operate in such cases without

your own time strategy.
Dr. Hackenberg: Absolutely right. We have very clean
time management for Le Mans and the DTM. We work
out extremely precisely how fast we have to complete
which actions to ensure we lose as little time as possible. Think, for instance, about the pit stops at the DTM.
In Le Mans, what counts in the end is the number of laps
you have covered, as the 24-hour duration is strictly
defined. So its not about how fast you can drive in this
time period, but how far.
Brunner: If two individuals are racing, you dont actually need a stopwatch. The winner is the one who is first
to cross the finish line.
Anniversary watch Audi Tachoscope,
a limited-edition automatic chronograph with
tachometer scale, developed
by Audi for its 100th anniversary.
34
We have very clean time

management for
Le Mans and the DTM.
We work out extremely
precisely how fast
we have to complete which
actions to ensure
we lose as little time
as possible.
Brunner: Working with time is very much ruled by electronics these days clocks, transponders, cameras, etc.
Is there data protection, or can anyone access the recorded figures?
Dr. Hackenberg: The times and figures are published.
You see the rankings on the screen and can therefore
gauge the competition very well like whether someone is currently saving tires or fuel. These are things you
cant tell from the car driving past; you have to analyze
the data.
Brunner: With the aid of these facts and your experience, are you then able to modify the strategy of your
own vehicles during the race on a case-by-case basis?
Dr. Hackenberg: Thats exactly what we do. We are all
watching each other. And we measure not just ourselves, but also the competition. We can use this to
determine strategic modifications. What we are dealing with is dynamic strategy adaptation.
Men who are

interested in beautiful
things cant resist
mechanical watches.
I dont actually
need a watch, because
I can see the time on
the likes of my cell
phone. But I very much
enjoy wearing one,
because it offers the
greatest possible precision
in the tiniest space.
Brunner: Your statement suggests that you not only

operate systematic time management at Audi, but you
also maintain your own timekeeping.
Leisurely traditional chronographs,

like this one from the early 20th century,
tick at 2.5 Hertz (above).
Generations wristwatch with resetting
second hand, chronograph from the 1930s,
Chronoscope from Chronoswiss.
Brunner: At the DTM, in contrast to Le Mans, it is about

the first to cross the line.
Dr. Hackenberg: Exactly. This is where the qualifying
times for starting position are crucial. But here, too, the
pit stops call for extremely precise timing, because this
mixes the field up somewhat, as we know. There is no
refueling; only tire change.
Watchmaking splendor a Longines

trailing-pointer chronograph from the 1950s.
Dr. Hackenberg: We have a big team that does all sorts

of things. Measurement equipment and telemetry deliver a massive amount of information. Time is just one
aspect of that. Vehicle data such as temperature, tire
pressure and for the first time fuel consumption are
just as important. We then have to relate everything to
time. In Le Mans this year, the absolute amount and
feed rate of the fuel are especially important. It is not
permitted to exceed the maximum flow rate for the
type of vehicle.
For official timekeepers these

cases allow only the starting and stopping
of the stopwatch.
Brunner: As official time keeper, Gerd-Rdiger Lang

still used real mechanical stop watches. Or did you already have electronics back then?
Lang: You have to differentiate between the measurement device itself, i.e. the clock, and the trigger, i.e. the
pulse generator. It was about always being able to identify clearly those cars masked by other vehicles. This is
why we used to use printers that functioned precisely
down to thousandths of a second. They were stopped
with the help of a Morse key. Someone stood at the finish line and recorded the cars one after the other by
pushing a button. The masked cars also had to have
their time recorded.
Brunner: The drivers found out their performance with
the aid of timetables.
36
Lang: That was handled by the pit teams mechanics

or even the wives measured the times themselves with
stopwatches. What was also very important was the
time spacing to the next competitor, enabling the drivers to react accordingly.
Dr. Hackenberg: You could read the position on the
tables, i.e. P1 or P3, as well as the spacing between you
and the cars in front and behind, with their vehicle numbers.
Brunner: Today, there is telemetric data transmission. What information do you give the drivers, Dr.
Hackenberg?
Dr. Hackenberg: That is precisely regulated. You can
only pass on certain information. I know this from the
24 Hours of the Nrburgring, where I have driven myself. You were given the lap times for your own orientation, but the Nrburgring is so long that a whole lot can
happen during one lap. Individual parameters become
less decisive. What was important to me was to know
the number of laps driven, because this knowledge gave
me the feeling of whether I was lying in a good position
or not.
Brunner: At DTM qualifying, it really does come down
to thousandths of a second. How important is the planning of when a driver goes out onto the track?
Dr. Hackenberg: Its not just a matter of the overall
result, but also about the speed in the individual segments. The segment times tell us, for instance, if a car
needs more downforce, or if the spoiler has to be flatter
elsewhere for more top speed. From the speeds in the
individual segment, we obtain information for the optimum tuning of the vehicle.
Brunner: Electronics can, of course, fail sometimes.
Dr. Hackenberg: We insure against that with redundant
systems.
Brunner: Were there particularly stressful moments
for official timekeepers? At the start or finish line, for
example?
Lang: Yes, when we heard the word bunch from the
boss, we knew that a pack of perhaps twelve cars could
all appear together about three meters apart. Then
you really had to be on your toes. It called for a strong
antiperspirant, as I had to catch all twelve vehicles with
the Morse key.
Brunner: Does human reaction time play a role in this?
Lang: Its a matter of practice.
Dr. Hackenberg: (laughs) not to mention that people

have ten fingers.
Lang: but there was only ever one button. And we had
several teams who, at the end, brought all their recorded figures together in a lap table, because that was the
most important thing. In Formula 1, the teams even
had two timekeepers each, but there were still protests
from time to time.
Brunner: Dr. Hackenberg, Audi began its rally career in
1981 with the quattro. Did you experience that at all?
Dr. Hackenberg: Yes, as a student in Aachen. And I was
certainly interested. On one side was Audi with quattro
drive and then the drivers like Hannu Mikkula, Stig Blom
qvist and, of course, Walter Rhrl. When I joined Audi
in 1985, this first quattro phase was just coming to an
end. At rallies, where the start and finish line were far
apart from one another, electronic time measurement
brought enormous benefits. Mechanical stopwatches
had to be very carefully calibrated against one another
and then brought a hundred kilometers to the finish
line. At the start, both clocks had to be activated at exactly the same time. This took a huge amount of effort.
Lang: I can only agree. At the 1972 Olympic Rally that
went all the way through Germany, I handed out the
mechanical clocks to the timekeepers. They then had to
write everything down extremely precisely.
Dr. Hackenberg: At our vintage rallies these days, its a
shame that there are electronic instruments with digital displays hanging at the starting ramp. They should
really be mechanical clocks.
Brunner: Whats the significance of time measurement
at vintage and classic rallies, in which you yourself participate, Dr. Hackenberg?
Dr. Hackenberg: I prefer to drive in the so-called hourglass class. We need several obviously purely mechanical clocks, one for the overall time, then for the sometimes overlapping special stages. You need a separate
clock for each of these stages. I always have two mechanical clocks in the vehicle and one on my wrist, because there are secret stages that you dont find out
about until just beforehand. And thats where I need a
stopwatch that I can use quickly.
Lang: I, too, only use mechanical clocks and have even
been successful with them, once at the Silvretta Classic.
Brunner: Does using mechanical clocks put you at a
disadvantage against the extensive electronic equipment used by the competition?
Lang: In principle, yes. But the fun you have with good
old mechanical clocks is far more important.
Dr. Hackenberg: But there is also the aforementioned

hourglass class, where you are together with likeminded
people.
Lang: This has existed for the last eight years, with its
own judging and its own cup. And quite rightly so.
Brunner: Its a contradiction to travel with a classic
car, yet equip yourself with the latest time electronics.
Dr. Hackenberg: I agree entirely. In rallies, you work
with a co-driver. My navigator is always my wife. And we
always work very well together. You have to synchronize
starting the clock precisely with driving over a hose or
with passing a light beam; although, I always do that
my
self, because I have a better feel from the steering
wheel. After the clock has started, its over to my wife,
who counts down the time and tells me when I have to
drive across the line. There are now electronic clocks
that do all that for you, too.
Brunner: Would you agree that people with a penchant
for beautiful, high-quality or special cars also have a
passion for unusual watches?
Dr. Hackenberg: At least disproportionately, yes. Men,
in particular, who are interested in beautiful things,
cant resist mechanical watches. For me, a watch is a
piece of jewelry than a man can wear. Thats how it
works for me, at least. I like wearing watches, but I
wouldnt wear a neck chain. I dont actually need a
watch, because I can see the time on the likes of my cell
phone. But I very much enjoy wearing one, because it
delivers the greatest possible precision in the tiniest
space. I change my watch every day and pay attention
to whether it matches by belt or shoes. Ideally, everything should fit well together.
Incorruptible Longines trailing-pointer

chronograph with timekeeper case (above).
Time document Gerd-Rdiger Langs
timekeeper ID from 1983.
Brunner: And Gerd-Rdiger Lang?

Lang: I like to consciously wear a watch every now and
then, because its something beautiful. If I can also see
and feel the clockwork mechanism, it gives time a
whole different dimension, especially if you have to
wind up the watch by hand. Thats just wonderful.
Dr. Hackenberg: You can compare it with firing up a
motorbike with a kick starter in the morning. What
matters is authenticity. When designers show me one
of the big new cockpit displays and are proud of the
virtual stainless steel look, it doesnt do anything for
me at all. If something looks like stainless steel, it
should be stainless steel. Fake or adulterated things are
not for me. That applies to watches and to cars, as well.

Mr. Chronograph Gerd-Rdiger Lang explains

the procedure of timekeeping.
Gerd-Rdiger Lang:
Passion for watches and classic cars
Its not just a

matter of the overall
result, but also
about the speed in the
individual segments.
The segment
times tell us, for instance,
if a car needs more
downforce, or if the
spoilers have to
be flatter elsewhere for
more top speed.
It took a sizeable portion of courage

in 1983, when quartz timepieces were conquering the world, to establish a watch company
under the slogan The fascination of mechanisms. It was in accordance with this principle
that Gerd-Rdiger Lang (born 1943),
established the Chronoswiss label, which very
quickly gained international renown.
Strictly speaking, this was an idea born out of
necessity. From 1964 until 1981, the
master watchmaker had been in the service of
sports watch specialist Heuer. His job
included official timekeeping at various Formula 1 races and, in 1980, at the Olympic
Games in Moscow. In 1970, at the filming of
cult movie, Le Mans, Lang even met
Steve McQueen in person. Then came the announcement that Jack W. Heuer had to
liquidate his company for financial reasons.
Aside from severance in the form of watches
and replacement parts, the newly redundant Lang had nothing. With the growing success of Chronoswiss, came the return of
Langs passion for classic Jaguars. And his collection of old timepieces grew as well.
In 2012, Gerd-Rdiger Lang sold his lifes work
to a pair of Swiss entrepreneurs. But peace
and quiet remained nevertheless elusive,
because historical timepieces and vehicles will
never let go of the now 71 year-old. His
motto is A classic car is like an antique watch;
only in unadulterated condition does the
spirit of its creator live on unbroken.
38
SKILLS.

Skills
Audis great strengths include the skills of every single
one of its employees. It lays the foundation for perfection and innovation.
40
42
52
54
58
74
80
88
Saving at the Limits

The Force Field
The Engineer
Light My Fire
Fit to Run
Life in the Pit Lane
Grip Tease
41
Saving at
Sa
ving a
t
the Limits
the Limits
Text
Hermann Reil
Photos
Ferdi Krling
Ulrike Myrzik

The Technology of the Le Mans Racer
The new Audi R18 e-tron quattro is not only one of the fastest
cars in the world, it is also among the most technically complex.
Four engineers from Audi Sport talk us through a few of the highlights.
TDI
AERO
DYNAMIcs
The optimum management of airflow has
never been as important as in 2014. Even the
tiniest detail has to be absolutely spot on.
A completely new power unit

that consumes even less fuel than
its triumphant predecessor.
Networking
Motorsport is teamwork. It calls for
perfect communication between race car,
racing driver and pit team.
HYBRID
Intelligent use of energy recuperation brings
efficiency and speed.
42
43
TDI
POWER PLAY
Consumption
Transmission
The R10 TDI was already a fuel-efficient race car. But, since 2008,
fuel consumption has been reduced by almost 40 percent more while
maintaining roughly the same fast lap times.
Ulrich Baretzky
Head of Engine Development
The sequential 7-speed manual transmission has

a housing made from carbon fiber one example of absolute
perfection in lightweight design at Audi Sport.
R10 / 2008
100%
R15 / 2009
92%
R18 / 2011
79%
R18 2014 / 2014
62%
4.0
liter displacement
The new TDI engine is optimized for the full-load
profile at Le Mans. Despite its slightly higher displacement,
it is considerably lighter than its predecessor.
1

2

3

4

5
Cylinder bank angle of 120 degrees, for a flat layout

and low center of gravity
Extremely compact format and further weight reduction,
despite increased displacement
Turbocharger with variable geometry, mounted on
the hot side, between the cylinder banks
Engine block and cylinder heads in aluminum; pistons and
conrods made from steel.
Outward-facing intake manifold
4.0
bar charge pressure
This year, the engine is finally allowed to breathe freely
without a restrictor. Plus, the permissible charge pressure
has been increased. This makes conditions for the race
engine once again similar to those for production engines.
44
Ulrich Baretzky is well used to worry. Not

because his engines lack power or are too
temperamental definitely not that. The head of racing engine
development at Audi Sport is one of the most successful and experienced engineers in his field. And nobody can remember the last
time a works race car with the four rings failed to cross the finish
line because of an engine defect. It certainly hasnt happened in
the last 20 years.
Its neither the ignition pressures nor the crankshaft
stiffness that has given Baretzky cause for concern in recent weeks,
but the FIA the people who make the rules for the World Endur
ance Championship (WEC), with the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the
absolute climax. Just shortly before the first race of the new WEC
season, they once again changed the classification for the amount
of energy available for diesel and gasoline engines. As the only
competitor with TDI technology, Audi now has less fuel at its disposal per lap, the permissible flow rate is now lower, the tank capacity has been reduced by 0.5 to 54.3 liters and the flow cross
section during refill is now smaller for the R18 e-tron quattro. At
the same time, the figures for the LMP1 teams with gasoline engines have been raised.
Its going to be really difficult for us this year, says
Ulrich Baretzky. Nobody disputes that the TDI the diesel engine
with direct injection and turbocharging is still by far the most
efficienct internal combustion engine. In the last eight years, diesel technology has dominated Le Mans unchallenged. In 2014,
however, the TDI must make optimum use of every single molecule
of fuel, because the regulators are allowing it considerably less
energy than the gasoline engines. The bottom line is that it is permitted to consume 138.7 megajoules per lap, while a gasoline
engine in the comparable classification is permitted to use 147
megajoules. This becomes even starker when converted into liters:
3.95 liters of diesel per lap compared with 5.05 liters of gasoline
whereby the higher energy content of diesel is obviously a factor.
Naturally, we want to win anyway, says Ulrich Baretzky
and he is certain that the completely new engine that he and his
team have developed for the 2014 car will play an important role
in that. In its basic architecture, Baretzky is depending on the successful formula used in the victories from 2011 through 2013 i.e.
six cylinders arranged in a V. The large cylinder-bank angle of 120
degrees ensures a low center of gravity. The hot, i.e. the exhaust
side, lies on the inside between the two rows of cylinders, which is
where the variable-geometry turbocharger is mounted. The block
is made from cast aluminum, the cylinders coated with Nikasil and
the pistons and conrods are in forged steel. Despite this tried-andtested concept, virtually every single screw is new, every detail
fundamentally rethought and redesigned.
The first thing you notice is the larger displacement,

which has grown from 3.7 to 4.0 liters. No application here of the
downsizing principle that Audi is applying very successfully to its
production models. Production and racing are not comparable in
this respect, explains Baretzky. The customer on the road drives
largely under partial load. In Le Mans, on the other hand, we almost
never enter partial load. We spend 73 percent of our time under
full load, with the rest made up of braking, shifting and coasting.
And, under full load, the specific consumption of the 4.0-liter is up
to 30 percent lower than for its predecessor. It has to be. At the
end of the day, the regulations for 2014 permit 25 percent less
energy than last year.
On the other hand, the engine can now breathe freely.
In previous years, the intake air was always limited by a restrictor.
This makes driving incredibly inefficient, says Baretzky, because,
to make use of every molecule of oxygen, you usually have to inject
a bit more fuel. This year, its the other way round. And that brings
us back a good deal closer to the requirements of a production engine. The basis for optimum combustion is fuel injection at the
highest possible pressure, with pressures of more than 2,800 bar
having long been achieved. This is where racing has advanced production-engine development a great deal over the last few years.
At 4.0 bar, the permitted charge pressure is also a lot
higher this year. And this comes in very handy for Ulrich Baretzky.
One of the efficiency drivers for diesel is ignition pressure and
this is based on compression and charge pressure. Here, too, we are
now again a lot closer to the requirements for production engines.
Completely untypical for a diesel, however, is the range
of the current Audi R18 e-tron quattro. On the road, the TDI has a
distinct advantage compared with the gasoline engine. At Le Mans,
in contrast, the 54.3-liter fuel tanks specified for the Audis in the
regulations means they will always have to come into the pits one
lap sooner than the competition with their 68.3-liter gasoline
tanks. This flies in the face of any real-life situation, complains
Ulrich Baretzky. Furthermore, the R18 will be filled with standard
commercial diesel fuel, while the gasoline engines are allowed to
use a designer fuel with special additives.
The diesel has always had one disadvantage based on
its fundamental concept: It is heavier than a comparable gasoline
engine. So Baretzky and his engineers have shaved every last gram
out of their new racing unit. We are now a good deal lighter than
200 kilograms, says Baretzky. In terms of its power-to-weight
ratio, this engine is certainly the best diesel of all time. And we have
used absolutely no exotic materials. We want to stay as close to
series-production as possible, in order to make sure that the technology transfer from track to road works in future, as well.
Nevertheless, the weight of the TDI impacts the challenge of selecting the hybrid system and other vehicle components. At the end of
the day, the minimum vehicle weight of 870 kilograms is the same
for all 45 kilos less than a year ago.
When it comes to efficiency, this high-performance race
car would presumably do well in a comparison with road cars.
However, the question on how much the Audi R18 e-tron quattro
would consume in the EU cycle for series-production cars, of course,
remains unanswered. Baretzky: Our car would never drive as slowly
as required by the standard cycle.

Scan the QR code and experience the

Audi R18 e-tron quattro in an animation.
45
Thomas Laudenbach
Head of Electrics, Electronics
and Energy Systems
As engineers, we are always looking for the

best solution. And we obviously want to
show that our technology package is better than the competitors.
Although he may not be happy about some details of the new Le
Mans regulations, Thomas Laudenbach is satisfied with its basic
idea. The different manufacturers have a great deal of freedom to
go head-to-head with a very diverse range of concepts.
As Head of Electrics, Electronics and Energy Systems at
Audi Sport, Laudenbach is responsible for the hybrid concept in the
Audi R18 e-tron quattro. And, like his colleague Baretzky with the
TDI engine, he has also turned to a concept that has proven victorious in previous years: the combination of motor generator unit
(MGU) at the front axle and flywheel accumulator in the cockpit
next to the driver. During braking, the kinetic energy is converted
into electrical energy, stored in the flywheel and then converted
back into propulsion by the MGU during acceleration. During these
phases, the R18 e-tron quattro runs on all-wheel drive.
So far, it all sounds familiar from last year. In reality,
however, everything is, of course, new further developed, optimized, adapted to the regulations and thus a very different operating strategy. The new MGU now has an electric motor with more
than 170 kW (230 hp) that is connected to the front wheels via a
differential. The MGU is water cooled and has integrated power
electronics.
The new flywheel accumulator has a usable capacity of
more than 600 kilojoules, which can be absorbed and released again
within an extremely short space of time. The electrical energy is
converted into kinetic energy, bringing the rotor to a speed of up to
40,000 rpm. As soon as the energy is needed again, the generator
brakes the rotor and delivers the resulting electrical energy to the
MGU at the front axle with very low losses. For us, the very high
power density makes this solution better than the battery or capacitor concepts used by the competition, comments Laudenbach.
So much for the hardware. Also critical, however, is the
operating strategy. We have put a great deal of thought into what
amounts of energy we use on which parts of the circuit in order to
achieve the optimum lap time, reveals Laudenbach, adding that
all considerations are, of course, supported by sophisticated simulation calculations, optimized in detail or refuted. Last year, we
were only allowed to boost with a limited amount of energy in
pre-defined zones. In 2014, we have a lot more freedom in the
operating strategy and can therefore make more efficient use of
the recuperated energy.
What is limited, however, is the amount of energy that

can be supplied by the hybrid system per lap. The regulations allow
for several levels up to a maximum of 8 megajoules per lap. Audi
has opted for the 2-megajoule class. More hybrid energy means
more weight, explains Laudenbach. The accumulator is correspondingly heavier and you then need a far bigger MGU. And we
have to be very careful with weight because of our TDI.
Countless hours of engineering have gone into the programming of the drive control system, with a combined control unit
forming the brain of the TDI engine and hybrid system. One extremely difficult aspect is calibrating the recuperation profile in the
interaction with the mechanical brake. The MGU at the front axle
also has a braking effect when it is absorbing energy, sometimes a
very powerful one. That cant be allowed to have an impact on the
dynamics as the car is constantly traveling at the absolute limits.
This determines how much can be recuperated in certain bends, in
order to make absolutely sure that the system does not over brake.
And the driver mustnt notice any of this. He needs to have the
familiar, reliable braking and steering feel, says Laudenbach, explaining the complexity of the task. We have learnt a whole lot in
recent years.
In principle, his colleagues from series development
are faced with the same task. The new Audi A3 Sportback e-tron,
with its plug-in hybrid drive, uses the front axle for energy recuperation. Its just that our colleagues there are dealing with much
smaller amounts of energy and most operating conditions on the
road are far from the edge of the performance envelope. Never
theless, the challenges of efficient racing are very similar to those
of efficient road cars.
Does the hybrid drive make the R18 any faster? Very
much so, stresses Laudenbach, and were not just talking about
tenths of a second.

Electric
POWER
Motor Generator Unit
Recuperation
The central hybrid unit is a compact assembly mounted at

the front axle. During braking, it supplies electrical energy and,
under subsequent acceleration, additional boost.
Energy can be recuperated in all the main braking phases.

It has to be fast, though. Even when braking from more than
300 km/h, there is barely enough for five seconds.
5.0
5.0
2.5
4.0
Flywheel accumulator
The energy accumulator is located in the middle of the vehicle,
to the left of the driver. Its usable capacity is more than
600 kilojoules. A display in the steering wheel keeps the driver
continuously informed of the current energy status per lap.
1
70
4.0
4.0
Seconds

High voltage
1 High-voltage connection to the flywheel accumulator
2 Power electronics
3 Motor generator
4 Differential
5 Drive-shaft connection
kW (230 hp)
1

2
Flywheel accumulator integrated in the middle of

the vehicle
Energy status display in the steering wheel
The motor generator unit is a truly high-performance

piece of equipment. In a matter of seconds, braking energy
is converted into electrical energy or vice versa back into
propulsion. The system works on high voltage and is cooled
by a dedicated low-temperature circuit.
4
5
46
5.0
2.0
47
Be
connected
20
Chris Reinke
Head of Le Mans Prototypes
High-speed transmitter
The Audi R18 e-tron quattro is the most complex race

car that has ever been created in Ingolstadt and
Neckarsulm. The electronics in the latest LMP1 race car
with the four rings are also the most sophisticated
they have ever been.
A diverse array of antennae on the vehicle takes care of the

real-time flow of data to its own team and to the race
management. The images captured by the on-board cameras
for TV transmission are also sent from here.
megabytes per lap
Part of the data is transmitted continuously in particular,

the current consumption figures for monitoring by the
race management. Substantial data packages are sent via a
brief burst signal when the car passes the pits.
Pit
Always in receive mode

The monitoring and remote diagnosis of any race-car
sensitivities occupies a sizeable troop of engineers in the pits.
When Chris Reinke says new, he means

new all new, really new. All that has been
carried over from the Audi R18 e-tron quattro of last year is the
name and the key aspects of the technology concept, and even this
has been thoroughly checked, assessed against a wide variety of
alternatives and only then confirmed. It is the process of continual
evolution that makes motorsport exceptional the literally daily
process of progression in competition. Everything that was stateof-the-art last year that had proven itself as the undisputed best
must this year go right back on the test stand. Every day off is a
day of standstill, and every standstill means a step backward, says
Chris Reinke, with a perpetually restive look in his eye. Reinke is Head
of Le Mans Prototypes at Audi Sport. This is where the strands of
technology and team, of planning and strategy all come together.
48
Watching
You
We have improved many of the cars individual components through a process of evolution. In the sum of those, however,
the result is a revolution, says Reinke with conviction. If there is
one single screw that is identical with one from last years car, then
thats because it was determined all over again as the best possible.
This year, for the first time, it is not the power that is limited, but
the amount of energy used. This naturally calls for completely new
solutions in the technology, as well as demanding a great deal from
the drivers.
Because, not only do they have to drive fast, precisely
and vigilantly, they also have to have a constant eye on consumption. Repeatedly exceeding the limits per lap will be immediately
punished by the race management with stop-and-go penalties.
We assist the drivers of course, says Reinke, primarily with a precise display in the cockpit. The drivers have a constant eye on
whether their energy account is in the red or black. If the driver
comes up behind a slower vehicle ahead of a bend, for instance, it
may be worthwhile to follow him for a moment to save fuel and
then overtake after the bend.
The complex technology of the hybrid system itself is
something with which the driver ideally should not concern himself. How and where to make best use of the stored energy are
things the car simply knows for itself. It knows its exact position on
the track and it knows the line of an optimum lap. However, because conditions are in a constant state of flux the tires wear or
the weather changes the optimum lap stored is constantly being
compared against the one just completed.
The team engineers closely monitor the health of the
complex race car, as expertly as any hospital intensive care unit
could ever do. Our cars have long been transmission stations on
wheels, smirks Reinke. Via more than 1,000 data channels, the
telemetry sends around 20 megabytes of data per lap especially
when it is passing the pit lane. The monitoring systems there are
constantly checking the maintenance of all set values, such as pressures or temperatures. The race engineers are also paying close
attention at all times to the key parameters. If something is not
running at its best, the driver receives a heads-up over the radio.
From outside, away from the pits, the team cant change anything
on the car. Any form of remote control is forbidden by the rules.
The R18 e-tron quattro may be one of the most complex
and technically sophisticated race cars ever built, but only the driver
drives the car. His experience, his precision, his skill are what
counts. Reinke: Thats racing. The best drivers perfectly master
the fastest car.

49
An Audi R18 e-tron quattro generates data on more than one

thousand channels, some of it in millisecond intervals. In Le
Mans, technicians monitor their race cars uninterrupted for
24 hours. Be it for system functionality, to ensure compliance
with the regulations or for drawing strategically important
conclusions, the race car is continuously diagnosing its own
condition, something like an ECG system in medicine, and
transmitting this information to the pit.
The LMP1 sports car has a whole array of CAN bus
systems networking a wide variety of control units. Sophisti
cated sensors measure everything from suspension data to
acceleration, temperatures and pressures, as well as a range
of parameters in the area of energy management, and this
information is used to generate a database for the control
units. The R18 e-tron quattro has a master system control
unit that primarily handles control of the engine and hybrid
system and also communicates with the other control units
in the race car.
The race car is directly linked to the computers in
the pits via an online connection. It handles high-speed data
transmission in real time for operating conditions that dont
require a high transmission rate such as temperatures. The
sports car also gathers the detailed fine data on each lap and
transmits this in a package to the pit via burst signal on driving past.
Two-way transmission is forbidden. The car can
send data to the pit, but not the other way round. The only
possibility for the team to have an influence on the car is the
voice radio contact with the race driver in the car. Should data
analysis by the engineers indicate a need for intervention, the
driver receives this information via the radio perhaps on the
adjustment of brake balance, engine control or the hybrid
system.
There is also a telemetry system for officials from
the FIA (Fdration Internationale de lAutomobile), who,
together with the ACO (Automobile Club de lOuest) monitor
compliance with the regulations. Is the hybrid system adhering to the permitted amount of energy? Is the race cars
energy consumption within the specified limits? The FIA also
uses a GPS system. This year, it will measure whether a race
driver maintains the permitted speed in critical situations,
such as yellow phases around an accident. Likewise, the activities at marshalling zones such as securing an accident site
will be displayed in the cockpit. Thus the driver receives assistance that serves to protect the safety of all participants.
A modern LMP1 race car is constantly and comprehensively
networked with the team and race management.
In the air
tonight
Jan Monchaux
Head of Aerodynamics
Jan Monchaux is French and therefore a connoisseur and hobby chef, which is why he
likes to compare his profession, race-car aerodynamics, with cuisine. The ingredients and the herbs and spices are the same for
all. The dishes seasoned with them can be very different, yet all
delicious. The overall menu just has to be right. In racing, however,
it is not the subjective taste that counts, but the objective lap time.
And a major factor in that is the mastering of airflow and drag.
The R18 e-tron quattro must demonstrate not only
speed, but also efficiency. What helps for a start is the lowest possible
drag. The width of the cars has been reduced by ten centimeters this
year. They have a lower frontal area despite being higher and, above
all, the wheels are significantly narrower. Ultimately, the wheels are
always the source of poor airflow be it a sports car or a Formula 1
car with open wheels. Our job is to optimize everything around
these four great big lumps, smiles Monchaux. A car becomes fast
when it has the bad airflow around the four wheels well under
control or at least, better than the competition.
The narrower wheels also have an indirect benefit. They
generate less downforce, i.e. less of the vertical force that presses
the car onto the track. And less downforce usually also means less
drag. These days, though, everything ultimately has to fit perfectly together, says Monchaux. Previously, it was possible to use
aerodynamics to compensate relatively quickly for performance
inadequacies in the overall vehicle concept you simply added
more or less spoiler. Its not that straightforward any more. The
more or less downforce and the resulting more or less drag has an
immediate influence on drive strategy. At the end of the day, you
have to make optimum use of the defined amount of energy on
every single lap. Never before in motorsport have areas like aerodynamics and drive been so closely coupled with one another.
The fact that the completely new R18 for 2014 looks to
the lay person a lot like its predecessor does not surprise Monchaux.
At Audi, we follow a certain philosophy on race-car aerodynamics
even when the basic parameters have changed significantly. And
they have. At the front, for instance, it is now permissible to use a
real wing with a flap in place of the previous front diffuser. On the
other hand, the exhaust stream cannot be used in its previous form
for targeted flow along the rear diffuser. The high fin from the driver
compartment to the rear spoiler and the four openings above the
wheels are specified by the regulations. They are intended to reduce
the tendency for uncontrollable flying following accidents.
The target parameters and basic philosophy of a new
race car are clear from a very early stage. Then, says Monchaux,
comes a very iterative process in accordance with the model
test, error and retest, step by step. Besides plenty of experience,
50
the computer is also a major factor, with the tiniest changes to

surfaces and their effects calculated using CFD (Computational
Fluid Dynamics) models. The devil is always in the detail, says
Monchaux. The extensive work in the wind tunnel doesnt come
until later but is the most important part of the entire development process. The art lies in keeping the number of wind-tunnel
tests as low as possible through good advance work on the computer. This means that more positive concepts can be validated in
what is always too short a period of time.
There is no such thing as the single valid optimum,
says Monchaux, aware that all of the various dishes can taste equally delicious. As an important part of the vehicle menu, the aerodynamic package must simply be as well balanced as possible with the
other ingredients like the drive concept. And there it is again, that
difference from the subjective appreciation of cuisine at the end
of the day, what counts in racing is only the objective lap time.

CFD
Computational Fluid Dynamics is what the aerodynamicists
use to check many alternatives in detail before they head for the
wind tunnel.
WEC
Audi has two aerodynamic versions for the World Endurance
Championship. On the shorter tracks, more downforce is helpful.
This version is identifiable by its shorter rear end.
10
centimeters narrower
In line with the regulations, the Le Mans prototypes

and their wheels have become a lot narrower this year.
This helps to lower aerodynamic drag and therefore
improve efficiency.
Gram by gram
Not just aerodynamic drag, but weight, too, is the enemy of
racing. Virtually all parts of the outer skin are made from
carbon-fiber materials. And every last gram is shaved from
the few metal parts, too.
Scan the QR code and see an animation of

the airflow around the R18.
Le Mans
For Le Mans, the R18s are optimized for minimum
aerodynamic drag. Here, for instance, the rear diffuser
ends with the spoiler, the exhaust flow is directed
differently and the openings in the front wheel arches
specified by the regulations have been moved to
the inside.
1
2

3
4
5
51
Air outlet, front wheel arches

Large fin along the back is stipulated by the regulations
for more directional stability in the event of accidents.
Exhaust flows onto diffuser from above
Air outlet, rear wheel arches
LED lights integrated into side section of rear spoiler.
3
5
The
The
Audi R18
e-tron quattro
Text
Hermann Reil

The Contenders
The new regulations for the WEC and Le Mans call for a level of technical diversity found in no other
race series. The three factory teams are thus entering with highly differing drive concepts. Audi is running
with its TDI against the gasoline engines of its competitors. Alongside the extremely efficient diesel, Audi is
using two megajoules of recuperated energy per lap, while the competition is using six megajoules.
The vehicle
classes
in Le Mans:
Le Mans Prototypes
Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance
LMP1-H: With energy recuperation system,

for works teams
Four-stroke engines, any displacement
870 kg minimum weight
Length 465 cm, width 190 cm
Tank 68.3 l gasoline, 54.3 l diesel
Exactly defined consumption per lap
Four hybrid classes, from 2 to 8 MJ per lap
LMGTE: Category derived from two-door roadgoing sports cars. This year Porsche 911,
Ferrari 458, Aston Martin Vantage, Corvette
Naturally aspirated up to 5.5 liters
Turbocharged engines up to 4.0 liters
1,245 kg minimum weight
90-liter tank capacity
LMGTE-Pro: Team composition unrestricted
4.0-liter V6 TDI, 1 turbocharger, > 395 kW (> 537 hp)

Motor generator unit at the front axle, > 170 kW (> 230 hp)
Electric flywheel accumulator
7-speed transmission with carbon-fiber housing
Matrix LED headlamps with laser light
Tank capacity 54.3 liters
LMP1-L: Without energy recuperation, for

private teams only
LMP2: Smaller prototypes for private teams
Naturally aspirated engines up to 5.0 liters,
8 cylinders
Turbocharged engines up to 3.2 liters,
6 cylinders
900 kg minimum weight
75-liter tank capacity
One of the drivers must hold silver or bronze
amateur status
Audi is placing its trust in the TDI as the acknowledged most efficient internal combustion
engine, even if it is handicapped here by a small tank. The new four-liter V6 is supported by a motor generator unit at the front axle. The flywheel accumulator reacts quickly and is very lightweight. This is particularly important to Audi, as the very concept of
the TDI makes it considerably heavier than the four-cylinder or naturally aspirated gasoline engines of the competition. One example of systematic lightweight design is the
transmission housing made from extremely lightweight carbon fiber.
LMGTE-Am: At least one driver in team must have

bronze status and one bronze or silver status
Garage 56: One exotic is permitted by the organizers outside of the categories. In 2014, this
is the arrow-shaped Nissan ZEOD with a 1.5-liter
three-cylinder hybrid. Special feature: It wants
to drive 13 laps with an internal combustion engine
and every 14th lap on electricity alone.
Drive status: The drivers are categorized by
the FIA and WEC in accordance with experience
and success from bronze to platinum status.
Force Field
Force Field
Toyota
TS040 Hybrid
3.7-liter V8 gasoline engine, naturally aspirated, 382 kW (520 hp)

Motor generator unit at the front axle
Motor generator unit at the rear axle, together 354 kW (480 hp)
Super capacitor as storage medium
7-speed transmission with aluminum housing
Xenon headlamps
Porsche
919
Porsche is using an extremely lightweight and compact V4 gasoline engine. The motor
generator unit at the front axle is of a similar size to Audis. Lithium-ion batteries are
used as an energy storage medium. They probably react for longer than the storage concepts used by Audi and Toyota. By recovering energy from the exhaust flow, Porsche
can charge the batteries not only in the purely braking phases, but also during the drive
phases.
Toyota has opted for a V8 engine that, at 100 kilograms, is incredibly lightweight. The
internal combustion engine is assisted by two powerful motor generators at the front
and rear axles. With a theoretical system output of 1,000 hp, the Toyota accelerates very
fast out of corners, although this also means that the recuperated energy is consumed
very quickly. The Toyota car differs from the Audi in many aerodynamic details.
52
2.0-liter V4 gasoline engine, 1 turbocharger, > 370 kW (> 500 hp)

Motor generator unit at the front axle, > 185 kW (> 250 hp)
ERS for recovery of thermal energy from the exhaust. Generator is driven by exhaust flow
Lithium-ion battery packs as energy storage medium, liquid cooled
Four-point LED headlamps
53
THE
EngineEr
Powerful, emotional and efficient Audi leads the competitive field
with its drive technologies. What strategies does the brand
have up its sleeve to extend this lead even further? A conversation with
Dr. Stefan Knirsch, Head of Development Engines.
Text
Johannes Kbler
Dr. Knirsch, what makes it particularly

interesting to work for Audi?
Knirsch: Because the scope of work here is so wide ranging. Audi customers expect their cars to bring them
high power and supreme performance, together with
low fuel consumption. These apparent conflicts of interest are particularly evident in the premium segment
which makes it all the more exciting to solve them.
TDI, TFSI, e-tron and e-fuels
are those the four pillars on which the future
of mobility stands at Audi?
Knirsch: The strongest pillars are certainly the diesel
and gasoline engine. Both combustion processes have
again made huge progress in recent years. The development of synthetic and sustainable fuels, the Audi efuels, represents an important milestone for the internal combustion engine. And electromobility that is,
e-tron will, of course, gain significantly in importance
in future.
And which of these pillars is most interesting
for the future?
Knirsch: We will see a greater variety of mobility concepts and it will be exciting to see which ones win
through. However, the internal combustion engine still
has a long life ahead of it. All serious studies state that
it will still dominate the market in the year 2030.
Lets take a closer look at each of the individual
technologies. What CO potential do you
see over the next few years for internal combustion
engines?
Knirsch: Audi is already the premium automaker with
the lowest CO fleet emissions. We have a series of
highly efficient ultra models on the market and are now
introducing the latest generation of TDIs with amazing
fuel consumption figures. It will be possible to reduce
the consumption of our TDI and TFSI engines by a further 15 percent by 2020 just through measures taken
inside the engine.
54
Photos
Bernhard Huber
TDI with even more driving fun

The Audi RS 5 TDI concept with electric biturbo.
There are no major steps left

to take, only systematic
f
urther development of the
individual elements.
It will be possible to reduce the
c
onsumption of our TDI
and TFSI engines by a further
15 percent by 2020 just
through measures taken inside
the engine.
Which engine technology is the most effective?

Knirsch: Where we were previously chasing savings of
10 grams of CO, we are now after 0.2 grams. There are
no major steps left to take, only systematic further development of the individual elements. One important
element is the reduction of friction in the engine and
transmission, through things like the correct drive layout or by using innovative coatings. Another aspect is
thermal management the intelligent division of heat
flow during, for instance, the warm-up phase. The third
major leverage comes from the optimization of the
charge cycle and the combustion process.
Dr. Stefan Knirsch
Audis TDI engines are not only highly efficient

they are also becoming more emotional.
Knirsch: For the diesel engine, the future holds two
more challenges a degree of off-the-line weakness
and the acoustics. We are addressing these through
technologies such as the electrically driven compressor
and further-refined injection and combustion processes. In many Audi cars, it is already almost impossible to
tell from the sound whether they are being driven by a
gasoline or diesel engine.
For both the TDI and the TFSI, the specific
output has been climbing continuously due to
downsizing. Is there an end in sight?
Knirsch: A TDI with an output of 100 kW per liter is a
clear aim for the engine development engineers. How
ever, you have to distinguish between a high-performance concept, such as an Audi racing engine for Le
Mans, and series production, where a diesel engine with
100 kW per liter would be more of a showcase project.
The same goes for gasoline engines with 155 kW per
liter, as we showed in the TT 420 at the Geneva Motor
Show. It demonstrates Audis enormous experience in
turbocharging not just in terms of power, but also in
dynamics and off-the-line performance.
55
How do you intend to achieve 95 grams

of CO per kilometer by 2020?
Dr. Stefan Knirsch
And what about the fourth pillar of

Audi mobility, e-fuels?
Knirsch: From todays standpoint, we will achieve the

target through a combination of measures, i.e. through
the further development of the combustion engine and
through increasing electrification. All our cars in Europe
are already equipped with generator recuperation.
From 12-volt and 48-volt concepts, hybridization also
extends into the realm of high voltage. Among the
plug-in hybrids, the A3 Sportback e-tron is taking over
the pioneering role this year. The MLB evo the secondgeneration Modular Transverse Matrix will also include plug-in hybrids that we could well envisage with
both gasoline and diesel engines.
Among the plug-in hybrids,

the A3 Sportback e-tron
is taking over the
pioneering role this year.
The MLB evo the second-
generation Modular
Transverse Matrix will also
i
nclude such concepts
that we could well
envisage with both gasoline
and diesel engines.
Knirsch: The Audi e-gas plant in Werlte, which we are

using to generate synthetic natural gas, brings COneutral mobility to our customers with the help of an
accompanying refueling card. In parallel, we are also
developing the liquid synthetic fuels Audi e-diesel and
e-ethanol, with the aim of producing them in larger
quantities by the end of the decade.
What are the chances for e-quattro,

the electric quattro drive?
How small can an Audi engine be?
What are the prospects for three-cylinders?
Impressive push the 3.0 TDI drive in the Audi RS 5 TDI

concept with electric biturbo (see page 68)
generates 283 kW (385 hp) and delivers a maximum torque
of 750 Nm. When pulling away, the electric compressor
provides remarkable off-the-line torque; if the driver stays on the
gas, it reaches 100 km/h in around four seconds. What
makes this engine so notable is the fast, virtually seamless build
up of power in every situation.
Knirsch: The e-quattro is a fundamentally interesting

alternative. The front wheels are driven by the combustion engine and the front electric motor, while the rear
electric motor drives the rear wheels. This is how a new
kind of quattro drive could be realized with all features
such as torque vectoring. The battery could be located
partly in the floor tunnel.
Knirsch: A three-cylinder is sensibly designed for fuel

consumption and not for power. That applies to both
gasoline and diesel engines. A highly charged threecylinder is technically feasible, but the high combustion
pressures would necessitate a great many modifications in everything from the crankcase, through conrod
bearings to camshaft timing. Friction and fuel consumption, however, would rise. The statement fewer
cylinders and less displacement equals lower consumption is not without its restrictions downsizing has its
limits.
A propos rear-wheel drive and tunnel

battery, when can we expect to see the R8 e-tron
on the road?
Knirsch: In our first version, we presented a concept
that was convincing in terms of its handling and performance. Now we are developing it in respect of range
with new battery technologies. The manufacturers of
round and flat cells are currently making major progress in energy density. We are aiming for range well in
excess of 400 km and want to build the R8 e-tron in
small volumes to customer order.
How big can an Audi engine be?

How does a 4.2 TDI fit into the engine matrix?
Knirsch: For the diesels, the high-displacement, multicylinder units allow us to lower the minimum revs substantially, without sacrificing vibration comfort. The V6
TDI is already at 1,000 revs, while the V8 TDI can run at
800 revs without any detriment to comfort. What this
means in practice for Audi customers is considerable
combustion benefits. In the foreseeable future, we will
be able to show new kinds of rightsizing concepts for
gasoline engines. They bring displacement and power
in perfect harmony with the size of the vehicle, yet
achieve very ambitious CO targets.
Is range the biggest stumbling block for

purely electric cars?
What fuel-consumption potential remains

in power transmission?
Knirsch: In our new DL 382 dual-clutch transmission,
we have implemented a large number of measures that
increase the rate of efficiency. They range all the way to
a quasi dry-sump lubrication concept. The emissions
benefit of this transmission stands at around 10 grams
of CO per kilometer.
Do more gears automatically mean less
fuel consumption?
Knirsch: First and foremost, a larger number of gears
has a negative effect on efficiency, because the friction
is higher. The real motivation must therefore be a greater ratio spread, which works best with engines that have
a very high torque and power output. Transmissions
with more than seven or eight gears only make sense in
the higher performance classes.
What can we still expect to see from the
classic quattro drive?
Knirsch: With the self-locking center differential and
the sport differential, Audi already has a very sporty
lineup the best there is in terms of handling and performance. And, when it comes to efficiency, we also
have a couple more interesting ideas up our sleeves. But
youll have to wait and see!

Knirsch: Theres a second big challenge that is closely

connected to that the energy network and charging
infrastructure. One interesting technology is inductive
charging with direct current that we call Audi wireless
charging. Its fast, incredibly convenient and unproblematic, all in one.
Is Audi still working on the fuel cell car?
Knirsch: We are involved in a number of projects with
fuel cell prototypes based on the Q5 and A7. If the fuelstation infrastructure ultimately makes the technology
feasible, then we will be there on the market. In
California, where such a network already exists, the assumption is that this stage will be reached by the start
of the next decade.
Outside RS, inside TDI the technical study brings

together the best of both worlds.
56
57
LIGHT
MY
FIRE
25 Years of Vorsprung
In 1989, Audi presented its first model
with a TDI engine. Since then, the technology
has been an enormous success story
and the brand with the four rings continues
to develop it at full speed.
Text
Johannes Kbler
58
Photos
Ulrike Myrzik and Audi AG
Illustrations: Steven Pope
Mighty power Audi is working hard on the

development of TDI technology.
The latest step is the 3.0 TDI clean diesel.
59
Under pressure
four engineers,
one resounding success
Herr Bauder, you are one of the pioneers of
the TDI engine. What was it like back then, when it
all began?
Bauder: The 1973 oil crisis triggered the instruction to
develop an engine that was as fuel efficient as possible.
It was quickly clear to us that it could only be a diesel.
Following two or three years of advance development,
we opted for the multi-spray process and were able to
convince our system suppliers to design a pump for
the purpose. At the time, the injection process was the
main development driver. It wasnt until somewhat
later that the turbocharger drew even.
How many people were available to work on this?
Bauder: There were about ten of us at the time. The use
of finite-element analysis was still very much in its infancy the computer needed several days to generate
a model and calculate the stiffness of a piston. The big
challenge was to make the engine sellable in terms of
power, torque, fuel consumption and acoustics; otherwise, it would have been a non-starter.
1995
The TDI men

photo shoot at an
engine test
stand in Neckarsulm.
Richard Bauder (65)
worked on the
development of the very
first TDI. From 1993
until 2012, he was
in charge of Audis diesel
engine development
in Neckarsulm.
1.9 TDI
Pioneer Audi 100 2.5 TDI Sedan.
Series production began at the start of 1990.
Ulrich Wei (45)

followed Bauder
as head of diesel engine
development.
Interrupted by a brief
spell with Daimler,
Wei has been with Audi
since 1994.
1989
2.5 TDI
Andreas Frhlich (47)

came to Audi in 1991.
He has been
lead engineer in
diesel engine development since 2011.
In 1989, Audi presented a technical

milestone at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The five-cylinder in the Audi 100, with
a displacement of 2,461 cm, was
the worlds first direct-injection turbodiesel with fully electronic management the first TDI. The distributor-type
injection pump for the two-valve
engine built up to 900 bar of pressure.
Ulrich Baretzky (59)

has been in charge
of racing engine
development at Audi
since 1994. Since 2013,
he has also been
on the Supervisory Board
of MAN Diesel & Turbo.
The five-cylinder TDI started with 88 kW

(120 hp) and 265 Nm of torque, the
latter at 2,250 rpm. The brawny power
delivery was a major statement. The
Audi 100 2.5 TDI reached a top speed of
almost 200 km/h, with average fuel
consumption according to the then standard of 5.7 liters per 100 km. As of
1994, the five-cylinder was equipped
with a redesigned pump and exhaustgas aftertreatment and generated
103 kW (140 hp) in the Audi A6; there
was also a version available with
85 kW (115 hp).
Wei: We have 172 people working in diesel engine

development these days, of which around one third
works in the field of electronics and that number is
growing.
Baretzky: In race engine development, there are around
50 of us developing, building, stripping and analyzing
the engines.
And how did things progress after the launch of the
TDI in the Audi 100 in 1989?
Bauder: In many individual steps. The first were the
variable turbine geometry for the turbocharger and the
further development from five-cylinder to V6 with fourvalve technology; then came the common-rail systems,
a little later with piezo injectors. The big challenge in
the new century was exhaust-gas after treatment we
have now addressed all outstanding areas of criticism,
with clean diesel incorporating catalysts and SCR systems. The TDI has now arrived at a point where it fulfills
all emissions limits, including the toughest in the
world.
Frhlich: And it is on exactly this know-how that we are
now building. Our next step is the storage catalyst in
combination with an SCR system. This will enable us to
meet the next phase of emissions legislation in Europe
and the U.S. and lay a solid basis for the years to come.
The next thing will be measurements under actual conditions, known as real driving emissions. Our current
developments put us in an excellent position to address
this.
This was thanks primarily to a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry

(VTG) on the exhaust side, which enabled a smooth and spontaneous build
up of torque, even at low revs. The
powerful, four-cylinder TDI, whose distributor-type injector pump operated
at almost 950 bar, ran in the A4, the A6
and the A3 launched in 1996.
In the early nineties, Audi took some
fundamental decisions. In 1993,
the brand shifted its diesel lineup completely to TDI engines. As of 1994,
the five-cylinder now with 103 kW
(140 hp) was also available with
quattro permanent all-wheel drive.
The TV spot featuring the question
Wheres the tank? made the engine
legendary. The Audi A6 TDI could
cover up to 1,300 kilometers on one
single tank of fuel.
Milestone 2.5 TDI from 1989 with 88 kW

(120 hp) and 265 Nm of torque.
First TDI with VTG charger from Audi

the 1.9-liter from 1995.
Bauder: When you start with the 1989 level, pollutant

emissions have dropped by 98 percent between then
and now, while power output and torque have risen by
between 100 and 150 percent.
60
1991 saw Audi introduce the first fourcylinder TDI to the market. An extensive redesign followed four years later
the displacement of 1,896 cm now
delivered a substantial 81 kW (110 hp)
instead of 66 kW (90 hp). The maximum torque grew from 182 Nm to
225 Nm, available as of just 1,700 rpm
and remaining constant through to
3,000 revs.
61
What is currently your main focus in TDI

development?
Where are the areas of commonality between the

racing engine and the series-production TDI?
Wei: Firstly, there are the classic issues fully variable

ancillaries like oil and water pumps, reduced internal
friction, new materials and new manufacturing processes. However, the steps we are taking here are getting smaller and smaller; we increasingly have to combine these things. Then we are working on the turbocharger and the Audi valvelift system (AVS), which gives
us new freedoms in charge cycling and enables internal
exhaust-gas recirculation. When it comes to injection,
this decade will see us achieve pressures of more than
2,500 bar in production applications, which will reduce
raw emissions even further. And the output per liter of
100 kW that we are striving to achieve over the next few
years is highly dependent on injection pressure.
1997
Baretzky: There are none in the engines themselves,

but in the development of new concepts. In motor
sport, we have the freedom to pursue new avenues and
to try out new ideas in a way that isnt possible in series
development. From a technical standpoint, whats possible for us will also work there.
The all-new V6 layout with four-valve

technology the 2.5 TDI.
2.5 V6 TDI
In 1997, the successor to the fivecylinder was the worlds first V6 TDI with
four-valve technology. It presented
solutions such as the swirl and tangential ducts in the intake and the radialpiston injector pump, which developed
up to 1,850 bar pressure. From a displacement of 2,496 cm, the V6 TDI
generated 110 kW (150 hp) and a maximum of 310 Nm between 1,400 and
3200 rpm. It was used in the A4, the A6
and the A8. In its final evolution, it
produced 132 kW (180 hp).
Wei: Were very happy to accept this support. Motor

sport motivates our production suppliers; it helps them
and us to understand where possible routes could take
us. This opens a great many doors when it comes to
sporty diesel engines. The success at Le Mans shows the
potential of this idea.
How much fuel does the racing diesel consume?
How high is the injection pressure in the TDI for

the LMP1 race car?
Baretzky: Right now, its north of 2,800 bar although
our injection system differs from the production system
only in its internals. Over the years, we have achieved
more power with every 100-bar step. We are working
very intensively on the issue of combustion chamber
development and have found a few interesting solutions in this field, too. When you get the combustion
process right, including the high injection pressures,
you inevitably arrive at high ignition pressures. Emis
sions legislation is not really an issue we have a particulate filter, and thats that.
How high is the ignition pressure in a racing diesel?
Baretzky: We are at well over 200 bar with the corresponding loads exerted on the crankshaft, bearings,
cylinder heads and pistons. Our crankcase incorporates
tensioning bolts made from high-strength steels. We
dont use any exotic materials, because we want to
guarantee transfer into series production. The crankshaft and pistons are made from steel, the heads from
aluminum. If you cast them right and cool them correctly, you achieve a considerable increase in strength
and durability.
Engine failure is, of course, unheard-of at
Audi Sport
Baretzky: We havent had a single racing failure in the
last 20 years. To a certain degree, our engines have
it easier than the series-production units. They only
have to hold up for 36 hours although, in Le Mans, 73
percent of those are under full load. So in the end, it
makes the whole thing more demanding
Baretzky: Compared with the twelve-cylinder from

2006, we reduced fuel consumption with the 3.7-liter
V6 TDI by 21 percent, while at the same time increasing
the lap times in Le Mans by around 15 seconds. Starting
from this low basis, we managed to lower the consumption for 2014, in light of the new efficiency regulations,
by a further 25 percent. The reduction in fuel consumption, too, is ultimately based on higher pressure, higher temperatures and better mixture formation. What
binds us with our colleagues in series development is
specific fuel consumption the requirement to extract
an ever-increasing amount of power from each drop of
fuel.
Herr Wei, Herr Frhlich, how will the fuel
consumption of Audis series-production TDIs
develop in future?
Premiere of common-rail injection

3.3 TDI, the first V8 diesel from Audi.
1999
Wei: Last year, we finished first among the premium

manufacturers in fleet figures, with 142 grams of CO
per km. We are working hard to achieve the 95-gram
target for 2020 and are feeling very positive about it.
3.3 TDI
Frhlich: A reduction in fuel consumption of 15 percent

by 2020 is surely possible through engine-based measures alone. Electrification will increase this figure considerably.
Wei: This is where the future is just beginning! The
first hybridization step for the TDI is the electric auxiliary drive for the turbocharger. This will give us considerable improvement in the dynamic transition characteristics, i.e. engine responsiveness. We could well
envisage the electric biturbo for all of our engines.
Baretzky: In Le Mans this year, we will again be using a
further developed MGU a Motor Generator Unit with
a flywheel accumulator as a temporary drive for the
front wheels. The driver feels this when accelerating
from lower revs. But, compared with the energy that
the TDI delivers per lap, its a very modest contributor.
Incidentally, our turbocharger generates 2.8 to 3.0 bar
of absolute charge pressure, which isnt that much
more than in a production car. There are actually similarities in one or two technical areas.
The instruction was

to develop an engine that
was as fuel-efficient
as possible. It was quickly
clear to us that it could
only be a diesel.
Richard Bauder
Frhlich: Besides the electric biturbo, we also have a

few more concepts up our sleeves. We have conceived
a matrix of hybridization variants and scalable electric
motors, which we are currently implementing at a fast
pace.
62
63
3,328 cm liters of displacement,

four overhead camshafts, 32 valves, two
turbochargers with variable turbine
geometry the V8, which was introduced in the Audi A8 in 1999, was stateof-the-art. Its crankcase was made
from high-strength and lightweight
vermicular graphite cast iron; the
charge air and the recirculated exhaust
were water cooled. A common-rail
system new at Audi injected the fuel
at a pressure of 1,350 bar.
With 165 kW (225 hp) and 480 Nm of
torque, the V8 TDI was a highly cultivated and refined drive. Its top speed of
242 km/h opened up a whole new
dimension.
What binds us with our

colleagues in series development is the requirement to extract an everincreasing amount of
power from each drop of
fuel. In motorsport, we
have the freedom to pursue new avenues and
to try out new ideas. From
a technical standpoint,
whats possible for us
will also work in series production.
Ulrich Baretzky
2004
Wei: Here in Neckarsulm, of course, we develop the

V diesel engines for all of Audis larger models. Its
here, in particular, that hybridization has great deal of
appeal. As a customer, you can use the TDI for distance
driving and, in the city, where the drive is subject to
lower loads, you can drive electrically with zero local
emissions. Naturally, the financial implications, complexity and weight all increase. We are, after all, putting
two complete drivelines into the car. We have to find
the right balance in order to bring maximum benefit to
the customer.
3.0 TDI
City companion the Audi A2 1.2 TDI was

several years ahead of its time.
2001
1.2 TDI
In 2001, Audi set a new best in the subcompact class the A2 1.2 TDI achieved
an average fuel consumption of 2.99
liters per 100 km (81 grams of CO per
km). It was the first and, so far, the only
three-liter car in the world with five
doors. Its design adhered strictly to the
demands of the wind tunnel, resulting in a cd figure of 0.25. Thanks to the
aluminum bodyshell, it had a curb
weight of 855 kilograms.
Beneath the hood of the 3.83-meter
Audi A2 1.2 TDI was a three-cylinder
diesel with a displacement of 1,191 cm.
Derived from the 1.4 TDI, it produced
45 kW (61 hp) and maximum torque of
140 Nm from 1,800 to 2,400 rpm.
The small two-valve engine used a VTG
turbocharger and pump-jet injection
that developed 2,050 bar pressure.
A start/stop system switched off the en
gine when the car was at a standstill,
while a five-speed automated manual
transmission sent the drive to the
front wheels.
Compact, powerful and highly efficient

the 1.2 TDI with the automated manual transmission.
64
The 3.0 TDI, which debuted in 2004,

was the first member of Audis
new V-engine family with a common
90-degree V-angle, 90 millimeter
cylinder spacing and chain drive at the
back. Like all large Audi diesels, it
had a stiff, lightweight block made
from vermicular graphite cast
iron, with a particulate filter to clean
the exhaust.
Also new, were the inline piezo injectors, which could inject tiny amounts
of fuel and open and close extremely quickly to realize multiple fuel injections. This enabled them to deliver
a finely modulated increase in pressure
to a maximum of 1,600 bar and a combustion process that ensured quiet
engine acoustics. Over the years that
followed, Audi converted its entire
diesel-engine lineup to piezo technology.
The three-liter TDI came initially in three
variants; they generated 150 kW
(240 hp), 165 kW (224 hp) and 171 kW
(233 hp). In the space of just a few
years, it was being used extensively
across the model range. Audi launched
its second generation in 2009.
AdBlue injection nitrogen oxide is split into

nitrogen and water.
2009
3.0 TDI clean diesel
In response to increasingly strict
exhaust regulations, Audi launched
clean diesel technology in 2009.
The 3.0 TDI clean diesel was equipped
with a common-rail system with
2,000 bar pressure and a new kind of
combustion chamber sensor. The
fine spray and the precise combustion
of the fuel ensured low raw emissions.
In the exhaust line, an SCR catalyst
reduced the remaining nitrogen oxides.
The injected liquid additive AdBlue
broke up in the hot exhaust to
create ammonia, which split the nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and water.
Does this mean that downsizing at any price is not

the way forward?
Wei: A few of our competitors are going completely
in this direction, and small engines are very good for
fuel consumption on the approval cycles. However, this
does not always transfer to real-life customer consumption, which is why we have opted for rightsizing
the right engine size for each respective vehicle size.
Now that we have addressed the tasks set by

emissions legislation,
we can once again con
centrate fully on the
dynamics and efficiency of
the diesel engine. There
are many facets of
dynamics and emotionality
in a TDI.
Ulrich Wei
Frhlich: We are still active in the eight-cylinder segment and continuing our development work there. If
our customers want to drive a powerful V8 TDI, then
thats what theyll get in future, too. And the end of the
day, the key factor is acceptance, i.e. the market.
Wei: The biturbo TDI, including the one in the SQ5
TDI, is a great success for Audi and a new door opener.
We are proud of the first S-emblem on a diesel and also
of its sporty sound. We have been working on this issue
for a long time to ensure that our engines are perceived
more emotionally, despite the many catalysts, which
absorb the sound. The emotionality and the driving fun
of a diesel have many facets, not least the high torque
at low revs.
Does the future of the TDI lie in its sporting

credentials?
Wei: Now that we have addressed the tasks set by
emissions legislation, we can once again concentrate
fully on the dynamics and efficiency of the diesel engine. We will further expand the assets of economy and
efficiency bestowed upon the TDI by Richard Bauder. At
the same time, we are working on the strengths covered
by Ulrich Baretzky in motorsport dynamics and emotionality.
Bauder: If you further reduce emissions and consumption while continuing to increase performance, the
diesel will become even more competitive
High achiever the 3.0 TDI in Audis new

V-engine layout.
A reduction in fuel
consumption of
15 percent by 2020
is surely possible
through engine-based
measures alone.
Electrification, for
which we have developed a whole
matrix of solutions,
will increase this
figure considerably.
Andreas Frhlich
65
Baretzky: and when you see how fast it has developed

in the last 25 years, I believe it still has the largest part
of its future ahead of it.
Wei: In order to grow the diesel engine further, we
need new markets. And this calls for stable and predictable legislation. China, of course, is of major interest to
us, but we have the problem there of variable fuel quality in rural areas. For Europe, we are pursuing another
fuel issue sustainably produced Audi e-diesel, which
we are testing in our engines. Its a suitable piece in the
puzzle of the future. Like every new technology, it will
have its breakthrough when the time is right.
2014
For the 25th anniversary of TDI technology, Audi has
once more fundamentally redesigned the 3.0 TDI in
its latest evolution, the V6 diesel is even cleaner, more
efficient and more powerful. In the top version, the
monoturbo generates 200 kW (272 hp) and sends up
to 600 Nm to the crankshaft from 1,500 to 3,000 rpm.
It undercuts its predecessor in fuel consumption by a
good ten percent.
The new three-liter diesel boasts fascinating high-end solutions in all technical areas. The pistons
are supplied with cooling oil via cast-in ring channels,
while new coatings on the rings and pins ensure minimal
friction. The weight-optimized crankcase is made from
high-strength vermicular graphite cast iron and the
newly conceived cylinder heads have separate coolingwater circuits; the cylinder-head water jackets are split
into two, in order to lower pressure losses. The oil pump
is fully variable. The turbocharger and exhaust manifold
have also been modified, while the common-rail injection system develops 2,000 bar of system pressure.
Designed to meet the limits of the Euro 6
standard, the 3.0 TDI bears the adjunct clean diesel.
In the interests of rapid start-up, the exhaust aftertreatment components are positioned as closely as
possible to the rear of the engine. The oxidation catalyst lies coaxially downstream of the turbochargers
turbine outlet. Direct behind it is the diesel particulate
filter; its filter walls are covered in a coating that converts nitrogen oxides in the exhaust using the SCR process (selective catalytic reduction). A metering module
injects the necessary AdBlue additive.
Technical Data
Bore / stroke
83.0 / 91.4 mm
Displacement
2,967 cm
Cylinder spacing
90.0 mm
Power
200 kW (272 hp) @ 4,000 rpm
Specific power
Torque
67.4 kW (91.7 hp) per liter of displacement

up to 600 Nm from 1,500 to 3,000 rpm
Compression
66
16.0:1
Weight
192 kg
2
17
17
16
1
14
14
15
8
3
7
Cylinder head
6
10
11
10
11
13
12
15
Newly developed the cylinder head of the
3.0 TDI with camshaft drive gears.
16
12
13
The new packaging of the exhaustaftertreatment components led to modi

fications in the chain drive on the
3.0 TDI. The oil/vacuum pump and the
high-pressure pump in the commonrail system were given separate drives.
In the camshaft drive arrangement,
gear sets and idler gears running on sophisticated needle-roller bearings
replaced the big chain wheels. Designed
as assembled hollow shafts, the camshafts are particularly lightweight.
They actuate the valves via extremely
stiff roller cam followers.
The new 3.0 TDI clean diesel
1 Throttle valve
2 Swirl flap in intake manifold
3 Common-rail injector
4 Common-rail
high-pressure pump
5 Drive gear for
high-pressure pump
6 Roller cam follower
7 Assembled hollow camshaft
8 Camshaft gears
9 Idler gear for camshaft drive
10 Aluminum pistons with
cooling channel and
DLC-coated piston pins
11 Balancer-shaft drive gear
12 Bearing frame
13 Crankcase in vermicular
graphite cast iron
14 Cooler for exhaust-gas
recirculation system
15 Exhaust-gas recirculation
take-off
16 Turbocharger with variable
turbine geometry
17 Turbocharger housing
insulation
We will further expand

the assets of economy and
efficiency bestowed
upon the TDI by Richard
Bauder. At the same time,
we are working on the
strengths covered by
Ulrich Baretzky in motorsport dynamics and
emotionality.
Ulrich Wei
67
2014
Powerhouse the two chargers on the

3.0 TDI biturbo cooperate with one another
via a switching valve.
3.0 TDI Biturbo

The V6 diesel range is crowned by the
biturbo version, which appeared in
2011. Compared with the monoturbo,
many details of the biturbo have been
modified. Following its most recent
redesign, the clean diesel delivers
235 kW (320 hp) and 650 Nm of torque.
A switching valve between the small
and large charger manages the boost;
a sound actuator inside the exhaust
system gives the diesel engine a rich,
deep tone.
3.0 TDI
with electric biturbo
Audi is working intensively on the diesel
engine with a completely new technology known as electric biturbo. The turbocharger works in tandem with an additional, electrically driven compressor.
Instead of a turbine rotor, it incorporates
a small electric motor that accelerates
the compressor rotor to extremely high
revs in a very short space of time.
The electric charger is connected downstream of the intercooler and is bypassed
in most operating situations. When very
low revs mean there is little energy in the
exhaust, the bypass flap closes and the
electric charger is activated. The new technology enables a previously unheardof level of power build up at very low revs
or when pulling away from a standstill
making the 3.0 TDI even sportier.
68
25 Years of TDI:
The Success Story
This year sees Audi celebrate a very
special anniversary the 25th birthday
of the TDI. In fall 1989, the Audi 100
2.5 TDI first appeared at the Frankfurt
Motor Show; it presented the first
turbodiesel engine with direct injection and fully electronic control. Since
then, the brand with the four rings
has expanded its leadership ever further, setting many more milestones
along the way.
Audi A3 ultra
Torque colossus Between 2,500 and

2,750 rpm, the V8 TDI sends a whopping
850 Nm to the crankshaft.

The big strength of the eight-cylinder
diesel that Audi offers in the A8 and
Q7 is its mighty torque 850 Nm in the
latest evolution. Thanks to the VTG
turbocharger, which produces up to
1.7 bar of relative charge pressure, the
build-up of power begins from the
very lowest end of the rev range. This,
as well as the engines extremely
smooth running characteristics, enables
engine speeds of around 800 rpm,
which leads to considerably lower fuel
consumption.
Multi-faceted the 2.0 TDI is in many Audi

models, ranging all the way to the business class.
The 2.0 TDI is the bestseller in the

Audi lineup from the A1 to the A6, it
is in many of the companys model
lines, with up to 140 kW (190 hp) of
output and 380 Nm of torque. In
its newest, Euro 6 versions, the fourcylinder diesel boasts an array of
compelling technical details, like an
integrated valve drive module complete with adjustable intake camshaft,
two balancer shafts in the crankcase,
flexible thermal management, a
common-rail system with 2,000 bar
pressure and a high and low-pressure exhaust-gas recirculation system.
Efficiency hero the Audi A3 ultra emits an average

of no more than 85 grams per CO per kilometer.
In the Audi A8, the V8 TDI generates

283 kW (385 hp), making the luxury
sedan move like a sports car. The sprint
from zero to 100 km/h is over in 4.7
seconds (A8 L: 4.9 seconds), while the
top speed of 250 km/h is a mere formality.
Additional pressure the new charger (red)

uses an electric drive to compress the air.
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3.2 liters of fuel per 100

km, a CO equivalent
of 85 grams per km the
Audi A3 ultra is the most
efficient model in the
Audi lineup. It is driven by
the 1.6 TDI, which has
been systematically
designed for minimal friction. The 81 kW (110 hp)
and 250 Nm of torque
flow through a six-speed
manual transmission
to the front wheels, giving
the three-door, which
has a curb weight of just
1,205 kilograms, extremely agile performance.
Audi is gradually expanding its ultra range which
will soon consist of 13
models.
Since 1989, TDI technology has helped

the diesel engine soar to previously
unimaginable technical heights and
become an overwhelming market
success. Development began in 1989
with an injection pressure of 900 bar.
In many engines, this figure now
stands at 2,000 bar. Based on displacement, the power and torque of the
TDI has increased over the 25 years by
more than 100 percent, while pollutant emissions have fallen by 98 percent.
To date, Audi has produced around
7.5 million cars with TDI engines
600,000 of them in 2013 alone. They
contributed significantly toward
the brand with the four rings achieving the lowest fleet fuel consumption
of all German premium manufacturers. The TDIs offered by Audi today
are highly efficient and clean, cultivated, comfortable and powerful.
Aside from the R8, they are in all model
ranges. The lineup stretches from
1.6 to 4.2 liters of displacement and
from 66 kW (90 hp) to 283 kW
(382 hp).
25 years after the market launch of
the first TDI, Audi continues to extend
its lead. The extensively redesigned
3.0 TDI clean diesel sets a new milestone in future, the electric biturbo will
make the TDI even sportier and more
emotional. In parallel, Audi is working
hard on the electrification of its drivelines. When it comes to fuels, the
brand stands firmly behind sustainably
produced Audi e-diesel. Audis TDI
engine can look back at an impressive
success story and forward to a
great future.
More
from Less
The same principle applies to the TDI

engines that drive Audis racing prototypes as
to those for series production to make
the best possible use of every drop of fuel.
On the test stand the V6 TDI for the 2012
season under full load.
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2006 to 2013
2011 to 2013
Permanent
Progress
The V6 TDI in the Audi R18 TDI

and R18 e-tron quattro
Diesel pioneer the victorious Audi R10 TDI
achieved an average speed of 215.409 km/h.
For Audi, motorsport is the ideal test bed for series

production, and the toughest test of all is the 24 Hours
of Le Mans. In 2006, the brand put a TDI engine on
the starting grid for the first time. And, since then, Audi
has celebrated seven overall victories from eight starts.
The demands that apply in Le Mans are principally the
same as for series-production cars to extract more and
more from every drop of fuel, increase specific power
and, at the same time, reduce fuel consumption.
Over the years, the regulations for TDI engines have
become increasingly stringent. The diameter of the airflow restrictor has been reduced by 34 percent and
displacement by almost 33 percent. As a result, absolute
power has fallen from more than 478 kW (650 hp) in
2006 to around 360 kW (490 hp) in 2013 i.e. by around
25 percent.
This makes the increase in specific power all the more
important. From 87 kW (118 hp) per liter of displacement in 2006, it rose to 107 kW (146 hp) in 2011 a plus
of almost 24 percent. The piston surface power the
measure of power output from each individual cylinder
actually grew in the same period from 40 kW (54 hp) to
66 kW (90 hp), i.e. by 65 percent. In parallel, Audi has
reduced fuel consumption in race operation at Le Mans by
more than 20 percent.
2006 to
2008
The V12 TDI in the
Audi R10 TDI
The R10 TDI diesel race car completed
a series of resounding triumphs fol
lowing its debut in 2006. Its twelve-cylinder started a whole new motorsport
chapter. With its torque of more than
1,100 Nm, the 5.5-liter TDI exceeded all
the gasoline-powered cars by a significant margin. At its rated engine speed,
the amazingly quiet-running biturbo
produced around 480 kW (more than
650 hp) enough for a top speed of
ca. 330 km/h depending on gear ratio.
Two particulate filters cleaned the
exhaust, while a sequential five-speed
transmission sent the power to the
rear axle.
The comparatively low consumption
and the high range of the R10 TDI were
the keys to victory at the 24 Hours
of Le Mans in 2006. Drivers Frank Biela,
Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner
had to bring the car into the pits just
27 times. The same team prevailed
in the Audi R10 TDI in 2007, too, in
tough weather conditions, despite the
organizers having cut the size of the
fuel tank by ten percent. In 2008,
Rinaldo Capello, Allan McNish and Tom
Kristensen completed the hat trick
for the Audi R10 TDI.
The R15 TDI plus in Le Mans reliability,

efficiency and speed were the winning factors.
2009 to
2010
The V10 TDI in the
Audi R15 TDI
In the R15 TDI, Audi distributed the
5.5-liter displacement among two cylinders fewer. The V10 TDI produced
around 440 kW (ca. 600 hp) and more
than 1,050 Nm of torque. It was
shorter and lighter than the twelvecylinder, benefiting the agility of the
newly developed sports prototype.
However, at the endurance classic in
La Sarthe in 2009, the R15 TDI fin
ished in just third place following problems with the aerodynamics and
cooling concept.
In 2010, the brand with the four rings
executed its revenge. The intensively
redesigned R15 TDI plus celebrated
a sublime triple victory. Timo Bernhard,
Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller
beat the 39 year-old distance record by
75.4 km. Although, like the year
before, the regulators in Le Mans had
lowered the charge pressure and airflow rate, the ten-cylinders power output remained virtually unchanged.
This marked the first use of turbo
chargers with variable turbine geometry
(VTG), which improved responsiveness.
Exhaust temperatures in the turbine
of up to 1,050 degrees Celsius exerted
extremely high loads on the material.
Supreme the V10 TDI reached its shifting

point at just 5,000 rpm.
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Triple pole, fastest lap and overall victory

for the Audi R18 TDI in Le Mans 2011.
73
The layout and cooling of the cylinder

heads also followed a new concept
the intake side lay to the outside and
the exhaust to the inside. The monoturbocharger sat inside the V and
drew in outside air through the scoop in
the roof. The big VTG turbocharger,
which generated up to 2.0 bar relative
charge pressure, followed the twinscroll principle with two entry points
for the exhaust flow. The compressed
air flowed via separate intercoolers
into two intake manifolds. In a dramatic
Le Mans race, Marcel Fssler, Andr
Lotterer and Benot Trluyer won against
Peugeot with a lead of just 13.854
seconds.
Downsizing the V6 with its 120 degree
V angle is compact and relatively lightweight.
In 2011, Audi entered the 24-hour

race with the R18 TDI, the brands first
closed sport prototype. The new regulations forced a drastic downsizing of
the engine to 3.7 liters. Redeveloped
from the ground up, the lightweight,
compact V6 TDI with a cylinder angle
of 120 degrees achieved around 400 kW
(over 540 hp) and more than 900 Nm,
which flowed through an equally new
six-speed transmission. The commonrail injection generated pressures of up
to 2,600 bar.
Audi had conceived the 3.7-liter

V6 from the start with a view to subsequent electrification in 2012 and
2013, it powered the R18 e-tron
quattro. With the Motor Generator Unit
(MGU) at the front axle delivering
160 kW, the sport prototype ran with
temporary all-wheel drive. When
Audi scored the 1-2-3 in 2012, Fssler,
Lotterer and Trluyer celebrated the
first victory at Le Mans of a hybrid race
car. The following year, it was the
turn of Tom Kristensen, Loc Duval and
Allan McNish.
Fit
TO Run

Driver Fitness
comes round in June,
When Le Mans
the entire team has already been through some tough weeks.
And, for the drivers in particular, physical fitness is an
absolute must. Each of them swears by his own individual
training program.
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Text
Anyone looking at the race calendar for the

FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC),
with Le Mans as its centerpiece, could well believe that these would
be a relaxed few months: season start in April in the United Kingdom, second race at the beginning of May in Belgium, test day in
Le Mans on June 1 and the 24-hour race two weeks later. Three race
dates in the first eight calendar months, before the overseas season begins in September with five more races that sounds reasonably manageable and even quite relaxed.
In actual fact, Audi Sport, Audi Sport Team Joest and the
racing drivers are squeezed into a very tight program. Alongside a
whole series of test dates inside and outside Europe, many of which
are traditionally kept secret, the focus is on team fitness and preparation work.
The Audi drivers participate in a wide range of sports.

Although sport was part of the agenda at joint training in February
on Lanzarote, the first priority was team building. We have already
done the physical preparation work during the winter, explains
Marcel Fssler, one of the winning drivers from 2011 and 2012. In
the snow of the canton of Schwyz, the Swiss driver trained for 25
to 30 kilometers per day in cross-country skiing. During January
and February, he covered around 500 kilometers. Together with
Andr Lotterer, he completed a week of bicycle training in February.
Its not about building muscle mass, but achieving strength endurance, adds Fssler. Core conditioning training for abdomen,
back and laterals equips him to deal with the high centrifugal
forces.
Filipe Albuquerque
3 Filipe Albuquerque goes to the fitness studio
every day for weight training.
4 Oliver Jarvis loves wakeboarding as an alternative

to countless kilometers on a bicycle.
Oliver Jarvis
4
Marcel Fssler
1
Its not about

building muscle mass,
but achieving
strength endurance.
Andr Lotterer
2
Marcel Fssler
1 Marcel Fssler ventures onto the water

in a kayak.
2 Andr Lotterer, for a change, spends time
cross-country skiing.
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Andr Lotterer has developed a rhythm of completing

two consecutive days of bicycle training over 80 to 100 kilometers,
followed by a rest day for regeneration. When he is not on the road
testing or traveling, he cycles 350 to 400 kilometers per week. He
is helped, too, by rowing and slacklining. The German has also developed a liking for CrossFit, a combination of sprints, gymnastics
and weight training. The aim is to train the cardio muscles. But
you have to build up this kind of intensive training progressively,
says Lotterer.
Oliver Jarvis is also a fan of CrossFit training. I really
enjoy the mix of weights and other training. For a long time he was
focused entirely on running. Explaining his preference, the Brit
says, I can do that wherever I am, even when Im traveling. In the
meantime, however, he has also learnt to appreciate cycling. It
doesnt put the body under as much strain as running. He covers
around 200 kilometers per week on his bike. My sports regime
helps me maintain a low heart rate.
Portuguese Filipe Albuquerque drove for Audi in the
DTM for three years and will drive this year in Le Mans for the first
time. He likes to jog four times per week for ten kilometers.
Without music then its easier to think, he reveals. In the afternoon, he goes to the studio for one and a half hours of weight training. And I like to play tennis. Its good for the head, says the 28
year-old. You can deal with frustrations and maintain your fighting
spirit, because tennis always has poorer and then better phases.
Iso drinks and pasta with chicken are the main menu items on a race
weekend.
Lucas di Grassi
5
I cover 250 kilometers

on my bicycle
every week, swim three
to four kilometers
three times and run eight to
ten kilometers twice.
Cycling is likewise on the core fitness program for

Benot Trluyer, who prefers to avoid fitness studios in favor of
being out and about. And he remains true to his roots, Motocross
helps me a lot, too, says the Frenchman, who spent a long time on
two wheels before shifting to four-wheeled motorsport.
Regardless of the type of training preferred by the individual drivers, prior to the start of the season, all Audi drivers have
to prove their fitness at a detailed sports medical exam. Parameters
such as heart rate, blood tests, lactate figures and nutritional
analysis show how thoroughly they have prepared for the season.
For Le Mans, nothing is left to chance.

Marco Bonanomi
Benot Trluyer
Marco Bonanomi
5 Lucas di Grassi covers kilometers on the

cycle trainer, but likes triathlons even more.
Light drivers have an

advantage due to the new
efficiency regulations
every kilo counts. Driver
weight also has an impact
on acceleration and energy
consumption.
6 The driver team went to Lanzarote for a week

of training together.
7 Marco Bonanomi also loves triathlons,
especially in his Italian homeland.
Tom Kristensen
Lucas di Grassi and Marco Bonanomi love triathlon. I do
ten hours per week, reckons di Grassi. The 29 year-old Brazilian
does around two hours of sport every day. The duration of these
sports units grows with age. He also keeps fit with surfing and
playing tennis. Marco Bonanomi covers 250 kilometers on his bicycle every week, swims three to four kilometers three times per
week and runs for eight to ten kilometers twice a week. Something
new I have taken up this year is balance exercises on a ball, reveals
the Italian. These training sessions help me achieve optimum coordination of muscles and head.
Tom Kristensen enjoys cycling and mountain biking
equally. Mister Le Mans also likes to do stability training in the
fitness studio. When it comes to his nutrition, he follows the advice
of team doctor, Dr. Christian John. On race weekends, the Dane
sticks to easily digestible meals and plenty of minerals. Weight is
very important in 2014, because light drivers have an advantage
due to the new efficiency regulations every kilo counts. The weight
of the driver also has an impact on acceleration and energy consumption.
8 Benot Trluyer grew up with motocross, as

he likes to prove with perfect jumps.
9 Tom Kristensen loves cycling, not
to mention the occasional marathon run.
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Tom Kristensen
Life in the
Life in the
Pit lane
Pit lane

Working in the Pits
Long before the engine fires up in an
Audi R18 e-tron quattro, a highly complex pit
structure must be built for every race weekend. We
take a look behind the scenes.
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Text
Michael Harnischfeger
Photos
Ferdi Krling
During the races run in the FIA World

Endurance Championship (WEC), the
pits are safe haven for the drivers. That it all works perfectly is
thanks to the refined logistics, high precision and unconditional
preparedness of every single member of Audi Sport Team Joest.
Prologue pack it all up
Ultimately, more than 30 metric tons of material has
to make it safely and punctually to the race track. Theres no such
thing as important and unimportant. The six-millimeter screws
must be recorded, packed into a box and loaded with equal accuracy and certainty as the components of the compressed air
supply, the radio communications equipment or the dryers for
the drivers helmets. Everything required by Audi Sport Team
Joest in order to function smoothly at the race track has to come
along the rolls of sticking tape, the lights and cables, the cleaning fluid, furniture, tool boxes, vehicle lifts and wheel rims.
The what, how and wherefores of getting everything
to the track keep the logistics team busy for weeks ahead of the
race and takes the form of a giant puzzle incorporating the add
ed dimension of time. It started when the FIA announced the
race calendar for 2014. Every department from the mechanics
to the people from IT, telemetry or team radio comms, all the
way to tire supply has already packed its equipment into robust, usually rolling, flight cases and provided notification of
their transportation requirements. From this plethora of data,
the logistics team puts together the optimum transport package. For the race in Spa-Francorchamps at the beginning of May,
where Audi entered three R18 e-tron quattros, no fewer than
150 flight cases made the journey to Belgium. They arrived there
two days ahead of free training.
On the Wednesday prior to Saturdays race, two large
buses and three gleaming silver trailers are standing in the paddock area of Spa-Francorchamps. The two enormous support
trucks carrying the equipment for the three pit garages and the
large tents are standing on an external parking area. The drivers,
mechanics and a buildup team flown in specially have unloaded
flight case after flight case and placed them in accordance with
a layout drawn up in advance. The command stations for the race
engineers are already in the pit lane, the markings have been
applied in front of the pit doors, the hoses for the pneumatic
wrenches have been well lubricated soon they will be spinning
on slender extension arms to ensure that not a single second is
lost during wheel change. Every single piece of equipment was
closely examined for improvement potential after last seasons
races and, where necessary, optimized. Some things are unchanged, but many are completely new such as the refueling
system. Ralf Jttner, Team Manager for Audi Sport Team Joest
explains, The race cars are traditionally refueled using gravity
feed. We previously refilled these reservoirs after a pit stop
using a classic fuel hose. Now they are connected to the small
fuel tanker we have in the pit via a filler hose with a quick-release
coupling. Its safer and more practical. The opportunity was
also taken to switch from measuring fill by volume to weight, in
order to react more precisely to the energy rules in the new
regulations.
Long before the first R18 e-tron quattro starts racing, a secure network has been set up for the many laptops used
by the engineers; the measurement tools for weather monitoring have been put together and connected and the monitors of
the telemetry department cast their multi-colored light into the
semi-darkness of their dedicated area. The cables are fixed to
the floor with tape to ensure that nobody trips on them. Inside
the pit garages are the highly polished tool cupboards, testing
instruments, wheel-load scales, compressed-air bottles, and a
host of small parts that dont really make any sense to outsiders.
Precision and order are an absolute must. To use as little space
as possible, but have everything exactly where you need it
thats our aim, declares Christoph Mayer, a member of the logistics team and a tire mechanic on race car 2. Efficiency is not
only the keyword of the new WEC regulations, but also the prerequisite for successful pit work. Although the pits are different
at every race track, the Audi mechanics set a great deal of store
by always maintaining optimum order, wherever they are in the
world.
3 Supplies several tons of replacement parts are always on

hand, from the tiniest screw to a whole monocoque.
4 Documentation every replaced part is provided with
information on its service history.
Audi Pit
Le Mans 2014

#1
#2
#3
1 Tools
2 Viewing area
3 Engine
4 Equipment shelves
5 Driver shelf
6 Server room
7 Transmission
8 Rear-end section
9 Tires #1
10 Heating tent #1
Driver teams
Lucas di Grassi, Loc Duval, Tom Kristensen
Marcel Fssler, Andr Lotterer, Benot Trluyer
Filipe Albuquerque, Oliver Jarvis, Marco Bonanomi
11 Tires #2
12 Heating tent #2
13 Tires #3
14 Heating tent #3
15 Telemetry
16 Bodywork
and parts shelf
17 Hospitality
18 Stairs to upper floor
18
To use as little space

as possible, but
have everything exactly
where you need it
thats our aim.
#1
10
11
15
12
4
#2
1
5
14
13
Christoph Mayer
1 Tooling up meticulous order makes life easier.

Every second counts.
#3
7
8
Member of the logistics team and tire

mechanic on race car 2
2 Pinpoint accuracy small parts in drawers await service.

The well-rehearsed crew could find them in the dark.
Audi Pit Le Mans 2014
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16
18
Audi Pit Le Mans 2014 (extension)
17
Alongside the big semi-trailer, which has an upper

section in which two race cars were transported, is the big tent
with the wheel store. Separated by a textile wall is also an area
that holds the bodyshell parts that combine with the carbonfiber monocoque to form the outer skin of the hybrid race car.
They were transported on so-called milleniums a new kind of
freight rack that holds the front and rear body sections and enables extremely compact packaging. A complete set of replacement parts for the large front cover and rear element are thus
fitted onto one single freight-ready palette. Because this system
uses the parts original fixing points, the team doesnt need
bubble wrap for safety, thus reducing transport volume.
Smaller replacement parts from the tiniest nut to
a shock absorber as well as a mind-boggling array of spray cans
filled with cleaning fluid and other assorted liquids are in dozens
of drawers and cubbies on the lower level of the trailer. The team
has developed the habit scurrying slightly hunched through the
low, narrow entrance en route to exactly the right drawer containing the required part. Here, too, everything is scrupulously
ordered, with all items clearly labeled. But the professionals
also know without having to look, exactly what they will find in
which drawer and in which cubby.
Start Your Engines high performance on call

Long before the engines are warmed up, the mechanics are in the pit garage that will be their home over the days
of training and the race itself. They check the cars, systems and
equipment, go through important movements in their heads.
When things get serious in the first free training sessions, all are
supplied with radio communications devices and are wearing
fire-retardant overalls and helmets. The aerodynamics and suspension settings have been adjusted precisely in accordance
with the instructions of the race engineers, based on the weather, track conditions and specific test requirements, as well, of
course, as feedback from the drivers.
The heaters, black cupboard-like boxes, have already
been working for a while. They contain four sets of wheels per
car, each with different tires. Depending on the outside temperature, we need 90 to 120 minutes to get a set of tires up to
the temperature determined by the race engineer, explains
Christoph Mayer. Which of the total of twelve sets of wheels
stored at the pits for each car are put into the heater was decided previously in discussions between the race engineers,
weather monitors and the engineers from tire supplier Michelin.
The choice of the correct tires is crucial. It is not simply a matter of opting for one of the two types of slicks, zeroprofile intermediates or wet-weather tires. Aside from the fact
that Michelin offers a number of different rubber compounds,
changing weather conditions and the condition of the track also
play a major role. The task is, under consideration of all these
factors, to determine and prepare those wheel sets that promise
to deliver the optimum results on the day. This also includes
continuous adjustment of the air pressures in the pre-heated
tires and fast, reliable communication with the people from
Michelin, who need to be on standby to supply new wheel sets
pronto should the parameters change.
While the drivers are on the track be it in free training, qualifying or even the race itself the routine in the pits is
one of well rehearsed movements and processes. The refueling
equipment is prepared for the next pit stop, likewise the compressed air supply, without which a wheel change could not possibly run so quickly and smoothly. The bottles of nitrogen for
adjusting tire fill pressure are checked. And, of course, the
evaluation of the race cars telemetry data in preparation for the
next pit stop is running at full pelt.
If everything works as it should, the pit stops run like
an expertly choreographed ballet. As soon as the car is stationary, the fuel hose is connected, while a mechanic cleans the
windshield or removes one of the up to eight protective film
layers. In the event of a driver change, one mechanic helps him
remove the safety harness and climb out of the car. If necessary,
he then helps insert the bucket seat for the next driver and fasten him into the harness. If the tires need changing, the front
and rear of the car would have already been raised and two mechanics would be circling the car with pneumatic wrenches and
replacement wheels.
Many pieces of equipment have been

optimized for the new
season. The refueling equipment, for instance, is new.
Ralf Jttner
Team Manager of Audi Sport Team Joest
Depending on the outside temperature,

the heaters need 90 to
120 minutes to
bring the tires up to
temperature.
Christoph Mayer
5 Routine not just the tools and the pit, but also the race car
are always kept clean.
6 Quiet please keeping a cool head under pressure is second
nature for the crew members.
84
Member of the logistics team and tire

mechanic on race car 2.
85
7 Check examining the refueling equipment. It has to work

perfectly on the next pit stop.
8 Rehearsed movements if the pneumatic wrench twists or
kinks during a wheel change, valuable seconds are lost.
10
9 Bodywork thanks to quick-release fasteners and manual

dexterity, replacement body parts are quickly changed.
10 To the point engineer and driver (here, Leena Gade and
Marcel Fssler) understand one another with very few words.
The engines have

not yet even begun to
cool down after the
race when the mechanics start preparing
for departure. Time to
move on.
But it is a rare event for everything to run to plan

during a race. Eventualities such as tire damage or mechanical
or electronic problems can necessitate unscheduled pit stops,
as can dirt in the engine or brake-cooling ducts perhaps caused
by a brief departure from the track or because of material kicked
up by a competitor following an unplanned exit. It is during
these kinds of duty calls at extremely short notice that the pit
crew really shows its class. An order like this over the radio from
the race engineer sends a shockwave through the entire pit crew.
This is when it really counts that each mechanic can find the
right parts and tools, even in his sleep, and that the Audi R18
e-tron quattro makes the work as easy as possible for him. The
front section, for instance, has plug connectors for the headlamps that we have precisely measured and set for each car,
explains Mayer. This means that the change takes only a few
seconds.
The same applies to the big rear frame piece with
diffuser, crash element and spoiler, which can be swapped out
in just one minute. Even a serious crash of write-off dimensions
doesnt necessarily mean the end of the race Audis luggage
also includes a reserve monocoque, not to mention replacement
suspension sets that the mechanics continually maintain at the
same settings as the cars on the track. Following a crash in training, it would take just five hours to build around this replacement monocoque a whole new car that would be identical in all
its characteristics to the stricken vehicle.
11
11 Explicit every tool is allocated to one of the three Audi R18

e-tron quattros and one crew.
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Checkered Flag after the race is before the race

It goes without saying that Audi Sport Team Joest
enjoys celebrating victories and podium places in all modesty,
however, the team has also now developed a bit of a routine
when it comes to this. The pit crew usually allows itself a moment or two to raise a glass, pat one another on the back and
share a few bear hugs. By the time the race cars have been released from the Parc ferm, the mechanics are already well underway with the job of clearing everything up. The wheels unused and worn are cleaned and returned to Michelin, from
where the naked rims are sent back one by one. The command
stations are dismantled and, after the final meeting, work starts
on clearing out the offices computers and monitors are packed
away and cables and wires rolled up. Some team members pack
the tools back into the flight cases and tool boxes then stow
them back in the trucks. The refueling and compressed air equipment is made ready for transportation and loaded; leftover diesel is pumped out of the race cars. Before the cars can be loaded
for the trip home, the mechanics use the so-called set-down to
once again check and document the vehicle settings.
The big body sections go back on their transportation palettes, replaced parts are gathered separately in accordance with the meticulous runtime check. Based on simulations
and tests, each relevant component of the R18 e-tron quattro
has a maximum defined runtime culminating in precisely maintained change intervals. Each of these parts is therefore comprehensively documented: From which car did it come? How
many kilometers did it cover? Who disassembled it? This process
ensures, as far as possible, that excessive runtime does not lead
to technical problems and development engineers can use this
data to work with even greater precision on optimizing the R18
e-tron quattro.
Flight case after flight case is loaded and secured. At
some point, the tents come down and the pits are once more just
as empty as they were when the crew first arrived. Back in
Ingolstadt, the parts stores are replenished and the cars completely disassembled. Technicians use ultrasound to check the
physical integrity of the carbon-fiber monocoques before the
race cars are rebuilt. For the season highlight the 24 Hours of
Le Mans Audi Sport Team Joest has chosen a dedicated specification that differs from the one used at Silverstone and Spa
not only in its longer rear-end section. Long before the first spectators travel to La Sarthe, the mechanics and engineers have
restocked the cases and boxes, written labels and fed container
dimensions and weights into the computer.
The big trucks are back in service for the return journey from Le Mans to home base. But then the emphasis shifts to
packing for the overseas races: The teams logistics experts are
perfectly adept at distributing a total of 38 metric tons of
freight perfectly onto freight planes and ships. 14 weeks after
Le Mans, the first of five overseas races in the FIA World En
durance Championship (WEC) takes place in Austin, Texas.
Between then and the season finale in So Paulo (Brazil) on
November 30, 2014, none of the kit will return to Germany. This
calls for careful scheduling and planning. And then thoughts
will also have to turn to the 2015 season, because, of course,

after the race is before the race.
Perfect tires for 24 hours

It wasnt just the race cars that became narrower for the 2014 season of the WEC,
the tires, too, have lost width and therefore performance and durability in theory.
But Michelin, Audi Sports long-standing tire partner, has developed a new
generation of race tires that deliver top performance in all disciplines,
despite the new regulations assuming, of course, they are skillfully handled.
Text
Grip
Tease
Robust design
the wet-weather tires last for a full stint,
even if the track has dried out.
Meticulous preparation
each race car is allocated a diverse array of tire sets. Which ones are used
is dependent on many factors.
Close partners
Joachim Hausner (Audi) and Jerme Mondain (Michelin)
in the tire store.
88
89
Photos
Ferdi Krling
It is a widely known fact that race-car tires are not comparable with
those for a normal road car. Two figures are enough to underscore the
differences while even sporty cars are considered aerodynamically effective when they
deliver no lift at their front and rear axles, but a few kilograms of downforce instead, WEC
race cars generate aerodynamic downforce that more than doubles the weight of the vehicle. Instead of 870 kilograms (the weight of an R18 e-tron quattro), the load exerted on
the four wheels of the hybrid race car ends up being more than two metric tons. This
downforce would enable the car to drive along the roof of a tunnel.
And, while even very sporty road cars reach their limits once lateral acceleration
climbs to 1.3 g, the Audi R18 e-tron quattros shoot around some corners so fast that the
centrifugal force climbs to more than 3 g. Under these conditions, untrained individuals
can black out.
It was not foreseeable. The new regulations mean that we lose five centimeters of tire width at the front axle and six centimeters at the rear, explains Jerme
Mondain, Head of Endurance Activities at Michelin. Instead of 36 and 37 centimeters, the
tires for the 2014 season are permitted to be just 31 centimeters wide. Although that
equates to a weight saving of around two kilograms per tire, the tire contact area shrinks
by 15 percent, says Mondain, outlining the advantages and disadvantages of the new
regulations.
Fifteen percent less contact area thats a lot! When development work began,
all involved assumed that the performance of the tires would drop significantly in terms
of grip and durability. But the first simulations and the first test-stand runs using the vehicle data on the new R18 e-tron quattro provided by Audi to its tire partner revealed astonishing findings. The regulations were striving to achieve lighter cars with less downforce and more aerodynamic efficiency. But we realized month by month through the
progress made by Audi and our own work that the cars for the 2014 season would not be
slower, recalls Mondain, looking back on the early phase.
The development of the new generation of endurance tires proceeded in close
contact with Audi Sport. There were two main parameters delivered by Michelin after
extensive simulation and testing that were important for our vehicle development: the
maximum wheel load and the maximum speed that could technically be achieved by the
tires, says Joachim Hausner, Head of Complete Vehicle for Audi Sport, outlining the other
side of the partnership. Using these parameters, the development engineers in Ingolstadt
worked out the maximum downforce that the aerodynamics could be permitted to generate in order not to overload the tires.
Racing tires are sensitive creatures that react to the slightest mistreatment
with poor performance, high wear or even damage. Irrespective of whether were talking
about our low-temperature or high-temperature slicks, they function best in a very narrow
temperature window, sums up Mondain. Function means, within the scope of the physical limits, no disruptive understeer on entering a bend and no oversteer on accelerating
out of it, confidence-building steering precision and grip in all situations.
At the front axle, this range is between around 80 and 90 degrees Celsius, and
between 90 and 110 degrees Celsius at the rear axle, clarifies Mondain. And what has an
extreme influence on this temperature inside the tires, which, incidentally, are identical
front and rear, is the aerodynamics of the car, including the downforce. We can use the
wheel camber to compensate for small deviations, interjects Hausner, for instance, if
the tire threatens to overheat quickly when it runs too much on the inner edge. But the
aerodynamic balance, which is obviously also important for the drivability of the car, is a
central set screw for bringing the tires into the temperature window that enables them to
work perfectly.
Fill pressure and inside temperature have a huge influence on whether a race tire
functions correctly or not. Even the tiniest deviation from the optimum
can influence both performance and durability. Hitting both parameters as precisely
as possible is one of many challenges facing engineers and mechanics.
For logistical reasons, some wheel sets have to go into the heater five or six hours
prior to their possible use.
Highest precision
deviations in tire fill pressure of just a few hundredths
of a bar can add up to one second per lap.
To put it in a nutshell, tires that run too cold dont develop their maximum grip;
and if the temperature wanders north of the optimum window, grip likewise threatens to
fade and worse still you end up with degradation, which can ultimately lead to destruction. This is also the reason why Audi Sport Team Joest pre-heats mounted wheel sets and
uses sensors for continuous temperature measurement. Tires heated up to operating
temperature give the drivers enough grip and good feedback from the very first meters of
the new stint, explains Mondain. But the tires dont develop their full performance until
after a few bends, when the flexing energy and contact with the track have really got them
up and running. Slow-speed driving, e.g. during a yellow phase, or aggressive driving during this initial phase would, of course, be counterproductive.
The prerequisite for optimum tire operation is the perfect fill pressure. This
lies in the area between 1.9 and 2.0 bar, says Jerme Mondain, going on to explain, If we
drive with too little pressure, we damage the tires. If we drive with too much pressure, the
contact area becomes smaller and we lose grip. This is where racing tires are, in fact,
comparable with their worthy siblings for production cars. But, in endurance racing, it is
all a lot more complicated. Track and ambient temperatures are changing constantly. Ten
degrees Celsius overnight, more than 30 degrees Celsius by day this is nothing unusual
at Le Mans, explains Hausner. For logistical reasons, some tire sets have to be put into the
heater five or six hours prior to their planned use. Race and tire engineers must therefore
work closely with their colleagues from weather monitoring to agree very early which air
pressure could be the right one and then set it very precisely.
One of the laws of physics states that a change in temperature leads to a
change in pressure inside a tire. We therefore have to set a low cold pressure of, say, 1.34
bar in order to arrive later at the desired warm pressure of, say, 1.96, says Hausner, summing up the challenge. One not insignificant point to consider is that the tires also heat
up differently from axle to axle and from track to track. Due, for instance, to the number
and configuration of left and right bends.
Through bends, the innermost tires are subjected to different loads than the
outermost and thus heat up to varying degrees. What this means is that each wheel is
given a different cold pressure in order to arrive later as precisely as possible at the ideal
warm pressure. Precision, what else, is the number one priority when it comes to this tire
preparation, which is based on experience and meticulous documentation, Because a
deviation from the ideal pressure of just a few hundredths quickly leads to a time loss per
lap of a second or more, says Hausner, explaining the consequences of a wrong decision.
If the engineers, weather monitors and mechanics have done a good job and
all parameters are as they should be, the Michelin endurance tires are unusually tough.
The wet-weather tires, in particular, prove surprising, with a level of robustness that is
unexpected in such high-end developments. To put it simply, they operate at their best
in the temperature window between 40 and 60 degrees Celsius, explains Jerme Mondain,
whose team brings 27 sets of slicks and 15 sets of wet-weather tires to Le Mans. But the
weather can change very quickly. Wet tracks can dry completely or partially, temperatures
change and many other parameters, too. Therefore, we have designed the wet-weather
tires so that the driver can end the stint even if the temperature has long exceeded the
60-degree limit.
This expands the teams tactical options, as does the astonishing durability of
the dry tires. We can cope with the driving time permitted by the rules for one driver with
one set, without any dramatic wear on the tires. Thats four hours and around 850 kilometers, says Joachim Hausner. A tire change takes around 20 seconds and cannot begin until
the car has been refueled. Anyone who argues that, in the context of the 24-hour race
duration, this surely cannot be a deciding factor, should take a look at Le Mans history.
When Marcel Fssler, Andr Lotterer und Benot Trjuler, then as now the drivers of car
number 2 with Audi Sport Team Joest, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2011 in an Audi R18

TDI, they were ahead of the second-placed car by just 13.854 seconds.
The right temperature

large heaters bring the tires up to temperature
before they are mounted.
Time factor
the mechanics are not allowed to change the tires
until refueling has been completed.
Triple black
the wet-weather tire (right) is quickly identified.
But the zero-profile intermediate is very similar to the slick.
90
91
PASSION.

Passion
Passion is a driving force of Audis development work.
Passion means love, sometimes lust and always full commitment.
92
94 Days of Thunder
96 The Champions League
104 Speed Worker
112 The Sound of Success
120 Imprint
93
Text
Johannes Kbler
Photos
Stefan Warter
DAYS OF
THUNDER
Grand Prix de Monaco Historique
Audi's motorsport roots run deep. Among its highlights are the legendary Grand Prix
race cars of the 1930s. Member of the Board of Management for
Technical Development, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg and motorsport legend Jacky Ickx
drove two of them on the inimitable street circuit in Monaco.
Winners
Jacky Ickx and Ulrich Hackenberg
with the Auto Union Type C and
Type D.
Thunder hall
the Type C (left) and the Type D in the
tunnel beneath the Loews Hotel.
Fascination Monaco
no track demands as much concentration
as the street circuit.
Pulling power
the magic of the old race cars still
attracts the public.
Double trouble
1,000 hp and 28 cylinders running flat out
pure adrenalin.
95
Pouring rain for four hours, an oil

slick on the track, a pile up in the
chicane at the tunnel exit among the many dramatic
Grand Prix of the 1930s, the Monaco race in April 1936,
in particular, stands out. After 100 laps of constant
drifting on the wet asphalt, Achille Varzi and Hans Stuck
finished second and third in the Auto Union Type C.
Audis motorsport roots run deep all the
way back to the Silver Arrow Era of the Auto Union in
the wild Grand Prix years. 500 hp and hundreds of liters
of fuel in the tanks, narrow tires and drum brakes, but
no helmets and no fire protection. What the drivers
achieved back then would be inconceivable for us
today, says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audis board
member for technical development.
At the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique at
the start of May, which played host to an illustrious field
of classic Formula 1 cars, Dr. Hackenberg drove an Auto
Union Type D from 1939, the twin-supercharged twelvecylinder. Jacky Ickx, ex-Formula 1 driver and six-time Le
Mans winner, was at the wheel of the Type C; with its
massive V16 engine, it was the dominant car of the 1936
season. Both ran four laps on Monacos Grand Prix circuit. Behind these two cars are almost 80 years of racing history, says Hackenberg. To be able to drive here
is a real honor for me and an absolute thrill.

1930
Bentley Speed Six

Distance
Average
1939
2,930.66 km
122.11 km/h
Bugatti 57 C
Distance
Average
3,354.76 km
139.78 km/h
37
19
30
19
The
champions
league
1937
Bugatti 57 G
Distance
Average
39
19
A proud family with 36 victories, the brands of

todays Volkswagen Group have come first in almost
half of all Le Mans races.
3,287.94 km
136.99 km/h
Text
Eberhard Kittler
1924
1928
Bentley Sport
Distance
Average
2,077.34 km
86.55 km/h
1929
Bentley Sport
Distance
Average
Bentley Speed Six

Distance
Average
2,843.83 km
118.49 km/h
2,669.27 km
111.22 km/h
29
19
28
19
24
19
1927
Bentley Sport
Distance
Average
2,369.81 km
98.74 km/h
27
19
1924
1939
Bentley and Bugatti are successful

today. In contrast, almost all
other brands that were out in front
back then have long disappeared.
97
The sports car race that has been taking place

in northwestern France for the past nine decades is more than a premiere-league motorsport competition the
greatest and oldest event of its kind. The 24 Hours is a cult, unique
in its combination of technological supremacy on the track and a
festival atmosphere round about.
The great power struggle at La Sarthe began May 26,
1923 as a reliability race covering a full day. A few of the most
spectacular stretches of the Le Mans track such as Mulsanne,
Arnage, Tertre Rouge or Hunaudires have long since become
bywords worldwide for high-speed dueling and brutal cornering.
The brands that now form the Volkswagen Group were
among the favorites at this exceptional contest from the outset.
Their vehicles have stood for 90 years not only for ingenious technology, power and speed, but, above all, for endurance and quality.
The most successful brands of all time are Porsche (16 victories
between 1970 and 1998) and Audi (twelve victories between 2000
and 2013); Bentley and Bugatti took six and two overall victories
respectively.
And heres a proud fact: 36 of the 81 races run in total
(the spectacle did not take place in 1936 and from 1940 until
1948) have been won by brands from the Volkswagen Group. Many
of the worlds best drivers were hired for the job such as Derek
Bell, Frank Biela, Allan McNish, Hans Herrmann, Hurley Haywood,
Jacky Ickx (who alone claimed four of his six victories in a Porsche),
Hans-Joachim Stuck, Emanuele Pirro and Tom Kristensen with
nine victories, the most successful racer of all. A few of them were
seasoned fighters who also drove in Formula 1. Others began as
talented youngsters.
The period prior to the Second World War was dominated by brands like Bentley, Alfa Romeo and Bugatti. Other manufacturers successful at the 24 Hours, such as Chenard & Walcker,
La Lorraine, Delahaye and Lagonda have not survived the passage
of time. In the early years, it was mainly wealthy amateurs known
as gentleman drivers who, if they were lucky, raced with factory
support. Particular glory went to the daring Bentley Boys.
Bentley won no fewer than five times at Le Mans 1924
and 1927 with the 3 Litre (Duff/Clement and Benjafield/Davis) and
1928 with the highly successful 4.5 Litre. Winner Woolf Barnato
had actually commissioned a supercharged variant of the 4.5 Litre
the Blower Bentley but won in 1929 and 1930 in a Speed Six.
1970
1976
Porsche 917
Distance
Average
4,607.81 km
191.99 km/h
Porsche 936
Distance
Average
4,769.92 km
198.75 km/h
1977
71
19
1971
Porsche 936/77
Distance
Average
4,671.83 km
194.65 km/h
Porsche 917
Distance
Average
5,335.31 km
222.30 km/h
76
19
70
19
The noble British manufacturer afforded the use of its

vehicles top priority Walter Owen Bentley himself personally organized the pit stops for the 3 Litre used in 1923. Nevertheless, an
accident meant it only managed to achieve fourth place overall.
The average speed in the 1920s rarely exceeded 120 km/h. These
days, despite a number of chicanes, the cars frequently reach an
average of more than 200 km/h.
Ettore Bugatti reluctantly acknowledged the success of
the Bentley cars, referring to them scathingly as the worlds fastest
trucks. The brand from Molsheim in Alsace made its first works
entry in 1931, with only privateers having competed previously with
the types 35, 40 and 44. Following a gap of several years, this
marked the return of a French manufacturer to Le Mans. However,
a fatal accident caused the patron to withdraw his three T 50 vehicles from the race. The first overall victory at Le Mans by Bugatti did
not come until 1937 and 1939 (Wimille/Benoist and Wimille/
Veyron) first in the T 57 G, then in the supercharged T 57 C with the
legendary Tank bodywork. The average speed was now already at
almost 140 km/h.
After the Second World War, racing at Le Mans did not
start again until 1949. Brands like Ferrari, Jaguar and Mercedes now
dominated proceedings. But cars from the later Volkswagen Group
were also right back into the fray first and foremost, the fledgling
company Porsche. It began coming to La Sarthe in 1951 on the
express invitation of the race management initially with a 356 SL
Coup, which immediately won its class. In 1953, the Stuttgart
team came with the forerunner of the 550 Spyder with a coup
body, powered by a modified 82-hp Volkswagen pushrod engine.
Helmut Glckler, Hans Herrmann, Richard von Frankenberg and
Paul Frre were the class winners back then. In the years that followed, Porsche was top dog in the 1.5-litre class with its new 550.
77
19
81
19
1979
1981
Porsche 935 K3
Distance
Average
4,173.93 km
173.91 km/h
Porsche 936/81
Distance
Average
4,825.35 km
201.06 km/h
79
19
1982
Porsche 956
Distance
Average
4,899.10 km
204.13 km/h
8
19
8
19
2
19
8
3
Distance
Average
5,047.93 km
210.33 km/h
1984
1986
Porsche 956
Distance
Average
4,900.28 km
204.18 km/h
8
19
4
1970
1986
1983
Porsche 956
With twelve overall victories

across two decades, Porsche
is the most successful brand of
the 1970s and 1980s.
1985
8
19
5
99
Porsche 956
Distance
Average
5,088.51 km
212.02 km/h
Porsche 962
Distance
Average
4,972.73 km
207.20 km/h
1987
2004
2000
The late eighties and nineties

saw new favorites come to
Le Mans. Porsche stood its ground
and Audi began scoring in 2000.
Audi R8
Distance
Average
5,007.99 km
208.66 km/h
0
20
0
In 1950, koda, too, took part in Le Mans. The open

Sport Type 966 led in its class until a defect caused it to drop out
after 16 hours. For 1958, the Czech brand built the 1100 OHC
Spider Type 968, although it was ultimately never used.
The 1960s were marked by the ongoing struggle between Ford and Ferrari, founded on a personal rivalry between
Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari. Starting in 1966, Ford took a total
of four overall victories, with 1969 producing the most exciting
finish of all time. Jacky Ickx, now a Volkswagen brand ambassador,
crossed the line in his Ford GT 40 only marginally ahead of the
Porsche 908 driven by Hans Herrmann.
The start of the 1970s saw Porsche embark on a recordbreaking spree that spanned two decades. In 1970, Hans Herrmann
and Richard Attwood, driving the brand-new 917, claimed the first
in a total of 16 overall victories for the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer. They covered 4,607.810 kilometers on the 13.5 kilometer
track at an average speed of 191.992 km/h. In training, the 520-hp
flounder reached more than 400 km/h on the long straights.
One year later, Helmut Marko (now chief strategist for
Sebastian Vettels Red Bull team) and Gijs van Lennep won again in
a 917. On only four occasions were French racing teams Matra and
Renault sporadically able to contain Porsches superiority. In 1976,
Ickx and van Lennep took the title in the new turbocharged Porsche
936, which also became the winning car in 1977 driven by Barth,
Haywood and Ickx this was the year in which it was first permitted
to use three instead of two drivers.
In 1979, Ludwig/Whittington /Whittington triumphed
in the 935 K3, followed two years later by Ickx/Bell in the 936/81.
Then the victories came one after the other: Ickx/Bell came first in
1982 with the Porsche 956, which went on to score four successive
wins relieved in 1986 and 1987 by the Porsche 962. In the 1990s,
new competitors like Peugeot and BMW came to Le Mans, but
Porsche stood firm with four overall victories again in 1994 with
the 962, then in 1996 and 1997 with the TWR Porsche and in 1998
with the 911 GT1.
2002
2001
2004
Audi R8
Distance
Average
5,118.75 km
213.07 km/h
Audi R8
Distance
Average
4,367.20 km
180.95 km/h
20
0
02
20
Bentley Speed 8
Distance
Average
5,145.57 km
214.40 km/h
20
01
2003
03
20
1987
Porsche 962
Distance
Average
1996
4,991.70 km
199.66 km/h
TWR-Porsche WSC-95
Distance
Average
4,814.40 km
200.60 km/h
1998
9
19
Dauer-Porsche 962
4,678.40 km
195.24 km/h
1997
TWR-Porsche WSC-95
Distance
Average
4,912.34 km
203.12 km/h
9
19
Distance
Average
87
19
1994
97
19
9
19
100
Audi R8
Distance
Average
Porsche 911 GT1

Distance
Average
4,783.78 km
199.32 km/h
5,169.97 km
215.15 km/h
2008
Audi R10 TDI

Distance
Average
5,129.65 km
216.30 km/h
0
20
8
2010
Distance
Average
5,410.71 km
225.23 km/h
10
20
2005
Audi R15 TDI
Audi R8
Distance
Average
5,050.50 km
210.22 km/h
2007
05
20
0
20
6
2006
2011
Audi R10 TDI

Distance
Average
5,029.10 km
209.15 km/h
Audi R18 TDI

Distance
Average
4,838.29 km
201.26 km/h
Audi R10 TDI
11
20
5,187.00 km
215.41 km/h
07
20
Distance
Average
2012
Year after year, Audi brought new,
innovative technology to
Le Mans making the brand a
serial winner.
2013
Audi R18 e-tron quattro

Distance
Average
4,727.89 km
197.45 km/h
13
20
103
12
20
2005
2013
Following the incredibly tough battle for the 1999 title

between Toyota, Mercedes and the ultimate winner BMW, all these
manufacturers stepped back from the race in La Sarthe. It was now
Audis turn to become the new repeat record holder. The brand
with the four rings entered Le Mans in 1999 with the R8R and R8C.
And, starting in 2000, Biela/Kristensen/Pirro won three times in
succession with the R8 racing prototype.
In 2001, Group sibling Bentley returned to La Sarthe
with a three-year program following a 73-year absence. On its first
outing, and with not insignificant technical support from Group
sibling Audi, Bentley took third place overall with the EXP Speed 8.
In 2003, Bentley ultimately won the 24 Hours with the Speed 8
(Capello/Kristensen/Smith).
Audi then renewed its ongoing subscription to the overall victory in 2004 and 2005 with the R8, then with the R10 TDI.
The V12 diesel was the first car to wins Le Mans with a compression-ignition engine, helping Biela/Pirro/Werner to victory in 2006
and 2007, before McNish/Capello/Kristensen took over the following year. Only in 2009 did Peugeot, which had returned to Le Mans
three years previously, manage to break Audis winning streak.
In 2010, the Ingolstadt company was out in front once
more, achieving not only victory, but also a new distance record in
the new R15 TDI Plus 5,410.713 kilometers were on the clock
after 24 hours. Lotterer/Fssler/Tryuler followed in 2011 with the
R18 TDI, before a new era dawned a year later. In 2012, the Audi
R18 e-tron quattro (Lotterer/Fssler/Tryuler) crossed the finish
line as the first winning car with hybrid and all-wheel drive. This
victory was duplicated in 2013 by Kristensen/Duval/McNish.
On June 14 and 15, 2014, Audis new diesel hybrid will
make its big entrance with internal competition. This year,
Porsche will be there, too, battling once more for overall victory,
this time with the 919 Hybrid. The Volkswagen Group will be up
against Toyota with two different drive concepts, as Le Mans lives
up to its name of putting innovative technology through a merciless endurance test to the benefit of the customers, into whose
production cars the resulting knowledge flows.

Audi R18 e-tron quattro

Distance
Average
5,151.76 km
214.47 km/h
Speed
Speed
WORKER
WORKER
104
105
Text
Eckhard Schimpf
Photos
Ulrike Myrzik
Four men sit at the table. One of them,

swiping vigorously over his smartphone, is
1.90 meters tall. Is he a former basketball player? His brown suit
and tie are immaculate as they would be on a corporate manager.
The second in jeans and an open-necked, black polo shirt leans
back casually in his armchair. He seems very much at ease. Is he
perhaps a gardener? The third is a good deal older a dark-silver
mop of hair, slightly fuller figure, but with youthful vitality. He
looks confidently around. He has the classic look of an entrepreneur
in the medium-sized business sector. The fourth is the youngest in
the group dressed in dark clothing, with the build of a jockey, a
steely gaze and clear English. He looks fit and wiry perhaps a golfing coach?
Wrong on all counts. Sitting around this table are four
true racing legends. Hans Herrmann (86), Hans-Joachim Stuck
(63), Frank Biela (49) and Allan McNish (44). What unites this quartet of race drivers? They have all won the toughest and most famous race in the world the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Herrmann once,
Stuck twice, McNish three times and Biela no less than five times.
What is the best way to approach the legend of Le
Mans? Millions of reports have been written on this unique dayand-night spectacle; on victories and defeats, hi-tech race cars and
appalling accidents. The fascination has grown from year to year
over the past nine decades. But, behind the triumph and tragedy
are always people; which is why it is time to hear from the race drivers all of them aces behind the wheel, but all from different generations. The breadth and scope of recollection is truly breathtaking. It begins in the middle of the last century, when the guys still
jumped into cars without seatbelts and fatal accidents were part
of normality. And it ends here in the present day, the era of safety
obligations, where electronics appear to be the most critical part
of the hybrid race car. The one thing that remains unchanged is
the thrill of adventure north of 300 km/h.
We are chatting in the place where you could say racing
success is mass produced in Ingolstadt, at Audi, the company that
has won Le Mans twelve times since 1999. Our table is in a storage
garage owned by Audi Tradition, the guardian of company history.
This is quite literally a car park for the sporting history of the
brand with the four rings. It is home to around 50 race cars, including gems like the Auto Union Silver Arrows from 1934 to 1939.
These are the rockets driven by Bernd Rosemeyer, Hans Stuck and
Tazio Nuvolari. Then there are the quattros that revolutionized the
World Rally Championship in the 1980s. Hans-Joachim Stucks US
IMSA race car, the winning DTM cars and those Audi asphalt huggers that dominated world sports car racing, with designations like
R8, R10 and R15. If only these cars could talk! But I think well
leave that to the drivers.
Hans Herrmann knows more than anyone how Le Mans
has changed over the last six decades. He ran his first race there in
1953 in a Porsche Spyder 550. Back then, we drove in shortsleeved polo shirts and half-shell helmets, he recalls. And Count
Berghe von Trips was in the habit of taking a ham sandwich with
him into the cockpit as a snack. Herrmann, who drove a Mercedes
Silver Arrow in Formula One in 1954/55 as team mate of the legendary Juan-Manuel Fangio, is connected with Le Mans in a host of
different ways.
In 1955, he crashed during training for the Monaco

Grand Prix and was seriously injured, leading to him miss the Le Mans
race three weeks later. Herrmann: My Mercedes SLR, this 06/55,
which I had already driven in the Mille Miglia and with which I was
registered in Le Mans, then caused motorsports biggest ever catastrophe . Following a collision, the car flew into the spectator
area, killing more than 80 people. The driver, too, was among the
dead. This turn of fate has often given me pause for thought,
reflects Herrmann. Levegh was a hero. In 1952, he had raced the
24 Hours on his own, without a co-driver. After 23 hours his Talbot
was in first place, then his engine exploded. Victory went as a result
to Lang/Riess in a Mercedes 300 SL. In honor of his solo achievement, Mercedes gave the Frenchman a works car in 1955. It was
the car in which he died.
HANS
herRmann
V I TA
Born 1928. He began racing in Formula 1 in 1954/55
alongside Fangio and Moss in the Mercedes Silver Arrows. He also drove
Grand Prix cars from Maserati, Cooper, Lotus and BRM and
sports cars from Abarth and Borgward. But he achieved
his greatest successes with Porsche. He ended his career in 1970 with
a victory at Le Mans in a Porsche 917.
you are driving at the limit.

That is always something special.
And the best will win.
Frank Biela
Jochen Rindt, Le-Mans winner in 1965, once snidely
referred to the 24 Hours as racing for chauffeurs. That was intended to mean that a certain style of driving was expected, that it
was more about finishing the race than necessarily about winning
keeping the revs down. Is that right? Frank Biela is of a different
opinion: That in no way detracts from the driving achievement. It
doesnt matter what the revs are, you are driving at the limit. That
is always something special. And the best will win. Stuck adds,
Sure, in the Porsche 962, we had to keep an eye on fuel consumption, we braked gently and made use of slipstreams. But Le Mans
still means giving your all.
Chicane Carte S
Ligne Droite
des Hunaudires
Back then, we drove in

short-sleeved polo shirts and
half-shell helmets.
Hans Herrmann
1
1 Paddock a vehicle hall belonging to Audi

Tradition filled with the brands motorsport gems;
a fitting location for a chat among petrolheads.
2 Author Eckhard Schimpf is a journalist and
book author. He has been close to the racing scene
for decades, also as a committed driver.
106
Virage dIndianapolis
107
ALLAN
McNISH
V I TA
Born 1969. He began in karting, ascending to Formula 1 via
Formula Ford, Formula 3 and Formula 3000. The Scotsman spent several
years in Formula 1 as a test driver (with McLaren and Benetton
among others) and drove a full season for Toyota in 2002.
However, he achieved his greatest successes in sports cars. He has been
a works driver with Audi since 2004 and has won the 24 Hours
of Le Mans three times.
Do modern-day drivers have it easier when it comes to

tough cockpit work with gearshifts at the touch of a button and
power steering? Biela: No. It would be a mistake to believe that
the electronics do all the work. Thats simply not true. And Allan
McNish confirms, We have a lot to do in the cockpit these days.
The electronics demand an enormous amount of concentration.
Hans Herrmann interjects with, But thanks to telemetry, the technical crew can keep you informed on the condition of your car and
when you need to come in for a pit stop. We had no connection to
our mechanics. When it came to a technical problem, we had to
decide for ourselves: Are you going to drive to the pits? Or not?
We have a lot to do in the

cockpit these days. The electronics
demand an enormous
amount of concentration.
Allan McNish
Chicane Carte S
Is Le Mans dangerous? Again and again, there have

been and are still serious and even fatal accidents. The reason is
often the substantial differences in speed among the competitors
from the various vehicle classes. Le Mans is extremely fast. Biela:
You shift, Bam, bam, bam. And youre already at 250. Four times
per lap, you get above 300 and you do that for 24 hours. The fivekilometer Hunaudires straight is still a risky section. On this
stretch of open road, with trees lining either side, speeds even
topped 400 km/h some years. In years gone by there were a just
few bales of straw piled in front of the pub doors and the crash barriers were laughably low. Things have improved since then. But,
even though this open-throttle orgy has been slowed down since
1990 by two chicanes, and the cars now do only 330 km/h, it is still
incredibly dangerous.
For me, winning at

Le Mans is a bit like conquering
Mount Everest.
ALLAN McNISH
H A N S -J O A C H I M
stuck
I knew when I was seven years
old that I would
be a racing driver one day.
Hans-Joachim Stuck
Virage dIndianapolis
V I TA
Virage dArnage
108
Born 1951. He is a German racing legend: king of Hockenheim

in Formula 2, in Formula 1 from 1974 until 1979, touring-car specialist,
DTM champion with Audi (1990), sports-car world champion.
He has raced 19 times in Le Mans, crossing the finish line
in first place twice in a Porsche (1986 and 1987). Stuck has driven
around 700 races, including many in the U.S.
109
Hans-Joachim Stuck, who has driven in Le Mans 19

times and won twice in a Porsche 962 (1986 and 1987), is a racing
warhorse, hardened by the screaming fury of track battle. He has
experienced more dramatic motorsport moments than anyone
else. In 1985, he completed the 13.4-kilometer track in a Porsche
956 at an average speed of 251 km/h a record that still stands to
this day. Alongside the Lauda accident in 1976 on the Nrburgring,
Le Mans 1986 is particularly well burned into his memory. Stuck:
There were pieces of wreckage hanging from the trees on the
Hunaudires. In the dim light of dawn, I couldnt tell who it was. I
called racing boss Peter Falk over the radio and he put my mind at
rest. An hour later, we were meandering along behind the pace car.
When I came into the pits, I found out that it was Jo Gartner, my
friend. We had won in Sebring a short time before. To begin with, I
didnt want to drive on. But somehow I managed it. You force yourself; you also have an obligation to Porsche. You dont want to let
the team down.
Allan McNish, three-time Le Mans winner hit the headlines in 2011 due to a horrific crash. Anyone Googling this accident
even today still catches their breath. It was amazingly lucky that
McNishs Audi rammed when lapping a slower Ferrari didnt fly
into the spectators after bursting into pieces against the upper
edge of the crash barrier. It could have been a repeat of the 1955
disaster. McNish clambered unhurt from the pile of wreckage and
now views the whole thing very calmly: If you come through an
accident in one piece, you write it off. Its done with. But this crash
had an effect for some time afterward. Especially after I saw the
video footage. And his family? What do they think? They accept
that my job involves a certain degree of risk.
Is the pressure in Le Mans especially great? Its enormous, says Allan McNish. Biela agrees, You know that the engineers and technicians at the factory have been working on this for
a year. Thats why, as a driver, you always give your best. And that
also applies to lapping slower cars. After accidents, do you ever
think about giving up? Stuck: I never have. I knew when I was
seven years old that I would be a racing driver one day. For me,
there was nothing better, nothing cooler than racing and everything that goes with it. Frank Biela, however, has found himself
contemplating the sense of it all. I still know exactly when it was.
It was 2001, one year after my first victory. When I was thundering
down the straight at night, in rain and swirling fog, it went through
my head: Why are you doing this to yourself? You have fulfilled your
dream, you have won Le Mans and you are still taking these risks.
That was when I was driving at 320 km/h, with puddles everywhere. I thought: If someone in front of you spins and ends up
sideward and unlit on the track But then these thoughts vanished
and never returned. Stuck grins and says, Oh yes, and on the
Hunaudires, which is a normal country road, theres a broken white
line down the center. The weird thing is that, at around 330 km/h,
it turns into a solid white line.
In Hans Herrmanns time, when Ferdinand Pich sent a

pack of Porsche 917s into battle for overall victory at Le Mans,
these twelve-cylinder machines reached 400 km/h. But only in
training, adds Herrmann. I think it was just 370 in the race itself.
And what is his most intense memory of Le Mans? Well, there are
actually two races. In 1969, I had this dual in a Porsche 908 with
Jacky Ickx, who was driving the Ford GT 40. We were neck-and-neck
for the last one-and-a-half hours. We overtook each other two or
three times a lap. Our cars even touched. Then my brakes gave up.
I thought about how I might still be able to make it. For example,
do I drive the final lap before the finish line right over the curbs?
But then I thought: maybe youll roll over. Youll skid across the
finish line as the winner, but youll be dead. This is the kind of thing
that goes through your mind. So I lost the race. It was a huge disappointment. Pich, who was my boss at the time, said it was the
brake light in the cockpit that was defective, not the brakes themselves. He said I was mistaken. But that wasnt the case. The brake
pads were done.
And the second race? Herrmann: That was the year
after. 1970. As I drove away from home, my wife Madelaine came
up to the car again and said: If you win this time, then you give it
all up. I said: I promise. Hans Herrmann and his co-driver Dick
Attwood then won in their Porsche 917. It was Porsches first Le
Mans victory and Herrmann gave up racing at the age of 42.
Herrmann: And I survived.
I rolled up to the
starting line sometimes and
thought: Whose turn is
it today? Him to the left of me?
Or the right? Thats just
the way it was.
Hans Herrmann
Survival was in no way a given between the 1960s and
the 1980s. There was a saying: Sex is safe, racing is dangerous.
Its rather the other way round these days Back then, around 20
to 25 race drivers died in accidents every year. Herrmann: I have a
list of 28 drivers that I knew well all dead. I rolled up to the starting line sometimes and thought: Whose turn is it today? Him to the
left of me? Or the right? Thats just the way it was. Fatal accidents
were par for the course. The list of victims is long. Very long. Also
among them German drivers: Count von Trips, Mitter, Stommelen,
Bellof, Winkelhock.
You know that the engineers

and technicians at the factory have
been working on this
for a year. Thats why, as a
driver, you always give your best.
Frank Biela
110
Frank Biela looks over at Stuck and Herrmann and

shakes his head. Its unbelievable that you were able to drive races
at all under this constant awareness of possible death. I dont know
if I would have been able to do that. How did you cope with this
pressure? Stuck: I was always a master of repression. By the time
I was sitting belted in at the wheel, the pressure had evaporated.
It was Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda who first campaigned to make the tracks and the cars safer through crash barriers, run-out zones, tougher chassis, explosion-safe fuel tanks,
better helmets, fire-resistant overalls. Safety standards today are
incredibly high. There have been no fatal accidents in Formula 1 for
20 years. Allan McNish confirms: Races today are 90 percent safe.
The risk is calculable.
Chicane Carte S
FRANK
BIELA
Le Mans is the
biggest in racing. These masses
and masses of people
300,000, 400,000.
Hans-Joachim Stuck
V I TA
Born 1964. His background is typical of todays racing drivers:
karting, Formula Ford, Formula 3. In 1991, he joined
Audi and drove for the Ingolstadt brand for almost two decades.
DTM champion (1991), French champion (1993), winner
of the touring-car world final (1995), British champion (1996),
winner of the American LM Series (2003, 2005)
and five-time winner of Le Mans.
What is special about Le Mans? First and foremost, the

weather. Stuck: A bit of rain, then dry, half dry, rain again. Change
able. Extremely difficult. Nevertheless, all four share the same
level of enthusiasm: Le Mans is amazing. Frank Biela: It has
something special. When I step out of the plane in Paris and head
for Le Mans in the car, I get this spirit, this feeling that Im going to
a real happening. For Stuck there is no doubt, Le Mans is the biggest in racing. These masses and masses of people 300,000,
400,000. When you stand on the podium and look at all these
people celebrating its simply mind-blowing. 70,000 people undertake this pilgrimage from Britain alone. For me, winning at Le
Mans is a bit like conquering Mount Everest. Really, Le Mans is the
Mount Everest of racing. The highest. And the forthcoming dual
between Audi and Porsche? The four racing legends agree on that,
too. Its great that a group like Volkswagen encourages this, and
also lets two very different technical concepts go head-to-head.
Hans Herrmann then rolls his head to the side and says, I just hope
that Toyota doesnt turn out to be the rejoicing third party.
And what is the difference between Formula 1 and Le
Mans? Hans-Joachim Stuck: Formula 1 is an ego sport. Extreme
regulations and extremely far removed from series-production
cars. Le Mans is a team sport, with phenomenal tasks. Engineers
are allowed the freedom to reach a winning solution in a variety of
different ways. Biela nods, Le Mans is used for proving technologies that later end up in our everyday cars. Indeed, that has always
been the case from disc brakes to laser light. Allan McNish sees it
thus, For manufacturers, there is no richer test bed. And what will
the race be like in 2014? Stuck: It will be the greatest chariot race
since Ben Hur! Of course!

J acky I ckx ,
T he F ace of L e M ans
PITS
Virages Ford
Legend at the wheel Jacky Ickx is still the

king of endurance.
111
Does Le Mans have a face? What a strange question. But one that
can be answered with a resounding Yes!: It is a face etched with
years of foot-to-the-floor dueling; the face of Jacky Ickx. Just as
certain movie titles immediately summon up the image of an
actor, the subject of Le Mans calls to mind the charismatic, headstrong Belgian racing star. He is Monsieur Le Mans. He may
have won there only six times (Dane Tom Kristensen has won nine
times so far), but despite all his Formula 1 success, Ickx is still
the king of endurance, crowned first and foremost by Porsche.
No racing fan will ever forget how Jacky Ickx managed to overturn an outdated regulation the extremely dangerous Le Mans
start. That was the sprint by the drivers to their cars on the other
side of the track. In 1969, Ickx did not run to his Ford GT 40. He
took a leisurely stroll, was last to set off and won. Following
this provocation, there has never been another Le Mans start.
THE SOUND
THE SOUND
OF SUCCESS
OF SUCCESS

Audi motorsport legends
From the Auto Union Type C to the R8 Le Mans prototype Audi has been
a hugely successful part of motorsport history. Here, we present the sights and sounds of
seven legendary racing cars from four decades.
Text
Johannes Kbler
1936
AUTO UNION
TYPE C GRAND PRIX
Seldom is a racing car so intensively defined by its engine as the Auto Union Type C Grand Prix the V16 is a power
unit of epic force and infernal noise. The supercharged engine was designed by Ferdinand Porsche; from its beginnings
as a 4.4-liter in the Type A, it grew by the C generation to a displacement of 6.0 liters. The long-stroke engine, which
uses one central camshaft, sends 382 kW (520 hp) to a four-speed transmission. At just 2,500 revs it already generates
around 850 Nm of torque.

The mid-engine concept put the Auto Union Type C decades ahead of its competition. With its tubularframe chassis and aluminum outer skin, it had a dry weight of just 824 kilograms; around 750 kilograms without
wheels and tires. Its running gear, too trailing-arm suspension at the front, swing-arm axle at the rear, torsion springs,
friction dampers and drum brakes was state-of-the-art. Bernd Rosemeyer won the 1936 European Championship
with the Type C.
Auto Union Type C

Year 1936
Engine
V16 supercharged
Displacement
6,005 cm
Power
382 kW (520 hp)
112

fascinating sound of the Auto Union Type C Grand Prix!
1985
Audi sport
quattro S1
In May 1984, Audi entered the World Rally Championship with the Sport quattro with a wheelbase of just 2.22 meters
the intention behind this drastic shortening was to make the series-based front-engine coupe lighter and more
agile. July 1985 saw the arrival of the final evolution, the S1. Its 2.1-liter five-cylinder with 20 valves delivered 350 kW
(476 hp) and 480 Nm of torque. With the medium final drive, it catapulted the car to 100 km/h in just 3.1 seconds.

There were a number of differentials available for the quattro driveline; shortly before the end of the
season, the range was enhanced by a pneumatically actuated dual-clutch transmission a precursor to todays S tronic.
The load-bearing body was made from sheet steel with plastic add-on panels and reinforced by an artfully incorporated roll cage. The radiator, cooling fan, battery and alternator were in the rear for improved axle-load distribution. On
fast tracks, massive wings and scoops shoveled air onto the car. In October 1985, Walter Rhrl scored a glorious victory at the San Remo Rally in the Audi Sport quattro S1.
1989
Audi 90 quattro
IMSA GTO
In the 1989 season, Audi entered North Americas most demanding touring car series, the IMSA GTO with its freeranging technical regulations. The Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO was a purely functional machine the first Audi touring
car with a CFRP floorpan, tubular mesh frame and plastic panels on the sides, front and rear. With 2.65 bar of maximum charge pressure, the commendable five-cylinder generated 530 kW (around 720 hp) and 720 Nm of torque. The
IMSA GTO reached a top speed of about 310 km/h and made full use of its strengths in handling and traction when
cornering all four tires were 36 centimeters wide.

From the outset, Audi reached second place in the manufacturer rankings. In the driver table, HansJoachim Stuck was in third place ahead of his teammate Hurley Haywood. In the 13 races run by the IMSA GTO, he took
seven victories.
Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO

Audi Sport quattro S1
Year 1989
Year 1985
Engine Five-cylinder
Engine Five-cylinder
Displacement
2,190 cm
Displacement
2,110 cm
Power
530 kW (720 hp)
Power
350 kW (476 hp)

fascinating sound of the Audi Sport quattro S1!

fascinating sound of the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO!
115
1990
Audi V8 DTM
The Audi V8, with which the brand entered the German touring-car championship (DTM) in 1990, was a winner
although, at first sight, the 4.90-meter long, bulky sedan didnt seem to be a natural motorsport talent. The freebreathing, 3.6-liter V8 initially produced around 309 kW (ca. 420 hp); in 1992 this ended up at around 346 kW
(around 464 hp) and a good 380 Nm of torque. Alongside standardized tanks, the regulations also called for standard
tires. At just 265 millimeters wide, they were actually too narrow for the Audi V8 DTM. However, quattro technology once again proved decisive, particularly in wet weather.

The overall package brought Audi two DTM titles in succession, with the decider run both years in the
last race of the season on the Hockenheimring. Hans-Joachim Stuck won the title in 1990. In 1991, it was the young
Frank Biela who inherited the crown with the incipient rain slowing down the rear-wheel driven competition.
Audi V8 DTM
Year 1990
Engine V8
Displacement
309 kW (420 hp)
In 1993, Audi entered the French Touring Car Championship with the Audi 80. In 1994, the Ingolstadt company
switched to the newly created, close-to-production Supertourenwagen-Cup (STW). The team began with the Audi 80
and moved later to the A4. The regulations were based on the international standards for two-liter touring cars;
they used a rev limit of 8,500 to limit the power of the naturally aspirated, two-liter four-cylinders to around 210 kW
(285 hp).

Aerodynamics became even more important. Audi spent around 140 hours in the wind tunnel fine tuning
the outer skin of the A4 quattro Supertouring. Inside, in the interests of weight distribution, the drivers seat was
positioned a little lower, rearward and towards the center. A sequential six-speed transmission directed torque to the
permanent quattro all-wheel drive, which was a major contributor to the harmonious, well-mannered character of
the racing A4. The 1996 season brought a historic triumph the Audi quattro Supertouring entered seven national championships on three continents and won them all.
3,562 cm
Power
1996
Audi A4
supertouring
Audi A4 Supertouring
Year 1996
Engine Four-cylinder
Displacement
1,998 cm
Power
210 kW (285 hp)

fascinating sound of the Audi A4 Supertouring!

fascinating sound of the Audi V8 DTM!
116
2005
Audi r8

fascinating sound of the Audi A4 DTM!
In the Olympics of motor racing, the Audi R8 holds a place of honor. When it retired in 2006, it had chalked up 63
victories in 80 outings, including five Le Mans wins in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005; each time with Dane Tom
Kristensen at the wheel. Even with added weight, smaller tanks and power restrictions via airflow limiters from
449 kW (610 hp) to 382 kW (520 hp) there was no effective way of holding back the open-top sports prototype at the
classic race in La Sarthe.

From its debut in 1999, then with the R8R, Audi very quickly learned its lessons in endurance racing.
The R8 was not only fast, it was also a pleasure to drive and extremely service-friendly throughout its entire racing
career, it never once suffered an engine failure. In 2001, Audi switched the 3.6-liter biturbo V8 to direct injection
a successful durability test for the series-production of TFSI technology, which started four years later.
Audi R8
Year 2005
Engine
V8 biturbo
Displacement
3,600 cm
Power
382 kW (520 hp)
2009
Audi A4 DTM
From 2004 until 2011, Audi competed in the German touring car championship (DTM) with the A4 DTM, following
on from Team Abts successful participation from 2000 to 2003 with the TT. In 2004 and 2007, Swede Matthias
Ekstrm won the drivers championship, with Timo Scheider taking the honors in 2008 and 2009 and Martin Tomczyk
following suit in 2011.

Although the regulations called for rear-wheel drive and a host of standardized components, the Audi A4
DTM was a hi-tech race car. Its CFRP monocoque and steel-tube roll cage was wrapped in an aerodynamic, highly
efficient exterior skin, which bore the look of the new series model as of 2008. The four-liter V8 sent around 340 kW
(460 hp) and more than 500 Nm to the sequential six-speed transmission at the rear axle; the clutch and brake
discs were made from CFRP. Its vital statistics are impressive: a dry weight minus trim ballast of around 900 kilograms, zero to 100 km/h in less than three seconds, lateral acceleration of up to 2.5 g.
Audi A4 DTM
Year 2009
Engine V8
Displacement
fascinating sound of the Audi A8!
4,000 cm
Power
338 kW (460 hp)
119
Imprint
AUDI AG
85045 Ingolstadt
Responsible for content:
Toni Melfi,
Head of Communication,
I/GP
Executive Editor:
Christian Bangemann
Editor:
Armin Gtz
Authors:
Gisbert L. Brunner
Armin Gtz
Friderike Herbst
Eberhard Kittler
Johannes Kbler
Hermann Reil
Eckhard Schimpf
Oliver Strohbach
Photography:
Krling Bildagentur
Bernhard Huber
Ulrike Myrzik
Manuel Uebler
Stefan Warter
Gold Winner
Gold Winner
Concept and Realization:

reilmedia
Graphic Concept and Layout:
stapelberg&fritz
Copy editing:
Winfried Strzl
Translation from German:
Elaine Catton
Illustrations:
Helen Hauert
Roman Heinrich
Carola Plappert
Steven Pope
Barbara Stehle
Bernd Schifferdecker
Post Production:
Wagnerchic Digital Artwork
Printing:
Pinsker Druck und Medien
Subscription:
You can subscribe for free to the
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Simply send a brief e-mail with
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Encounter Technology Magazine 2/2014

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Long Way Home Page 16 Le Mans Rules Page 24 The Masters Choice Page 28 Time Lords Page 32

The Audi Technology Magazine

The Audi Technology Magazine

We are approaching this enormous challenge in performance

Also on the following pages, you will read about how we

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Hackenberg

Long Way Home

Saving at the Limits

The Force Field

The Champions League

The Masters Choice

The Sound of Success

Life in the Pit Lane

Technology for Road and Track

Long Way Home

Around 150 kilometers west of the Vosges, the 570 hp

Weaving through the bends of the French

1 Future meets history the 600-meter long

4 Blue wonder above 60 km/h, the R8 LMX

2 By day and by night weaving through the bends

5 Perfect workstation black interior with blue

3 Aesthetic powerhouse 570 hp accelerate the

Today, another 128 years later, this future is driving

Its a good 100 kilometers from Chaumont to Troyes in

6 Champagne and great visibility lightshow

We reach the circuit in La Sarthe. A few weeks before

9 The town of Blois on the Loire the mighty,

The Chteau close to Gien is now in private ownership

11 Made it the R8 LMX at the legendary Circuit des

Scan the QR code and experience

12 Brothers in light the laser light connects the

The New Rules at Le Mans

The 2014 season marked a major shift in

What initially sounds simple, plausible and progressive

The fundamental idea of the efficiency regulations

This gives powerful hybrid systems the advantage.

The Masters Choice

FERDINAND PICH AND HIS LE MANS

Ferdinand Pich has a very special kind of

For todays Chairman of the Supervisory Board of

The day-and-night power play on the 13.5-kilometer

For four months of 1969, the 917 seemed undriveable.

RACING IS A KIND OF BODYBUILDING FOR

The term pioneering achievement may sound a little

THIS RACE IS SYNONYMOUS WITH EXTREME

In 1969, in parallel to the development of the 917,

Brunner: Naturalist Charles Darwin once said, Time is

Lang: I totally agree. However, with motor racing, there

Authentic sound what did a wrist

Brunner: So you cant operate in such cases without

We have very clean time

Men who are

Brunner: Your statement suggests that you not only

Leisurely traditional chronographs,

Brunner: At the DTM, in contrast to Le Mans, it is about

Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg

Watchmaking splendor a Longines

Dr. Hackenberg: We have a big team that does all sorts

For official timekeepers these

Brunner: As official time keeper, Gerd-Rdiger Lang

Lang: That was handled by the pit teams mechanics

Dr. Hackenberg: (laughs) not to mention that people

Dr. Hackenberg: But there is also the aforementioned

Incorruptible Longines trailing-pointer