Audi R15 TDi

[rob01]

the R10 TDi is being replaced next year with the R15TDi.
Audi have announced it will be another open top prototype which seems odd because dont the rules say LMP1 will all have to be closed top?
maybe ive remembered that wrong?

no photographs yet but testing will start later this year and it will be launched just before the Sebring 12hrs.

i hope they arent completely dominating and peugeot can fight for the win all the way through the Le Mans 24hr next year.

thoughts?

[harvick#1]

the R10 TDi is being replaced next year with the R15TDi.
Audi have announced it will be another open top prototype which seems odd because dont the rules say LMP1 will all have to be closed top?
maybe ive remembered that wrong?

no photographs yet but testing will start later this year and it will be launched just before the Sebring 12hrs.

i hope they arent completely dominating and peugeot can fight for the win all the way through the Le Mans 24hr next year.

thoughts?

the closed tops are an option now, they are not mandatory, the big names like Audi and Acura were gonna pull out if they weren't given this.

It'll be interesting to see what its like, although I've heard of no news of it until now

[rob01]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72280

^where i heard it from.
just reading this > http://www.planetlemans.com/2008/11/28/audi-announces-its-2009-motorsport-programme/

how good does that car look!

[wmcot]

Sounds like the R15 has been scrapped along with Audi in the LMS and ALMS series...

[rob01]

its still doing sebring and le mans 24hr

[wmcot]

its still doing sebring and le mans 24hr

Yeah, but that's it! What's the point if you're not going to give it a full season to prove the car's real potential?

[wedge]

Probably testing instead of racing. Toyota did the same thing with the GT One.

Nonetheless it is a shame really.

Hopefully they might be tempted by Petit LM to see out the racing year.

[Mad_Hatter]

Interesting entry over at Mulsannes Corner (http://www.mulsannescorner.com/newsnov08.html) about the sudden Audi pullout.

[Bob Riebe]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/f...-freefall.html

[cjent]

Interesting that Audi would withdraw after seeing the performance of the Acura P1 at Sebring.

[harvick#1]

its sad Audi won't be around, but to tell you the truth, they have nothing left to prove in the prototype category, they won as the favorite and the underdog. they won 8 times overall in 10 years (9 if they didn't let the sister brand win). they won with a gasoline car, a diesel, and a diesel-hybrid.

I do see possibly Audi back at Lemans in the GT2 category with the R8 TDI.

[rob01]

its sad Audi won't be around, but to tell you the truth, they have nothing left to prove in the prototype category, they won as the favorite and the underdog. they won 8 times overall in 10 years (9 if they didn't let the sister brand win). they won with a gasoline car, a diesel, and a diesel-hybrid.

I do see possibly Audi back at Lemans in the GT2 category with the R8 TDI.

The R8 LMS will be run next by a couple of privateer year so Audi wont be completely gone.

[pits4me]

The R8 LMS will be run next by a couple of privateer year so Audi wont be completely gone.

Could be a very empty hospitality area if both the Porsche and Audi Dealer groups scratch ALMS from the 2009 budgets.

[rob01]

Could be a very empty hospitality area if both the Porsche and Audi Dealer groups scratch ALMS from the 2009 budgets.

Audi arent doing the ALMS

[pits4me]

My point rob01. When the factory withdraws their support, the dealer associations, regional dealership partners, key clients, VIP guests, etc. all go by the wayside. ALMS attracts a lot of marquee followers.

[rob01]

ok fair do's. misunderstood what you meant tis all

[Mad_Hatter]

Audi didn't have anything to prove by competing in the ALMS. But given that they struggled so much with Peugeot I thought they'd be in trouble with a P1 effort by Honda, who would have, I think, designed a car for the street courses. While the R10 was built to compete at Le Mans, from what I remember hearing.

[philipbain]

the closed tops are an option now, they are not mandatory, the big names like Audi and Acura were gonna pull out if they weren't given this.

It'll be interesting to see what its like, although I've heard of no news of it until now

Its a real shame that the ACO didnt stick to thier guns regarding the closed cockpit cars as closed cars look waaaaaaay better than the open top ones, plus people tend to associate closed cockpit cars with actually giving a damn about sportscar racing (Group C my friends, Group C - pre Bernie sticking his oar in and destroying it by making it a trojan horse to get manufacturers into F1!). Its all well and good that a couple of manufacturers threatened to withdraw if they were forced to run closed prototypes, but on Audi's part I don't get it, they have the capability to do closed prototypes, indeed, both the closed version of the R8 and the Bentley Speed 8 came from the VAG stable. And they are doing a new car anyway and were given a few years notice, I really don't see what the issue is. As for Acura, I don't think that the ACO said anything about P2 which blows the lid on the worse kept secret in history - Acura's P1 ambitions.

I hope the ACO do not penalise the closed cars in any way, in the past the closed cars had to run narrower tyres, though despite this Bentley still wiped the floor at Le Mans once they had switched to Michelin that did them some nigh on unbelieveable tyres that could be tripple stinted despite the narrower width. I think the tyres have been equalised now, as have the profile on the rear wings.

[anthonyvop]

Its a real shame that the ACO didnt stick to thier guns regarding the closed cockpit cars as closed cars look waaaaaaay better than the open top ones, plus people tend to associate closed cockpit cars with actually giving a damn about sportscar racing (Group C my friends, Group C - pre Bernie sticking his oar in and destroying it by making it a trojan horse to get manufacturers into F1!). Its all well and good that a couple of manufacturers threatened to withdraw if they were forced to run closed prototypes, but on Audi's part I don't get it, they have the capability to do closed prototypes, indeed, both the closed version of the R8 and the Bentley Speed 8 came from the VAG stable. And they are doing a new car anyway and were given a few years notice, I really don't see what the issue is. As for Acura, I don't think that the ACO said anything about P2 which blows the lid on the worse kept secret in history - Acura's P1 ambitions.

I hope the ACO do not penalise the closed cars in any way, in the past the closed cars had to run narrower tyres, though despite this Bentley still wiped the floor at Le Mans once they had switched to Michelin that did them some nigh on unbelieveable tyres that could be tripple stinted despite the narrower width. I think the tyres have been equalised now, as have the profile on the rear wings.


Sorry But Closed Cockpit cars are ugly compared to open cockpits and really against everything sportscar racing stands for.

The driver should be visible and exposed to the elements.

[BDunnell]

Sorry But Closed Cockpit cars are ugly compared to open cockpits and really against everything sportscar racing stands for.

The driver should be visible and exposed to the elements.

So the GT40 and 917 were 'against everything sportscar racing stands for'?

[philipbain]

Sorry But Closed Cockpit cars are ugly compared to open cockpits and really against everything sportscar racing stands for.

The driver should be visible and exposed to the elements.

I suppose its a matter of opinion, I prefer the closed cars, in my opinion the last open top Le Mans car that looked the business against it's contemporaries was probably the Jaguar D-Type!

I and i'm sure many others make the automatic association between closed cars and a time when Sportscar racing was considered a viable alternative to F1 racing, not somewhere to seek refuge when single seaters don't work out for a driver. I'm sure the ACO also recognised this, hence the move towards closed cars that sadly isnt set to be the complete overhaul it was supposed to be. Obviously this is just superficial and perhaps the ACO ought to concentrate less on pegging cars to a desired laptime and do more to encourage technical innovation and the sort of diversity that made Le Mans so fascinating in the past, such as the battle of large displacement atmo cars against smaller displacement turbo cars, or even when LMP675 cars could compete with LMP900 cars (at least until they broke!) which was a true case of David vs. Goliath, something which the deliberate handicapping of P2 cars has eliminated at Le Mans (though the ALMS have the right idea, with rules that close this gap and racing on circuits where the Audis can't stretch thier legs too much!).

[Bob Riebe]

So the GT40 and 917 were 'against everything sportscar racing stands for'?
Heck the vast majority of prototypes and gt cars from the sixties I guess are against what sportscar racing stands for.
Odd, when that is the decade that really put sportscar racing on the map.

[harvick#1]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73231

what a radical change audi has made for the R15

[wedge]

Looks like the Acuras at first

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/newsjan09.html

[rob01]

At first glance i didnt like it but its growing on me.
i like how they put the tail lights in the rear wing end plates.
for some reason it looks like its too short at the front though!

part of me hopes Audi will do aswell as they have done with the R8 and R10 but i also want the beautiful Peugeot 908 to beat them! we always see teams have periods of success(audi, oreca with the vipers, gm with there corvette) and the opposite... maybe Audi's time at the top is over?! maybe the privateer R10's will end up beating them...

[chuck34]

Rob, I would also love to see the privateer R10's beat the R15. That would be awesome! Just as long as the Peugeot doesn't win. That thing looks like some sort of messed up bird or something.


Not that looks should have anything to do with it, I just don't like Peugeot (don't really know why) so I have to find something to pick on them about

[Mark in Oshawa]

I am not a big fan of the proportions of the new R15 but like its precursers, it will likely run like jack the bear and beat all comers. Unlike you Chuck, tho I like that Pug. I will like it more if Jacques Villeneuve is driving and wins LeMans, giving him an WDC, an Indy 500 and a LeMans 24 hour.

[rob01]

http://www.autosport.com/images/upload/1234381226.jpg
it reminds me a little of that not so good R8C that audi built!

[chuck34]

Mark, I sort of like Villeneuve too. Just don't like Peugot, don't know why really. Maybe I just have to have SOMEBODY to root against.

[big_sw2000]

Sorry But Closed Cockpit cars are ugly compared to open cockpits and really against everything sportscar racing stands for.

The driver should be visible and exposed to the elements.
Really the Silk Cut Jaguars ugly. Idont think so
Any of the Suber Mercedes ugly. I dont think so
I could go on.

[rob01]

Closed cockpit or not thats not what this thread is about!

[big_sw2000]

Closed cockpit or not thats not what this thread is about!
Sorry Rob, new to the forum, was answering a tread of the 1st page, missed the 2nd page.
Any way the Audi. Shame its an open top car, but still a good looking car.
At Le Mans, i think it will push the Peugeot, and although i hate to say it, Le Mans will probley be Peugeot this year.
Tom Walkinshaw said it takes 3 years to win Le Mans. Its Peugeot 3rd year.

[rob01]

:) its cool dont worry and welcome

I dunno about it being Peugeot's year. I think Audi are probably to strong but stranger things have happened!

[wbcobrar]

With a new car I'm shocked Audi is not running a full ALMS season , guess they figure all the bugs can be shaken at the little Le Mans . With the complete pro make up of the team they should be winners if they are even close on speed . I'm just sad I wo'nt be able to drool all over the new car at Road America this summer . Anyone know Audi's plans with respect to the 2010 ALMS full season ?

[big_sw2000]

With a new car I'm shocked Audi is not running a full ALMS season , guess they figure all the bugs can be shaken at the little Le Mans . With the complete pro make up of the team they should be winners if they are even close on speed . I'm just sad I wo'nt be able to drool all over the new car at Road America this summer . Anyone know Audi's plans with respect to the 2010 ALMS full season ?
I think Audi are not running AMLS this season, something to do with their US car sales, and a money thing.
They are still doing a full season in the ELMS, with the full 1000km races.
Pitty though i like watching the ALMS on TV

[Tom206wrc]

Official pics of the beast !!!! :bounce:

http://www.endurance-info.com/version2/actualite-endurance-375.html

Can't wait for next week's Sebring race :D

[chuck34]

With all that frontal area, I'd be willing to bet that it will have a bunch of drag. Therefore won't be too fast down the straights. But then again, the guys at Audi are pretty smart and want to win LeMans so I must be missing something?

[harvick#1]

Can't wait for next week's Sebring race :D

you and me both, but I'm waitin on Lemans when we see the Audi R10 vs R15 vs Peugeot vs Aston Martin :D

[rob01]

Its been launched officially at last at Ingolstadt!

http://www.planetlemans.com/2009/03/10/audi-launches-the-audi-r15-tdi-at-ingolstadt/

new inovations include the headlights! it made me laugh when i read that bit for some reason!
I think it looks even better now its in race livery. it looks smaller than the R10 but its actually longer, i guess its the shorter looking nose that gives it that affect...
only 10 days now until its races for the first time and it cant come soon enough...