Audi R18 TDI and Audi R8 LMS head to ILMC Zhuhai this weekend |  |
- Audi R18 TDI and Audi R8 LMS head to ILMC Zhuhai this weekend
- Audi team quotes before the ILMC 6-hour race at Zhuhai
- SEAT unveils Altea XL Electric Ecomotive and Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive
| Audi R18 TDI and Audi R8 LMS head to ILMC Zhuhai this weekend Posted: 10 Nov 2011 08:45 AM PST The racing season is not over yet! This weekend we will see the final showdown between Audi and Peugeot. Just as the Audi R18 made its U.S. racing debut last month at Petit Le Mans, China will witness the R18 for the first time. Audi Sport is coming off some strong wins in the DTM as well as auto sales numbers in China. Peugeot has the latest “controversial” win between the two at Petit Le Mans. Audi Sport will have three customer R8 LMS cars running as well. As early as in the first week of October the brand with the four rings equaled the Chinese sales record from the entire year of 2010. In 2011, Audi expects sales to reach the level of more than 300,000 vehicles there for the first time. For Audi, the finale of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) at Zhuhai is thus a fitting occasion to celebrate the Chinese record. The brand’s success in China is also rooted in motorsport. In 1985 and 1986, the legendary Audi quattro won the Hong Kong–Beijing Rally two consecutive times. Audi competed with the A4 DTM at Shanghai twice. And on the debut of the sports prototypes at Zhuhai last year the spectators were thrilled by the Audi R15 TDI. Now the Chinese fans can look forward to the Audi R18 TDI, the vehicle that is arguably the world’s most fascinating race car in terms of technology. It embodies the company’s ultra-lightweight design technology and demonstrates downsizing at the highest level. Although the engine’s cubic capacity was reduced from last year’s 5.5 to 3.7 liters the R18 TDI is hardly slower than its predecessor. And it impressively proved that it is possible to win the Le Mans 24 Hours even with an ultra-compact diesel engine. In 2006, Audi was the first automobile manufacturer to win the Le Mans 24 Hours with a diesel-powered vehicle. Since June 2010 Audi has been the first brand to have entered its name on the winners’ list of the world’s most important endurance race with a V6 TDI engine. And the preparations for the 2012 season have long been in full swing at Audi Sport in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. But before the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup becomes the FIA World Endurance Championship next year, which upgrades the sports prototypes even further, Audi is making every effort to close its successful motorsport season at Zhuhai with a victory. There is no doubt about the Audi R18 TDI having the potential to do so. Most recently, though, it had been lacking a tiny bit of the necessary racing luck. Yet the fans at Zhuhai will not only have the opportunity to experience the two LMP1 sports cars that will again be driven by Timo Bernhard, Marcel Fassler, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish. The Audi R8 LMS, which has meanwhile become one of the world’s most successful GT3 sports cars with a track record of over 100 victories, will make a grand appearance at the ILMC finale as well. A total of three R8 LMS, fielded by Asian Audi customer teams, will be on the grid. Audi Sport customer racing China is relying on Edoardo Mortara, Darryl O’Young and Alexandre Imperatori. Audi race experience China is competing with Jeffrey Lee and Florian Gruber. Driving duties of the R8 LMS from Hitotsuyama Racing are shared by Akihiro Tsuzuki, Michael Kim and Carlo van Dam. Their rival in the GTC class is the former Formula One World Champion Mika Hakkinen, among others. Audi fans around the world will be able to watch the ILMC finale live on the internet on Audi.tv. The broadcast from Zhuhai will start at 11 a.m. local time (4 a.m. CET) on November 13. Eurosport will broadcast the final stages of the race live from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. (CET). - Audi Motorsport Related posts: Audi R18 TDI and Audi R8 LMS head to ILMC Zhuhai this weekend
         |
| Audi team quotes before the ILMC 6-hour race at Zhuhai Posted: 10 Nov 2011 07:12 AM PST Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “The 6-hour race at Zhuhai marks the close of a long, tough, but very successful season for Audi Sport. We won the most important race of the year – the Le Mans 24 Hours – with the Audi R18 TDI, the Spa 24 Hours with the R8 LMS and the DTM with the A4. We still have some unfinished business in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. That’s why I’m wishing for a race with a fair sporting competition at the end of the season and a bit more fortune than we last had at Silverstone and Road Atlanta. It would be nice if we could close the year with a success in what has meanwhile become the world’s largest single market for Audi.” Ralf Juttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): “When we arrived at Zhuhai in 2010 everything was new to us. With the knowledge we gained last year many things will be easier. We know what to expect. And we’re aiming to win the season finale after not having had any chance at Road Atlanta due to too much misfortune, aggravating situations and accidents. We were quick enough there and are hoping to be able to convert that into victory in China. Twelve months ago the Audi R15 TDI was fast at Zhuhai as well, even though it had not been designed for slow corners. The current R18 TDI is even better in tight corners than the R15 TDI. So good lap times should be possible. I’m expecting similarly close gaps as at all the races this year. If, on top of that, we’ve got that necessary bit of racing luck and fair play prevailing in the field, then I think we’ll have good chances.” Timo Bernhard (30/D), Audi R18 TDI #1 (Audi Sport Team Joest) “I’ve never driven at Zhuhai before and have never been to China in my career before either. That’s why I prepared for the track with onboard camera footage. On location, you walk the track before you drive it the first time. As a professional, you’re able to quickly implement the things you’ve learned in the cockpit. The many tight turns after the long straights will be rough on the brakes. But that also makes nice passes under braking possible. The fact that only 29 cars will be on the grid will help us after almost twice as many were in the field most recently. The risk of accidents thus clearly drops. Our lap times were absolutely competitive at the past two races but we often found ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m hoping for better racing luck in China. It’s nice that we’re arriving as a strong squad. At Audi, we never give up and always support each other a lot.” Marcel Fassler (35/CH), Audi R18 TDI #1 (Audi Sport Team Joest) “I’m already very much looking forward to competing at Zhuhai again. When the circuit was inaugurated in the nineteen-nineties we drove in the Formula Campus there. Rolled sod alongside the track that would get caught in the radiator and workmen with bamboo poles – that was definitely adventurous back in those days. Meanwhile the track has established itself on the international calendar. The last race I drove in China was in 2004, in the DTM, at Shanghai. It would be nice if we could be as competitive with the Audi R18 TDI at the ILMC finale as we were at Silverstone and Road Atlanta. At Silverstone we saw that the R18 TDI is very competitive even in slow corners. Zhuhai has several very slow corners. We are expecting strong competitors and I’m hoping for a fair and nice sporting decision at the end of the season.” Tom Kristensen (44/DK), Audi R18 TDI #2 (Audi Sport Team Joest) “I’m already looking forward to the last ILMC race in history. Next year the series will become a world championship. Last year I drove at Zhuhai for the first time. The track is narrow and has quick, longer straights and many very slow corners. The brakes have to work hard and good traction is important. The crowd was incredibly enthusiastic. I’m looking forward to seeing the fans again. As their interest in our sport keeps growing, so do their knowledge and enthusiasm. And China has meanwhile become the number one market for Audi in terms of deliveries. It’ll definitely be a very exciting race for us.” Allan McNish (41/GB), Audi R18 TDI #2 (Audi Sport Team Joest) “While our rivals have decided the title among themselves I’ve got one goal left: to win the last race of the year. After Audi was the winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours I’d like to end what personally has been a rather frustrating year on a strong, positive note. The Audi R18 TDI has been updated since Le Mans and at Silverstone and Atlanta we saw that our pace was really good. We’ve always battled for victories but they were thwarted by incidents. In China I’m again expecting a thrilling battle between Peugeot and us, like last year. In 2010, a safety car cost us a lot of time and our rival also made a few doubtful moves to slow us. Zhuhai has some narrow corners whereas the R18 TDI tends to be designed more for fast turns like those at Le Mans. But maybe the weather will also be playing a crucial role.” Tom Kristensen about Zhuhai: “Zhuhai is a friendly city, and it is much larger than you think. You travel there by ship via Hong Kong. The temperatures in November are perfect with a little humidity. The track is very tight and the circuit layout not exactly fluid. This is due to the slow corners at the end of the long straights. It’s also very hard on the brakes. You can take the fast corners 2 and 6 flat out. I like corners 10 and 14 the most. The turn 5 chicane is very aggressive and gives good feedback to the cockpit. The pit lane entry is the quickest one on the whole calendar. At Zhuhai it’s about having very high-quality and durable brakes combined with good traction and acceleration. In a nutshell: I’m convinced that the Audi R18 TDI is the best solution …” Related posts: Audi team quotes before the ILMC 6-hour race at Zhuhai
     |
| SEAT unveils Altea XL Electric Ecomotive and Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive Posted: 10 Nov 2011 06:13 AM PST SEAT has today announced it is working on its first electric car designed, developed and manufactured in Spain. And, as well as unveiling the prototype Altea XL Electric Ecomotive, a totally electrically-driven zero-emissions car, the Spanish manufacturer also presented the prototype Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive, a plug-in hybrid.
Over the next few months SEAT will make available units of both models to governmental institutions in Catalonia and Madrid for use in their vehicle fleets. This will provide SEAT with valuable information on use of the cars for assessment with a view to mass production of electric vehicles in the medium-term. The company envisages the launch of its first electric plug-in hybrid car in 2015, to be followed a year later by an all-electric car. SEAT’s strategy is to commit to a wide range of alternative technologies. To this end the Spanish manufacturer is unveiling two different but complementary models at the same time. SEAT’s President James Muir stated: “Customers demand a more sustainable form of mobility, but their needs are diverse. Therefore, we believe that a parallel strategy of developing two different technologies will put SEAT in the best position to meet their needs”. The announcement of the launch of the first electric vehicles coincides with the start of the biggest new product offensive SEAT has known. The company will be launching four new models onto the marketplace over the forthcoming twelve months. The first will be SEAT’s new urban vehicle – the Mii. Electromobility, a team effort The future of electromobility in Spain depends not only on vehicles but also their components such as batteries, as well as a recharging infrastructure. For this reason SEAT – the number one industrial investor in R&D in Spain – is heading the CENIT VERDE project. This public-private-partnership between manufacturers, universities, research centres and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation is taking a holistic research approach to making the electric vehicle a reality in Spain. The Altea XL Electric Ecomotive, SEAT’s first electric car The Altea XL Electric Ecomotive blazes the trail for electromobility in Spain. It has a range of 135 kilometres and as with all its vehicles, SEAT guarantees driving pleasure with an engine producing 115 hp (85kW) and 270 Nm of torque. This amount of power translates into a limited top speed of 135 kph. With its roomy passenger compartment and generous boot, the electric Altea XL is equally suitable for family or transport company use. By intelligent location of the batteries under the rear seats and the boot, there is no intrusion on the passenger compartment. A sophisticated regeneration system with adjustable braking torque optimises energy use. And when the electric Altea XL is parked in the sun, the rooftop photovoltaic cells recirculates fresh air inside the passenger compartment reducing the energy needed afterwards by the climatic system. Dr. Matthias Rabe, executive Vice-president for R&D, has stated that “SEAT has its electric future assured. With the electric Altea XL we are showing just how mature our technology is”. He added “the electric Altea XL was an intentionally studied choice for the first fleet. It will enable us to experiment with a wide variety of uses”. Leon TwinDrive, an all-purpose car The new SEAT Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive is a ground-breaking concept in the field of plug-in hybrids, by combining the advantaged of emission-free driving with the range of a traditional internal combustion engine vehicle. In electric mode the TwinDrive has a range of 52 kilometres, with a top speed of 120 kph. In combined mode (electrical plus combustion) the consumption forecast is only 1.7 litres of fuel or 18.5 kWh per 100 kms, the equivalent of a rock-bottom 39 g/km of CO2, with a top speed of 170 kph. In the words of Dr. Matthias Rabe, SEAT executive Vice-president for R&D “the Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive is an exciting and ground-breaking solution. Technically, it allows you to drive in all-electric mode, while at the same time enjoying smart hybrid drive”. To which he adds “Thanks to its great range, none of our customers will need to change their lifestyle or transport habits”. The Ecomotive family, low-emission mobility The Altea XL Electric Ecomotive and Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive do not constitute SEAT’s first venture into the field of sustainable mobility and commitment to environmental protection. The Spanish brand has a long track record in the manufacture of low-emission vehicles. More than 60% of vehicles marketed in Spain by SEAT have emission levels below 130 g/km of CO2. The star of the range is the Ibiza Ecomotive, with a combined consumption of just 3.4 litres and emissions of no more than 89 g/km from its 75 hp (55 kW) engine. Additionally, SEAT continues to broaden the Ecomotive range by adding versions of the Leon, Altea, Altea XL, Alhambra and SEAT’s new urban car the Mii, with equally benchmark consumption figures. Martorell, a sustainable production plant SEAT has extended its environmental commitment to its car-manufacturing processes, furthering different projects with a single aim – to reduce CO2 emissions and make a more sustainable and efficient use of energy resources. By way of example, one innovation at SEAT has been the implementation of EuroEnergest, an energy consumption monitoring system enabling more efficient energy use and savings of 3,900 tonnes of CO2 per year. Its strategic approach to environmental protection has earned SEAT several plaudits. One of the most recent was the first-ever awarding of the ISO 50.001 standard in energy efficiency to a Spanish company. ‘SEAT in the Sun’, from 4 to 8 MW in less than a year The most outstanding project within its strategy is ‘SEAT in the Sun’, the largest rooftop photovoltaic facility in Spain, and the biggest of its kind in the European automotive industry. Equally innovative was the decision to install the photovoltaic plaques on the temporary holding areas for vehicle protection. Capacity has doubled from 4 to 8 megawatts over the past few weeks thanks to the start-up of a new stage. Next year will see the completion of this project with connection of the final stage, taking installed power to 10.6 MW. This means that ‘SEAT in the Sun’ will have reduced CO2 emissions by 6,200 tonnes per year. From Martorell to the world, by train As a company, SEAT is also a pioneer in the use of the railway for the transport of vehicles and components. In 2008 the company opened Autometro, a rail link between Martorell and the Port of Barcelona for the transport of finished cars. Currently SEAT exports more than 40% of its production by sea, and 95% of those vehicles reach the Port of Barcelona via rail. In 2009 the company set up Cargometro, linking SEAT’s Martorell production plant with the Zona Franca facility. Taken together, the two rail links take some 57,000 heavy lorry trips off the roads – a reduction of 2,600 tonnes in CO2 emissions per year. Going forward, the Mediterranean corridor will enable SEAT to strengthen its rail strategy even more by increasing its current level of export by train from the current 11% to 30%. SEAT is the only company in its sector with the full-range capacity to design, develop, manufacture and market cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting approximately 75% of its production to 72 countries. SEAT is the market leader in Spain, and in 2010 reached a turnover amounting to 4.7 billion euros, with total sales of 339,500 vehicles. SEAT Group employs 13,000 professionals at its three production centres in Barcelona – Zona Franca, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza and Leon, amongst other models. The Volkswagen Group production facility at Palmela in Portugal supplies the SEAT Alhambra. The Spanish multinational also has a Technical Center, a ‘knowledge hub’ bringing together more than 900 engineers whose goal is to be the driving force behind innovation for the number one industrial investor in R&D+i in Spain. In line with its declared commitment to environmental protection, SEAT undertakes and bases its core activity on sustainability, namely reduction of CO2 emissions, energy efficiency, as well as recycling and re-using of resources. Related posts: SEAT unveils Altea XL Electric Ecomotive and Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive
     |
| You are subscribed to email updates from ONEIGHTURBO To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment