Audi R8 e-tron sets Nurburgring world record

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 07:10 AM PDT

Audi R8 e-tron: world record on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, June 26, 2012

Gallery after the jump!

The future of electric mobility at Audi is highly dynamic: The R8 e-tron has set a world record for a production vehicle with an electric drive system on the Nurburgring Nordschleife – the toughest test track in the world. Racing driver Markus Winkelhock piloted the high-performance, all-electric-drive sports car around the demanding 20.8-kilometer (12.92-mile) track in 8:09.099 minutes. With this Audi has achieved yet another milestone in its history, following overall wins at the 24-hour races at the Nurburgring and Le Mans.

“The R8 e-tron has given a magnificent demonstration of its potential on the toughest race track in the world,” said Michael Dick, AUDI AG Board Member for Technical Development. Dick, who completed a fast lap himself in the R8 e-tron, added: “The record-setting drive confirmed that we are on the right track. To us, electric mobility has never been about sacrifice, but rather is about emotion, sportiness and driving pleasure.”

A comparison with the current record lap driven by a combustion engined production car shows just how impressive the 8:09.099-minute time really is. The record time of 7:11.57 minutes was achieved with a Gumpert Apollo Sport, which is powered by a 515 kW (700 hp) Audi V8 gasoline engine.

The R8 e-tron’s rechargeable lithium-ion battery stores 49 KWh of energy – enough for a distance of about 215 kilometers (133.59 miles).

The drive system of the Audi R8 e-tron that Markus Winkelhock drove to the world record corresponds in every detail with that of the production model that will come on the market at the end of the year. Both of the car’s electric motors generate an output of 280 kW and 820 Nm of torque; more than 4,900 Nm (3,614.05 lb-ft) are distributed to the rear wheels nearly from a standing start.

The Audi R8 e-tron accelerates from zero to 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 4.6 seconds. Its top speed is normally limited to 200 km/h (124.27 mph); 250 km/h (155.34 mph) was approved for the record-setting lap.

The R8 e-tron’s rechargeable lithium-ion battery stores 49 KWh of energy – enough for a distance of about 215 kilometers (133.59 miles). Its “T” shape allows it to be installed in the center tunnel and in the area between the passenger compartment and the rear axle. It is charged by energy recovery during coasting and braking. The ultralight car body of the Audi R8 e-tron is made primarily of aluminum, along with CFRP components; this is a main reason why the high-performance sports car weighs just 1,780 kilograms (3,924.23 lb), despite the large battery.

In order to further underscore the production-relevance of the R8 e-tron and the capability of its drive technology, Audi has set another record on the Nordschleife in addition to the single lap record time. Immediately afterwards, Markus Winkelhock drove two fast laps in one go in a second R8 e-tron that was limited to 200 km/h (124.27 mph). At 8:30.873 and 8:26.096 minutes, both laps were well under the important nine-minute threshold.

“The record drives were a fantastic experience for me,” said Markus Winkelhock. The 32-year-old, who lives near Stuttgart, has a high standard for comparison – the Audi R8 LMS ultra, in which he, along with Marc Basseng, Christopher Haase and Frank Stippler, won the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring a few weeks ago.

Driver Martin Winkelhock and Audi team after setting Nurburgring world record

“Of course, the R8 e-tron is a production car, not a racing car with the assistance of aerodynamics,” Winkelhock emphasized. “But with its low center of gravity and rear biased weight distribution, it brings with it a lot of sporty qualities. The torque with which the electric motors propel the car uphill beats everything that I know – even if they make hardly any noise in the process, which at the start was really a completely new experience for me. In places where I really need traction, the torque vectoring – the displacement of the torque between the powered wheels – really helps me.”

Michael Dick proudly summed up events after the record-setting drive at the Nurburgring. “Within just a few weeks we’ve taken on some big challenges and in the process we’ve shown that we are at the forefront with all of our drive concepts,” he said, adding:“We won the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring in May in the Audi R8 LMS ultra with a ten-cylinder engine.

In mid-June we triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Audi R18 e-tron quattro – the first overall victory for a hybrid-electric vehicle in the toughest race in the world. And now we’ve set another record with the all-electric-drive R8 e-tron on the most demanding track there is.”

apartment therapy checks out the Audi A3 e-tron

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OFFICIAL: Simraceway launches the Audi R18 TDI

Posted: 29 Jun 2012 05:08 AM PDT

ONEIGHTURBO

Simraceway Audi R18 TDI 2011, Front Three Quarter view

Gallery after the jump!

The R18 TDI succeeded the R15 TDI as Audi ‘s Le Mans Prototype weapon-of-choice in 2010. It represented the first coupe design since the manufacturer’s failed experiment with the Audi R8C over a decade before, in a move prompted by new laws that slowed down pit stop times and negated the main advantage of an open cockpit.

Simraceway Audi R18 TDI 2011 cockpit detail

It was also new regulations that necessitated the R18′s prominent stabilization fin and smaller engine—the 532 bhp produced by its 3.7-liter single-turbo V6 represented a 10% reduction compared to the output of its predecessor’s 5.5-liter twin-turbo V10. Other changes included an ultra-lightweight design, improved fuel-efficiency, an electronically-controlled gearbox, and its single-piece carbon monocoque that imbued the car with extra rigidity.

Allan said this about the car in conversation with John Hindhaugh, at Sebring in March.

Despite these changes—some enforced by regulation, others inspired by evolution—the one thing that remained constant was Audi’s domination of endurance racing. After a creditable third-place finish on its debut at the 2010 1000km of Spa, the R18 TDI then notched two impressive victories at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans and at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2012.

To pilot Audi’s closed-cockpit colossus, buy the Audi R18 TDI today on Simraceway

Oh by the way we first drove this car back in October of 2011 at Petit Le Mans, McNish didn’t shake it down until early March this year!