2007 Audi R10 TDI Diesel Win
Audi's Le Mans-winning concept that became the R8.
The Audi Le Mans quattro is a concept car, developed by German automobile manufacturer Audi, for presentation at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, to celebrate Audi's three successive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 2000, 2001, and 2002. It was the third and final concept car designed by Audi in 2003, following the Pikes Peak quattro and the Nuvolari quattro.
Quick Facts
- Winner
- Audi Sport Team Joest
- Car model
- Audi R10 TDI
- Engine type
- 5.5-liter V12 Turbo Diesel
- Winning drivers
- Tom Kristensen
- Allan McNish
- Rinaldo Capello
- Race year
- 2007
- Significance
- Second diesel victory in Le Mans history (first was in 2006 with the same car)
Lore & Background
Audi's subsidiary quattro GmbH subsequently decided to produce the Audi Le Mans Quattro as a production road car, calling it the R8, naming it after Audi's R8 LMP race car, which is notable for being one of the most successful cars in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with five overall wins.
Reader's Guide
The Audi Le Mans quattro has a number of high-technology features, including headlights composed entirely of LEDs. The structural framework of the body, the Audi Space Frame, shared with the Lamborghini Gallardo, is made entirely of aluminium, while the outer skin is made out of carbon fibre and aluminium. The car also features an electronically controlled rear spoiler that raises at 70 mi/h. It featured magnetic ride magneto rheological dampers, also installed in the latest TT, and quattro permanent four-wheel drive. The Le Mans quattro's and Gallardo’s engine (both were development of C6 RS 6’s engine) have the same displacement but using different cylinder heads and twin-turbochargers and Fuel Stratified Injection technology, resulting in 449 kW and 750 Nm of torque. The transmission is the six-speed automated manual transmission shared with the Gallardo and developed by Volkswagen.
More in Iconic Races & Moments
Elsewhere in 24 Hours of Le Mans
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced