Ingolstadt -- The three driver teams with which Audi Sport Team Joest will tackle the 77th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 13/14 have been confirmed.

The Audi R15 TDI designated as car number "1" will be driven by last year's winners Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland), the same squad that already won the 12-hour race at Sebring (USA).

The Audi R15 TDI designated as car number "2" also features the same lineup that ran at Sebring: The three Germans Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner will take turns at the wheel of this car.

The (edited)pit of the Audi R15 TDI -- car number "3" -- will be shared by the German Timo Bernhard and the two Frenchmen Romain Dumas and Alexandre Premat.

"The 12-hour race at Sebring was a successful dress rehearsal for us," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "That's why we didn't make any changes to the driver teams that competed at Sebring. The squad for the third car automatically resulted from this decision. I'm convinced that we've filled the (edited)pits of all three R15 TDI cars at Le Mans with outstanding racers -- also thanks to the two drivers Porsche is providing to us."

The new additions to the team, Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas, have meanwhile thoroughly familiarized themselves with the Audi R15 TDI in test runs. The first second-generation diesel-powered race sports car has undergone further development since its victorious debut at Sebring, with an aerodynamics package optimized for the Le Mans high-speed track. Because the organizer decided on short notice to increase the minimum weight for diesel vehicles by 30 kilograms, several components of the R15 TDI had to be adapted and evaluated by additional track testing.

For Audi Sport Team Joest, the 77th edition of the endurance classic will start at 2:30 pm on Monday, June 8, with scrutineering in downtown Le Mans. On Wednesday night, a 6-hour free practice session is on the agenda. Qualifying will be held on Thursday night from 7 pm to 9 pm and 10 pm to 12 pm, the race will start at 3 pm on Saturday.

Audi has the chance of clinching its ninth overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, then equaling Ferrari as the runner-up on the perpetual list of the best contenders.

Every light on the new Audi R8 V10 uses LEDs from interior lighting to the headlights

When Audi first introduced its R8 sports car, it turned some heads with its swoopy design and relatively low price tag for the world of exotic cars. The V8 engine that it had at launch was down on power compared to other exotics on the market making it less appealing to the well-heeled buyers the vehicle was meant to attract.

When we think of green automobiles, the first thing that comes to mind is fuel economy. However, there are other aspects to a vehicle that can be green and reduce carbon emissions that have nothing to do with fuel economy. One of those areas is the vehicles lighting according to Audi.

The new Audi R8 sports a much more powerful V10 engine that can push the vehicle to close to 200 MPH. Not only is the vehicle one of the fastest Audi's ever produced, it is the one of the first cars to bear the Audi marquee that will exclusively use power efficient LED lighting everywhere.

LEDs are used for the turn indicators, headlights, running lights and all interior lighting. The headlights used in the new R8 are the first in a completely new generation of LED only headlamps. Head of the Light and Visibility Department at Audi, Dr. Wolfgang Huhn said, "A lot of people initially viewed this development (LED lighting) as a mere marketing gimmick. Yet everyone who has seen these lights in action is not only astonished by the excellent output but also thrilled with the homogenous distribution of light and the agreeable, daylight-esque colour of the light.”

Many high-end cars today use xenon headlights for their brightness and energy-efficient design. A typical xenon headlight puts out about 80 lumens of light per watt. Early LED headlamps that Audi used on vehicles and concepts put out a mere 18 lumens per watt. The new LEDs used in the R8 are able to put out 100 lumens per watt, making them more efficient than xenon headlights for the first time ever.

One of the most interesting aspects of the new LED lighting system used on the R8 is that the light beam from the headlamps can be digitally controlled and changed as the environment changes. The lights can not only offer an indefinite lifespan, but the beam can be brighter when needed and then self-dim by changing the light beam when the vehicle gets close to other vehicles on the road. This helps prevent the possibility of blinding oncoming drivers.

Huhn also said, "We’re striving to create intelligent headlights and taillights which think and anticipate in the interest of enhancing a driver’s safety and comfort. For example, there are already high-beam headlights in pre-series development, which will allow drivers to navigate roads at night without temporarily blinding oncoming drivers. This is made possible by a variable distribution of light: An electronic system continuously calculates the distance to any approaching vehicles to ensure that the road ahead is ideally illuminated at all times – without irritating oncoming drivers."

FRANKFURT, Germany – Audi is pulling out of the American Le Mans Series, ending a dominating nine-year run in which its cars won the LMP1 class championship every season.

Audi motor sports chief Wolfgang Ullrich said Friday the German car maker wanted to concentrate on Europe "in these difficult economic times."

The announcement came on the same day that Honda said it was pulling out of Formula One, as car makers around the world have been hit by massive declines in sales amid the global financial downturn.

Ullrich said the decision to drop out was "a difficult one" since Audi helped establish what he called a "fascinating motor sports series."

"Our brand dominated the last season with seven wins in 11 races," he said.

The racing cars in the series used so-called TDI technology — or Turbocharged Direct Injection for diesel engines — which "perfectly supported" the launch of the technology in the United States, Ullrich said.

Audi will continue to race in the 24-hour race in Le Mans, France, and will also keep its cars in the German touring cars (DTM) series, as well in the 12-hour race in Sebring, Florida.

The 520hp attention getter set for debut



Car and Driver has confirmed Audi plans to introduce the new 2010 Audi R8 V10 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month. Although economic times have lead to Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, and others to drop out of the NAIAS, Audi is looking to score the most attention at the big show.

A new release of this kind will also be a welcomed distraction for journalists and bloggers covering American automakers talking about a return to profitability.

The new 5.2 liter V10 producing 520 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque will not hurt Audi's intent to turn heads. Audi's new engine will make their sports car more competitve with the likes of Lamborghini, as many Audi R8 coupes with a V8 engine are idling on dealer lots in the states. Quad-exhaust will be gone, with larger exhaust tips coming instead. New, larger wheels, and the brakes to match the power upgrade, are expected.

Their new engine is expected to also be available in the convertible, in addition to the current 420 hp V8. The 2010 Audi R8 V10 coupe is expected upon introduction, while the ragtop is planned for a bow in Europe next fall, and a 2010 debut stateside.

The Forgotten Quattro
The original Audi Coupe Quattros were hot in the early '80s but 25 years later they leave collectors cold
by Rob Sass


Audi Coupe Quattro

How the mighty have fallen. In 25 years, most expensive cars depreciate, but few cars as significant as the original Audi Coupe Quattro (Ur-Quattro from the German for "original") have so utterly disappeared both in value and visibility from the marketplace.

Although Audi was not the first to offer an all-wheel-drive sport coupe—Jensen briefly offered the FF in the late '60s and early '70s—Audi brought the concept to the mainstream with the Quattro. They promoted it by dominating the world rally scene and successfully integrated all-wheel-drive into their main product line.

Lamborghini Countaches and Ferrari 308s may have dominated the dorm room posters of the early 1980s, but if you spent any of your formative years either following big-time rallying or living in places like Boulder or Aspen, Colorado, the Coupe Quattro was the car you wanted.

As SCM's Thor Thorson noted in his July 2002 profile of the Audi Quattro Coupe, "At the 1980 Algarve rally in Portugal, Audi served notice when a Quattro was used as a course car (first car through, to clear the roads). Had it been a competitor, it would have won by 30 minutes."

While based on the underrated Audi 4000-derived Coupe, the relationship was like that of an E30 BMW M3 to a garden-variety 318i. Like the original M3, the Quattro pumped up the aggression level to the point of needing anger management therapy—the big fender blisters and Auto Union ring side decals signaled that Audi was back on the enthusiast map in a way not seen since the 1930s.

Boost gauge one of the few clues

The car's aggressive good looks didn't translate to the inside, which looked almost identical to a 4000 sedan, with plastic no better or no worse than the standards of the day. Most U.S. cars came with leather seating with funky diagonal pleating. The boost gauge and the differential control knob in the center console were the only giveaways to the special nature of the car.

One bonus is the acceptable rear seating the Quattro inherited from the ordinary coupe. U.S. cars unfortunately missed the good-looking, non-sealed-beam (i.e. effective) headlights of the Euro cars, making do with four square sealed-beam units. Most Quattro geeks have remedied this by retrofitting the Euro lights and adding a set of round driving lights.

By today's standards, the 2.1-liter KKK turbocharged inline 5-cylinder was neither particularly smooth nor powerful, putting out just 172 hp in U.S. trim. But it was good enough to push the Coupe Quattro from idle to 60 in a little over seven seconds—not much slower than a Ferrari 308 GTB of the day. And unlike a Ferrari, you didn't have to put the car away at the first sign of bad weather. In fact, "bad weather" was really "good weather" for the Quattro.

The Coupe Quattro was poised enough on dry roads, but lock the center differential with the knob on the console (complete with a lighted drivetrain diagram) and the car became nearly invincible. In the hands of drivers like Blomqvist, Mikkola, Hertz, and Mouton, the CQ was a weapon of mass destruction, from Pikes Peak to Monte Carlo, winning the manufacturers title for Audi in 1982 and '84.

Today's Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evo owe their existence to the Ur-Quattro, which proved that a lightweight all-wheel-drive system and a compact high performance car were a match made in heaven.

Doesn't seem exotic today

Although considered relatively exotic when new because of its drivetrain, there is very little to the Quattro that seems exotic today. Like most early turbos, post-shutoff heat spikes could cause oil to coke, which ruined turbo bearings and impellers. New or rebuilt KKK turbos are shockingly expensive. Using modern synthetic oils and allowing a cool-down period of several minutes after a hard drive is advisable. Blown head gaskets are also a family flaw in Audi inline 5-cylinder engines. Expect the usual electrical issues and also brake booster problems.

Quattro coupes are only average rusters, but since fun in the snow was the raison d'etré for the Quattro, it's probably best to avoid Salt Belt cars. In addition to European headlights and a honking set of Hella or Cibié spotlights, most Quattro owners have made the wise decision to replace the stock wheels. For whatever reason, Audi chose to deliver the Quattro with the same skinny, finned "turbine" wheels that came standard on the 5000 of the day. They look lost in the big blistered fenders of the Quattro. A set of period Ronals, Gottis, or BBS wheels can be found on most surviving examples.

A few Quattros modified by ABT are still running around. ABT is to Audi what Alpina is to BMW. Turbo and exhaust mods gave these cars the jump of the European cars. If you find one still on the road after all this time, that answers any longevity questions.

Lousy cars change hands for $6,000

As far as future collectibility goes, the short-wheelbase, high-horsepower, unobtainium-in-the-U.S. "Sport Quattro" will always steal the limelight from its older brother. However, don't count out the Ur-Quattro. Although they rarely appear at land auctions, there have been a few recent eBay sales of good cars at close to the $20,000 level. I have a feeling the lousy ones change hands publicly for $6,000-$7,000, but the really good ones trade among those in the know for a lot more.

Cars like the original E30 M3 already have an intense following. Maybe the Gen-X WRXers will want to examine their cars' ancestor in much the same way the Boxster has caused the once-overlooked 914 to be re-examined by collectors.

Provided by Sports Car Market—The Insider's Guide to Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends