AUDI R18 e-tron quattro
2012
AUDI R18 e-tron quattro
2012 - 2nd 24hLe Mans / #2 - T. Kristensen, R. Capello, A. McNish
CA38b
The Audi R8C, designed by Peter Ellerey and Tony Southgate, only took part in the 1999 edition of the 24h of Le Mans. It is still probably one of the most beautiful prototypes in Le Mans history. Unfortunately, its performance did not match its elegance, mostly for lack of development time. Racing Technologies Norfolk built a carbon fibre bodywork around a monocoque frame, all powered with a 358 cc V8 biturbo engine. James Weaver said that the R8C, at one time during the race, had become one of the best cars he had ever driven. None of the two competing R8Cs was able to reach the end of the race. In the following years, Audi opted for an open cockpit version of the R8 and the R8C became the basis for the Bentley Exp Speed 8 project, which won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2003. This model reproduces the “presentation” car in which the two sides differ in race number and driver’s name. Note that the model also correctly reproduces the shape of the trilobate air intake on the nose, replaced in the race version by a single gap intake.
The 911 GT1 EVO 98 was the car created by Porsche to compete in the GT1 category in 1998, at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the FIA GT international championship. At the beginning, the GT1 were Grand Touring cars modified for the competitions, but in the last years they got more and more similar to racing prototypes. Porsche had already run in GT1 the years before, but the ‘98 car was a brand new model. This was the first car built by Porsche with a carbon composite monocoque chassis. Front and rear suspensions double wishbones with pushrod. Wheels diameter 18 inches; carbon brake discs, calipers wi th 8 pistons at front and with 6 pistons at rear axle. Six-cylinder flat engine, 3.2 litres twin turbo, 4 valves per cylinder, water-cooled, maximum torque 630 Nm at 5000 rpm, maximum power 550 hp at 7200 rpm. Six-speed gearbox with sequential change, trip le disc carbon fibre clutch. Fuel tank capacity 100 litres.
In 1998, the FIA GT championship was dominated by Mercedes, but Porsche was able to win the Le Mans 24 Hours. In the race at Silverstone, Alexander Grau and Andreas Scheld ran the car number 5 o f the German team Zakspeed Racing.