Audi's Le Mans cars at museum mobile

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Created on March 16, 2018

Text:

Bruno von Rotz, translated by DeepL

Photos:

Audi AG

Audi R18R (1999) - Audi competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in 1999

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Audi R18 e-tron quattro (2014) - Winning car at Le Mans

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14 Le Mans racing cars are the new protagonists on the paternoster at the Audi museum mobile in Ingolstadt. The brand with the four rings has stood at the top of the podium 13 times in the world's most famous endurance race in France. The special exhibition can now be seen in the museum for one year.

Audi R18R (1999) - Audi competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in 1999

Audi entered the 24-hour race at Le Mans for the first time in 1999 with the R8R. As a newcomer to the Sarthe, the premium brand relied on a V8 biturbo engine with a displacement of 3.6 liters and finished third and fourth. Audi Tradition presents the R8R on the paternoster as well as 13 other Le Mans race cars from the four rings. Their winning streak remained almost uninterrupted from 2000 to 2014. Only in 2003 (the brand decided not to enter a works entry) and 2009 (3rd place) were the winners not Audi.

The paternoster moves the racing cars through the four levels of the Audi museum mobile and presents the history of the Four Rings at Le Mans and the evolutionary stages of the sports cars to the viewer.

For example, FSI technology with turbocharging, which was successfully used in the Audi R8 in 2001, is considered a milestone. Direct fuel injection reduced fuel consumption and was introduced in series production models shortly afterwards.

In 2006, the Audi R10 TDI was a technical revolution: the first Le Mans winner with a diesel engine. Four years later, the Audi R15 TDI broke the 39-year-old distance record. The record set by the R15 TDI in 2010 is still valid today.

The R18 TDI from 2011 can also be seen in the Audi museum mobile. The regulations for this season stipulated that the engine capacity be reduced from 5.5 to 3.7 liters. The closed sports car consumed significantly less fuel than its predecessor and was the first to cross the finish line thanks to optimized aerodynamics.

Audi R18 e-tron quattro (2014) - Winning car at Le Mans

One year later, the Four Rings sent their first hybrid sports car to France: the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. The exhibition organizers show the champion from 2012 and its victorious successors from 2013 and 2014.

You can find out more on the official website of the Audi museum mobile.

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