K5 story on Audi's Le Mans-winning R10 turbodiesel.
Unveiled late in 2005, the R10 is Audi Motorsport's most expensive project ever, costing an estimated 70 million Euros per year. It is an all-new design that nonetheless looks remarkably like it's predecessor, the massively successful gasoline-fueled R8. It is powered by a turbocharged all-aluminum 90\ufffd V12 with common-rail direct injection that generates 650bhp and 811 lb-ft of torque in competition form. The power band lies between 3000 to 5000 RPM, a range so low as to be virtually unheard of in modern race cars. But its primary weakness is weight: the engine is rumored to weigh upwards of 200 kilograms, about 50% more than a comparable petrol-powered engine.
It's a nice story about a very nice bit of technological advancement by Audi.
Cheers,
Scott.