# 2011 Audi R17 or R18 (R15 Successor) to Sport V6 TDI with KERS Says Racecar Engineering



## [email protected] (Apr 9, 2004)

Here's an interesting story we just found posted on our Facebook wall by the American Le Mans Series. Apparently Racecar Engineering Magazine has intel suggesting Audi is readying a successor to the R15 TDI that will meet the as-of-yet unannounced 2011 ACO regulations dictating prototype racecar spec. Downsizing, a popular trend in production cars, will carry over as the ACO pushes for better efficiency according to the story. RCE says Audi will drop the current V10 TDI found in the R15 for a V6 TDI setup possibly using a KERS style energy recovery system. The car would still be LMP1 spec as Audi has always pushed for an outright win at Le Mans and the car is likely to carry the R17 or R18 name depending on DTM racecar development.
*So What Do We Think*
There've been rumors of the ACO's planned changes but never anything this specific on the Audi solution. Race Car Engineering is not a gossip publication and that lends to the credibility of the story. Likely they heard it from someone in the know. That said, we've found rumors move around racing insider circles with astonishing speed. Still, there's further logic for such a setup from a product/marketing perspective as Audi plans no V10 TDI but its 3.0 V6 TDI is a cornerstone in future product strategy. 
Read more at Racecar Engineering after the jump.
* Full Story *


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## chernaudi (Oct 6, 2006)

*Re: 2011 Audi R17 or R18 (R15 Successor) to Sport V6 TDI with K ... ([email protected])*

I'd expect a 3.7 liter V8 if the ACO goes through with their proposed engine regs. Audi can either take the 5.5 V12 and chop 4 cylinders off of it, or they can cut two cylinders off the V10 and destroke or debore it to 3.7 liters. Or they can make a 3.7 liter diesel version of the R8's 3.6 V8-all the engines mentioned are related in so far as that Baretzky based them off the same basic design, and the 3.6 TFSI V8 was in some ways with it's FSI system a prototype of the diesel engines, as FSI was reverse engineered from the then contemporay TDI systems.
Audi has also said that with the R8 at least, they chose the V8 because the engine was light and compact for what they wanted, and was durable, Why Audi went with a V12 for the R10 was for durabiiity, and R15 uses a V10 for durablity and compact size and weight.
I think that Audi may return to the V8, unless the possible KERS system favors a V6 for layout reasons(the Peugeot has used KERS on an experimental version of the V12 HDI powered 908 with little in the way of layout/weight problems).


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