Audi will put its most complicated racecar ever built on a track for a race. The R18 e-tron diesel-hybrid all-wheel-drive already looks as fast as its predecessors, and could portend what kind of vehicles we'll drive later this decade -- but first, it has to at least finish a few races.
Fans of Le Mans endurance racing can't help but hope Audi has lost just a little edge in the transition to a new car, because absent that it's likely Audi will run away with the race. The e-tron combines a diesel V6 powering the rear wheels with a flywheel system that captures energy from braking and releases it through the front wheels when needed. While Toyota has its own Le Mans Prototype hybrid, that car won't be ready until Le Mans -- and Toyota winning its first race over the dominating Audis would rank as one of the all-time greatest upsets in the sport.
This may seen far afield from your garage, but the old saw about lessons learned on the track rolling into everyday cars does still apply. Audi tested its flywheel system by fitting it in the nose of a R8 supercar; if it was able to shrink it further, it could offer an alternative to battery hybrid systems. But that's something to think about after a few checkered flags fall.
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