![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:18 • Filed to: Le Mans, World Endurance Championship, WEC, 24 hours of le mans, Audi, Formula 1, Whimsy, Hot Takes | ![]() | ![]() |
Observe: a closed-fender version of a standard race car, ripping on a twisty course. This is not, sadly, a vehicle meant for competition in Formula 1 but rather a World Endurance Championship Audi of the 2010 s.
Wonderful as this car looks and sounds, it is a bit of an illusion. This is not a open cockpit car but a closed cockpit one. It looks like a top-spec race car , but a formula car it is not.
My dreams of seeing such a car, a highly developed race car meant for the top end of world motorsports, remains a dream. But still, this one looks just about perfect, particularly running around a road course , where open-wheeled cars reign? And the of that diesel power plant running up in the rev range!
The car runs a diesel-electric hybrid power train. It claims 914 horsepower and around 900 kilos, or about 2,0 00 pounds. Yeah, looking at the size of the rear tires makes sense now.
These Audis were the class of the field, and the manufacturer won Le Mans five years in a row, twice, with these things.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:19 |
|
Someone hasn’t seen Max Verstappen attack curbs...
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:21 |
|
Sure, but more like this tho:
We don’t need no headlights
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:22 |
|
Way to take the piss!
On a related note, urea injection means that this car was, quite literally, meant to take the piss.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:22 |
|
And.... we are back to NASCAR - the circle has been closed.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:26 |
|
Also somewhat relevant, I think the 2020 Audi S4 Euro spec will get a mild- hybrid diesel power unit.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:27 |
|
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:29 |
|
???
Drifts happen in F1 too. An d like endurance racing, it’s not how they’re supposed to go around a corner.
Also endurance racing suffered/suffers a bit of the same problem of F1 - One or two teams dominating so much that everyone else packs up and leaves. Yes it was cool to see the old R8 and R10 cars galavanting around and fighting off everyone else. But after so many years of it.....it was kinda boring TBH. Lower classes were much more fun. BUt that’s just my take.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:29 |
|
This is what Formula Drift should look like.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:29 |
|
Max would enjoy having access to an LMP’s curb clobbering capabilities. Jump it like a rally car and keep going. Heck, at Monza in 2008 they flipped one of the Audis and only lost 10 minutes in the garage.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:36 |
|
This is what Indycar should look like:
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:45 |
|
Sure, but more like this tho:
We don’t need no drivers
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:50 |
|
It should all look like this, MOAR BURNOUTS!
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:51 |
|
It always rains at Le Mans.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 11:56 |
|
I think there should be less power, more elevation change and no banked tracks.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 12:05 |
|
This remains one of the all-time best slow-mo clips in motorsport history.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 12:16 |
|
This was peak F1.
![]() 07/30/2019 at 12:51 |
|
Eh, nascar doesn’t even race in the rain....
![]() 07/30/2019 at 13:05 |
|
Are you sure that isn’t Indycar?
[Edit: That’s the joke. Gimme a break. I had an early morning. ]
![]() 07/30/2019 at 13:29 |
|
That’s a 1993 Neuman-Haas CHAMP car, driven by Nigel Mansell.