03 July 2008, 09:06 AM
With two wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours race already under its belt, you could be forgiven for expecting a race car to enjoy a well-earned retirement. However, the enduring design and speed of the 936 concept enabled the Porsche racing department at Weissach to further evolve the car such that it won the race once more in 1981.
With plans in place to enter race versions of the 924 Carrera GT and new 944 in the 1981 Le Mans, a late decision was taken to also challenge for overall honours. But th
03 July 2008, 09:01 AM
The Porsche 936 was a two-seat prototype developed by the engineers in the Weissach racing department for the 1976 Group 6 World Championship – and it was rewarded with that year’s title and a remarkable trio of Le Mans wins.
Led by Norbert Singer, the team of Porsche engineers used the chassis concept that had been proven by the 917 and clothed it in new, open cockpit ‘Spyder’ bodywork.
The 1976 Le Mans 24 Hours race was to be ultimate test of this new design and it passed with flying col
03 July 2008, 08:45 AM
A total of 59 examples of the Porsche 917 were built, 41 as short or long-tail coupes with naturally aspirated engines of up to 5.4-litres, and 18 as CanAm or InterSeries Spyder versions with 1,400bhp turbocharged engines. One model is slightly different; the 917/20, of which only a single example was ever built.
A mixture of the long and short-tail coupes, the goal of the designers of the 917/20 was to combine the high speeds of the long-tail version with the easier handling of the short-tai
03 July 2008, 08:38 AM
The Mulsanne straight at Le Mans, which is about six kilometres in length, has always played an important role for drivers and engineers in the history of the 24 Hours race. This is where high speed has top priority and decisive seconds can be gained. This is also why, as on no other race track in the world, aerodynamics determine how cars for Le Mans are designed.
A long-tail Porsche only just missed its first Le Mans victory in 1969; it crossed the line about 100 metres behind the winner. T
03 July 2008, 08:31 AM
With the 917, Porsche for the first time entered the league of immensely powerful, large-capacity racing cars. The 580bhp from the twelve-cylinder 4.5-litre engine of the 917 set new standards, to the extent that even decades later, independent experts rate this Porsche as one of the most impressive sports cars of the century.
Changes in the regulations motivated Porsche to build the 917. Prototypes were allowed a maximum engine size of three-litres, and for sports cars five-litres were allow
27 June 2008, 10:52 AM
Two unique and specially restored Ford race cars will return to the famous Le Mans 24 Hours circuit for the 2008 Le Mans Classic between July 11 and 13.
After painstaking restorations, the two cars, a 1923 Model T Montier and a 1973 Ford Capri RS2600, are taking to the track to compete again at the iconic Sarthe circuit under the 'Ecurie Ford France' banner.
"The Le Mans 24 Hours has featured in Ford's motorsport history since the very first race, and we are delighted to be able to continue
30 May 2008, 10:38 AM
Ingolstadt – Effective immediately, the range of equipment available for the Audi R8 sports car now also includes the first full-LED headlamp. In addition to the daytime running light which now features 24 LEDs per headlamp, light-emitting diodes are also used for the turn signals, the low-beam and the high-beam headlights. The €3,590 option rounds out the list of equipment available for the high-tech, mid-engine sports car.
The earlier launch of LED technology at the front of the car require
28 April 2008, 08:32 PM
Performance and efficiency
Purist sportiness and compelling performance, combined with sensational efficiency – Audi is setting the trends yet again. The Audi TT Coupe 2.0 TDI quattro and Audi TT Roadster 2.0 TDI quattro are the first series-production sports cars in the world to be powered by diesel engines. The two-liter fourcylinder engine delivers dynamic thrust, with a power output of 125kW (170 hp) and 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) of torque. On average, however, the TDI in the TT Coupe requires
04 March 2008, 02:45 PM
Audi is presenting a revolution in the top class – the first 12-cylinder diesel engine in a high-performance roadgoing sports car. The V12 TDI with a displacement of six liters powers a concept car based on the Audi R8. This unit generates a huge 500 hp and 1,000 Newton-meters (737.56 lb-ft) of torque. Audi is writing a new chapter in diesel technology with this power unit. Equipped with the expertise that Audi has built up through its motor sport activities, the R8 TDI Le Mans in Brilliant Red
08 January 2007, 03:51 PM
A time of 5.5 seconds for the sprint from a standstill to 100 km/h and an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h put the performance SUV from Audi on a par with high-calibre sports cars. The engine limits its consumption to an average of just 11.9 litres/100 km.
The new V12 TDI is the crowning glory of an engine line-up brimming with dynamic performance – each and every one of the diesel engines from Audi generates a high output and tremendous pulling power for a sporty drive. This cha