Audi goes hybrid and ultralight with R18 Le Mans racers

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Audi

Generally, when we talk hybrids, we're talking about a car that either powers itself on batteries at low speeds, only firing up the internal combustion engine when a little extra giddy-up is needed, or an electric car that turns the gas-powered piston pusher inside into a glorified power plant. Audi's e-tron quattro is a little different, though. The R18 sports a four-wheel drive system that powers one axle with an electric motor, while the other gets its juice from a 510 hp V6. The e-tron quattro also has a sibling, the Audi R18 Ultra, which seeks to compensate for the added weight of a hybrid drive train by using extremely lightweight materials, like carbon fiber, wherever possible -- including the gearbox. Both cars will be making their debut at the Le Mans 24 Hour on June 16th. For more details check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Audi goes hybrid and ultralight with R18 Le Mans racers

Audi goes hybrid and ultralight with R18 Le Mans racers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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