2006 Audi A8 A8 4.2l Quattro V8 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Audi commits two R18 E-Tron Quattros to final Sebring race for LMP1 cars

We were baffled a few weeks back when the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series announced new classes that will make up their combined racing program in 2014. Gone from the list is the Le Mans Prototype class, otherwise known as LMP1. The LMP1 class has long been the top dog of endurance racing, both in Europe and the US, so we couldn't figure out why this newly minted racing series was jettisoning it like yesterday's donuts.
It appears as if Audi is confused by the move as well. The German brand has announced it will participate in this year's ALMS opening round, the famed 12 Hours of Sebring, as it does every year, and bringing two Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro hybrid race cars with which to compete. Unlike every other year, Audi is treating this year's race as its potential swan song in this famous Florida race.
There's a good reason that Audi is so fond of the 12 Hours of Sebring, as it debuted the gas-powered R8R there in 1999 that kicked off its participation in the upper echelon of endurance racing. The R8R preceded the R8, which debuted at Sebring in 2000 and won that race, starting an amazing career for that car that included five more wins at Sebring. The R8 was followed by the R10, then the R15 and R18, and finally we wind up at today's R18 E-Tron Quattro - all winners, all dominant, all exciting to watch.

Evo drives the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro on track

Audi invited Evo scribe Richard Meaden to the Misano circuit in Italy to drive the Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro - and not just any R18 Quattro, were such a thing possible, but the No. 2 car that took first place at Le Mans this year driven by Marcel Fassler, Andre Lotterer and Benoit Treluyer. Meaden got just four laps in the diesel hybrid racecar - a warm-up, two hot laps and a cool down lap - so this wasn't about testing the R18 E-Tron's limits. In fact, Meaden makes it clear that such a thing isn't even possible for less than a professional driver; when driving at his limits (admittedly in Audi's very expensive car being watched by dozens of Audi engineer eyeballs), the data showed he was using 60 percent of the pedal effort of the professionals. Nevertheless, Meaden does have a lot to say about how the car delivers its massive ability, and with the wide-view shot of the cockpit we also get to see how busy and how intimate an endurance driver's office is. Check it out in the video above. News Source: Evo via YouTube Green Audi Racing Vehicles Videos evo

Autoblog's top 50 car photos of 2016

This one shouldn't need much explanation. We like cars a whole lot, and that includes not just driving them but taking great pictures of them. We've collected our 50 favorite images from this year in the mega-gallery above. It's a mix of old and new, with a healthy dose of vintage and modern race cars mixed in, and not one single shot under the harsh lights of an auto show. So click through and enjoy. Featured Gallery Autoblog's Top 50 Photos of 2016 View 50 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Autoblog.com Audi BMW Chevrolet Dodge Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Porsche Rolls-Royce Volvo Convertible Coupe Motorcycle Luxury Racing Vehicles Performance Supercars Classics