Audi R10 will be presented tomorrow

[Werner]

Audi will present it's new car for Le Mans 2006 tomorrow at 12.00 a.m. CET at a press conference in Paris, there's a live video stream announced at http://www.audi.com/r10

From my point of view the big questions are:
1) Open or closed roof LMP ?
2) Diesel or gasoline engine ?

Any guesses?

[Nobby Diesel]

Closed in V12 diesel I reckon.

[Canada Phil]

I think they already announced V10 Diesel and I am guessing closed top.
Canada Phil

[Nordic]

http://www.speedarena.com/gallery/gallery2.php?mode=album&album=/Sportscar/Le%20Mans/2006/Audi%20R10

You can see the new audi here.

[chop456]

Well, that seals it.  All of you need to come over for Sebring now.

Done and done! 

Gorgeous car.

[hgb]

One thing strikes me. On the R8 there was always one or more Ricardo sticker. It's missing on the R10. Does that indicate they also built their own gear box ?

[chrisbeatty]

Hmm just had a quick look at the video stream while I was "doing some work" near our broadband connection at work.

It is an open top diesel, I think I heard that it's a 5.5l V12 with 650hp & over 1100 N/M of torque (anyone know what that is in lb/ft??)

Looks similar to an R8 with two rollover hoops though 

[Rusty]

1100 N/M of torque (anyone know what that is in lb/ft?)

811 + ft lb
Does walnut and hammer ring any bells?
Rusty

[Lorry]

It must be a different gearbox, as the diesel engine, even in race trim, will chuck out twice as much torque as a petrol one, and its usually torque that kills gearboxes (this is from someone putting 180 ft lb through a box originally designed for 60)

The answer may be with the new Bugatti, which has a British 4WD gearbox for the 1,000 bhp motor.  Coincidence

[hgb]

Apparently, it's true and they built their own gear box and (and this is surprising) Xtrac helped them.

The Bugatti Veyron gearbox was built by Ricardo if I'm not wrong.

[Lorry]

Yes, from their site

"The gearbox was designed together with the company X-trac, the carbon fibre monocoque was created under the watchful eye of Audi Sport at Dallara."

Its different from the R8 in that there are few body panel.  What you see is mostly chassis.

And it revs to 5,000 rpm

[hgb]

Some more info coming in on here...

http://www.speedarena.com/news/publish/sportscar/article_6324.shtml

No flames from the exhaust during gear change, wind noise louder than engine noise during speed... uh, ah, I don't know what to think of it.

[Ferrari Spider]

hgb, having read through the link am i correct in thinking its first race will be Le Mans?

Are Audi that confident that it will run straight from the box for 24hrs and win?

[Fax]

It looks like the debut will be at Sebring.
Hope the new Dyson Lola's blow its doors off.
Fax

[Barry]

Some more info coming in on here...

http://www.speedarena.com/news/publish/sportscar/article_6324.shtml

No flames from the exhaust during gear change, wind noise louder than engine noise during speed... uh, ah, I don't know what to think of it.

No visible glowing brake discs either, they are enclosed in a cowling to help cooling.
Thank God for the Corvettes, Astons, and the rest of GT1 and 2, they will still keep us awake during the night.