Club Arnage

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motorsport/audi-set-lmp1-and-le-mans-withdrawal-updated

Looks like the mighty four rings might not be at La Sarthe much longer.

Interesting.  I was wondering how long it would be after "Dieselgate" that Volkswagen's €400 million budget would be slashed in half.  It seems they want to concentrate of the development of electric cars  :'(

And, as Audi have done pretty much everything there is to do in today's sportscar scene, perhaps the big cheeses in the VW group have decided it's Porsche's turn to add to their legacy.

Yep - I'll second that.

There is always toyota...

Until the start of the final lap, anyway.

 ;D

 :'( Ullrich says the decision hasn't been made, and they're designing a 2018 car already.

Its seems that small diesels will never pass the 2020 emissions limits, so I wonder if the 2018 car is petrol  :o

Perhaps the confusion has arisen as the diesel car will end next year  ;)  I live in hope

I think there's a number of factors at play. Dieselgate, the cost of running 2 teams and only one can win, so one or the other is always losing. No prizes for second place etc.

Another angle is that Audi has been putting a lot of work into developing synthetic fuels over the last few years.

Maybe that is where they're headed next, as it has grown from an idea to a proven concept.  Garage 55 entry perhaps, as in 2003 & 2004 with Team Nasamax running a pure bio-ethanol fuel, but this time with pure synthetic fuel?

MG Mark

Interesting thought....

Indeed, whether they will keep using motorsport to develop/display the tech will be interesting to see - the timing of the announcement would allow a final diesel hurrah next year, while something new is developed to roll out before the advent of the somewhat draconian emissions targets that manufacturers are chasing for 2020 - currently through EVs/hybrids. From what I'm reading, Audis e-fuels are basically carbon (and natural resource) neutral - combining that with e-tron drive could be pretty impressive.

MG Mark

Confirmed today:

https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/press-releases/audi-with-new-motorsport-strategy-formula-e-instead-of-wec-6980

So that will leave us with 2 Porsches, 2 or 3 Toyotas and 1 ByKolles in the top-category  :(

http://clubarnage.blogspot.be/2016/10/audi-cancels-lmp1-programme-by-end-of.html

It's going to be a very different experience next year with not only no R18's competing but think of all the Audi branding and corporate facilities will disappear.

I bet the ACO are deeply worried about attendance figures given that all the Audi fan boi's will potentially stay away.

Interesting times...

This announcement/confirmation seems to coincide with VW's US compensation claims being fixed at $15billion.  Presumably about half of that is Audi, as I think they were pushing diesel more than VW.  Then there's the rest of the world (that prefer diesel), so that's a hell of a big bill.  It even makes Audi's racing budget look like small change.

A s far as I'm concerned, my signature says it all.....  :'(

I'm glad I'm as old as I am so that I caught the good times...  :-X

I suppose having decided to ship out at the end of 2017, it probably wasn't too difficult a choice for Audi to bring that forward a year...would have been nice though to see a final hurrah from them after the last 16+ years.

Nissan will probably be too busy supplying everyone with LMP 2 engines from next year.

So, cue Porsche, Toyota and likely Ford branding replacing all the Audi stuff around the circuit?

MG Mark

Lorry,
        Diesel is not a popular option in North America for passenger cars.   Volkswagen Golf were by far the most popular in the niche market and an even smaller portion of Mercedes Benz diesels. I do not believe I have ever seen an Audi with diesel option. Domestic brands do not offer diesel.
The judges in the case against VW stated they wanted the highest $$ fine that would hurt BUT not jeopardise VW survival.

Phil
 

I thought Audi had been pushing diesels, as a sideline of the ALMS program etc, perhaps unsuccessfully.

$15 billion for a few Golf DTIs is really expensive

I'll see what my friend at Hummer has to say (don't they have a diesel option?  or was it gas turbine??)

Hi lorry,
 Hummer is hardly a mainstream car and while they may be available with a diesel most are gas (petrol) on the road. I expect the military ones would be diesel.
Any of the larger  (1 ton) pick ups are diesel but they are working trucks. the average urban cowboy style Ford 150 is a v8 gas.
Phil

Hi Lorry.
 a quick search reveals for the USA:
Under a proposed $15 billion settlement filed today, VW will buy back or fix about 475,000 of the diesel-powered cars it programmed to cheat on emissions tests and sold in the US between 2009 and 2015
This deal covers these 2.0-liter models:

VW Beetle (2013 – 2015)
VW Golf (2010 – 2015)
VW Jetta (2009 – 2015)
VW Passat (2012 – 2015)
Audi A3 (2010 – 2013; 2015)

So there is an Audi but I have never seen one.
Typical sales in Canada are 10% of the US and we may not get the Audi in diesel. The Golf and Jetta ( your BORA) are the popular models for diesel.

Phil

Thanks

I've heard the same from my friend.  I hadn't realised that most of the diesel Audis would have had the bigger V6 engine which wasn't affected, and they don't seem to have sold that many diesels anyway.

It seems that Cadillac had a stab a diesels, but gave up and I'm quite glad

Now its seems that VW are pulling out of rallying after winning things for 4 years.  I'd forgotten this - the groups motorsport budget has been severely dented.

Indeed it has - be interesting to see how much of a presence/involvement they keep, if any, in the various feeder series both internationally and on home turf (ADAC, BTCC, Golf and Polo Cups etc).

MG Mark

I may have missed it before, but I've just noticed Audi's new advert, featuring Le Mans.

What embarrassing timing, and the Porsche centre looks like its been rebadged

Apparently, there's  world rally championship! Who knew? Crikey they kept that quiet didn't they...

there'll be enough drivers on the market to start a whole new race series. So what should the FIA come up with? Shopping trolleys top of my list.

Leave the motorised shopping trolleys to F1 if you don't mind  8)

Re defeat devices in Audi's - breaking news!!

http://blog.caranddriver.com/another-emissions-cheat-device-found-this-time-on-audi-gasoline-and-diesel-vehicles/

My take on it was that it was a rather graceful (but two fingers up) epitaph to Audi racing at Le Mans - good on them.
No matter what you think about Audi and Oil burners (and I was never a big fan), you got to hand it to them - the boys (and girls) done good.

I think that Audi badge is shown on the big screen next to Wollek Grandstand. ;)

I will really miss Audi.

I actually like the sound of a broken household appliance storming past me at astonishing pace.

Electric just doesn't seem nearly as attractive/

A

I was there when the 1972 Le Mans-winning Matra did a demonstration run, sounding like a real racer. Compared to that the Audi sounded like the result of a seedy backstreet knee-trembler between a lawnmower and an egg whisk.

Especially at 2 in the morning...

Funnily enough, the ringtone on my phone is the Matra 670 pulling away from rest, with an enormously long first gear that goes on forever as the revs build before changing up. Normally aspirated. Mechanical timing and ignition. Revving to 10,500 rpm
Listen here - https://youtu.be/J82NO-AZRRo (https://youtu.be/J82NO-AZRRo)

MG Mark