First victory of a diesel engine in the 24-hour race
With a historic triumph at the Le Mans 24 Hours, AUDI AG has written a major chapter in motorsport history. For the first time, a diesel engine won the world’s toughest car race with the new Audi R10 TDI. In front of a record crowd of 235,000 spectators, Frank Biela (Germany), Emanuele Pirro (Italy) and Marco Werner (Germany) clinched the sixth and so far most important Le Mans victory for Audi.
Fans at the racetrack and millions of television viewers around the world witnessed an impressive demonstration of Audi TDI Power and the power of modern diesel engines. The two Audi R10 TDI were by far the fastest and most economical vehicles with their 650 hp V12 TDI engines. Throughout the race, one of the new diesel sports cars from Ingolstadt was at the head of the field. With 380 laps, Audi set a new distance record.