Audi has unveiled its Audi R15 TDI racer, the successor to the R10 TDI, which will see action at Le Mans. The R15 sports a V10 diesel engine along with an all-new lithium-ion battery.

The R15’s 5.5-liter engine is smaller than the R10’s V12, but it’s still good for 600 brake horsepower and 775 lb.-ft. of torque. The lighter engine, coupled with an improved fuel-injection system and turbo technology allows better responsiveness as well as lower CO2 emissions. The R15 has a bigger rear wing and a high nose equipped with a new LED low beam headlight, a preview of Audi’s forthcoming LED technology for use in production cars.

Having a lithium-ion battery is a bit misleading; the R15 TDI is not a hybrid. The decision to switch from a conventional battery to the Li-ion battery was made because the latter provides a much higher voltage.

The R15 TDI will first race at the 12 Hours of Sebring this March. Audi Sport North America’s R10 TDI won back-to-back Sebring titles in 2006 and 2007, and looks forward to getting it back at the R15’s competition debut.

Source: Car Magazine Online