Head Of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: In His Own Words

No, it wasn't a perfect week for Audi at the 56th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. But there were plenty of positives to be had including a ninth consecutive LMP1 victory at Sebring International Raceway. Chief among them were the news that the German marque will be part of the American Le Mans Series grid for the full season with two diesel-powered R10 TDIs and Audi's induction into the Sebring Hall of Fame. Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich used that platform to reflect on Audi's record at the 12 Hours and what the Series means to Audi as one of its leading manufacturers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's a great honor for Audi being inducted into the Hall of Fame at Sebring. In the name of AUDI AG I would like to thank you very much for this honor.

"Sebring is a very special race, especially for Audi. Back in 1999, we competed in our first ever sports car race at Sebring after racing touring cars for various years. Doing this at Sebring, on one of the toughest race tracks of the world, was a big task for Audi Sport and our team. We were not the fastest in 1999, but we were able to finish the race and even achieved a podium result.

"We learned a lot at Sebring in 1999, and one year later we came back with the new Audi R8. As you all know, it was the start of an incredible career for this car. I remember Don Panoz saying 'This car will be a winner' when he saw the Audi R8 for the first time.

"He was right.

"The R8 became the most successful Le Mans prototype in history with 63 overall victories in just 80 races. It has won the Le Mans 24 Hours five times and remained undefeated at Sebring from 2000 to 2005 before we introduced the revolutionary R10 TDI, our diesel-powered sports car.

"For sure, the winning streak of the Audi R8 was the key factor for being admitted to Sebring's Hall of Fame. We know that Sebring is one of the most prestigious races of the world and the victories Audi has achieved here make us proud. But we've seen Sebring also always as an important test for the Le Mans 24 Hours. If you finish the 12 Hours of Sebring, you can be quite sure you will not face too many unexpected technical problems at Le Mans. ..."

"The American Le Mans Series is an excellent platform in America for an automobile manufacturer to compete in motorsport at a high level with innovative technology. We want to continue to use this platform and to support Audi's diesel campaign in the USA. We will show fighting spirit and try to win as many races as possible.

"Audi has helped the American Le Mans Series to become one of the most popular racing series in the world. And Audi has also been the technological pioneers for the Green Racing initiative in the American Le Mans Series, which Audi very much welcomes.

"We have created the basis for Green Racing with racing our R10 TDI in the American Le Mans Series and proving that you can win Le Mans with a diesel-powered sports car. The ACO and IMSA have made it possible for Audi to showcase this technology at Le Mans and in the American Le Mans Series successfully.

"In 2008, AUDI AG will deliver more than 1 million cars worldwide for the first time in its history. Almost half of them will be equipped with a TDI engine, which, in the meantime, has established itself in almost every world market - with the exception of the USA.

"The TDI engine has enormous potential - specifically in the USA. The American Environmental Protection Agency has determined that the United States of America could save 1.4 million barrels of crude oil every day if just every third car and light commercial vehicle was fitted with a modern diesel engine like the Audi TDI.

"Audi will start a TDI offensive later this year introducing the world's cleanest diesel with low emission system on the US markets. The R10 TDI helps to explain the advantages of the TDI technology to the public and the customers.

"And all this started where...? Exactly: Here at Sebring International Raceway.

"Audi is proud it has made history at Sebring. With the induction in the Hall of Fame, Audi has a place in Sebring's history for ever.

"Thank you very much for giving us this opportunity. Sebring will always remain a special place for Audi and for myself."

Audi R8 2008 World Performance Car

The 2008 World Performance Car award has gone to the Audi R8 as announced today during the awards press conference the New York International Auto Show.

The Audi R8 was chosen from an initial entry list of twelve (12) contenders nominated by forty-seven (47) World Car jurors from twenty-four (24) countries throughout the world. Padraic Deane from Automotive Publications represents Ireland on the jury.
While the winner of the overall World Car of the Year award must excel in a broad range of attributes, there is a segment of the car-buying public for whom performance – in its broadest sense – overrides all other priorities. Vehicles appealing to that clientele may be too narrowly focused to appeal to the masses, but it is an important element in the overall automotive mix. It is for that reason that the World Performance Car award was created in 2005.

Candidates for the World Performance Car award must demonstrate a specific and overt Sports/Performance orientation. They must also satisfy the same availability criteria as for the overall World Car award and may be chosen from that list of eligible vehicles.

Additional entrants may include newly introduced variants that satisfy the same criteria, but are derived from existing rather than brand-new models. In all cases, they must have a minimum annual production rate of five-hundred (500) vehicles.

The jurors voted in January 2008 in order to establish a top ten shortlist. The 2008 World Performance Car was chosen from those finalists as tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG.

WCOTY's jurors observed that the Audi R8 has solid credentials on paper thanks to its mid-mounted 420-horsepower, 4.2-liter V8 engine and aluminum construction. But where it excels is in the exceptional balance, refinement and control that grant the driver the confidence to push to the limit without fear of unintended consequences. That limit is high, with 0-100 KPH (62 MPH) acceleration of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 187 MPH. The R8’s dramatic visible carbon fiber side panels make a traffic-stopping visual statement, one that it backs up on the test track with astonishing precision for a car of its size category. The R8 is a surprisingly good value for its class.

The top three contenders for the third annual World Performance Car in addition to the Audi R8 were the BMW M3 and the Audi S5 Coupé.

“Last year, the Audi RS 4 won the World Performance Car award and we are thrilled to have retained the title with the Audi R8,” said Johan De Nysschen, Executive Vice President of Audi of America.

“This award is recognition for the superb work done by the engineers and designers who worked on the R8. It has immediately taken up a leadership position in the super sports car segment. We are also delighted that the World Car of the Year jurors voted the Audi S5 into the top three."

Mobil 1 announced its sponsorship of the World Performance Car award in November 2007. Nancy Carlson, strategic global alliances - sales director, ExxonMobil Lubricants & Petroleum Specialties. "The Mobil 1 team was pleased to sponsor the 2008 Performance Car of the Year award and congratulates the Audi R8 on the achievement of being named the 2008 world’s top performance car by the global panel of renowned automotive journalists serving on the Car of the Year jury."

Previous World Performance Car winners were the Audi RS4 in 2007 and the Porsche Cayman S in 2006.

From Easier Motoring