AUDI – AND NOT Ferrari, Porsche or Jaguar – builds the Worlds best sports car. The Infineon Audi R8 is still in the centre of attention. The readers of our colleague web magazines racing1.de and rallye1.de voted the R8 “Sportscar of the Year 2001”. 40 per cent of the electorate were in favour of the successful sports racing car, whilst both BMW (16 per cent) and Bentley (12 per cent) received considerably lower scores on second and third place respectively.

Clearly, the R8 might be the fastest car, but technically the sports car is sensational: One of the secret behind its double win at Le Mans 2001 is, that the car is the first car with petrol direct injection. The use of this new technology meant not only an increase in performance potential, but also above all a reduction in fuel consumption of around eight percent. The double success of Audi’s direct-injection vehicles also marks the start of a new era in spark-ignition engine technology: the use of FSI technology in Audi production vehicles is not far away.

The advantage of this technology in motor racing is that fuel consumption is reduced by around eight percent compared with the predecessor – an essential requirement for correspondingly longer distances between refuelling stops. Not only that, but the higher engine output that this technology produces can be metered more effectively than is usually the case in race engines.

2002 plans: The decision on the 2002 Audi motor sport programme has been taken. After two consecutive victories, Audi will again contest the Le Mans 24 Hour race next year. Additionally, Audi will defend its titles in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

Result
1. Audi R8 40 percent
2. BMW 16 percent
3. Bentley 12 percent



FACTS
· Infineon Audi R8 – Sportscar of the Year
· In front of BMW and Bentley
· V8 twin-turbo engine
· V8 engine with high-pressure injection
· 2002 news – Audi will again contest the Le Mans 24 Hour

Images:
1) Infineon Audi R8 – the Worlds best sports car. 2) The image Bentley, Panoz and other know too well; R8 in front. 3) The V8 FSI twin turbo engine. 4) Detail image: Bosch high-pressure injection pump. 5) Frank Biela showing the trophy for the Sportscar of the year 2001.