Audi sets new lap record for diesels on Sachsenring; electric compressor overcomes turbo lag, enhances sprint performance
12 June 2015
Audi has set a new record time on the Sachsenring for cars with a diesel engine. The Audi RS 5 TDI competition concept rounded the 3.6 km (2.2 mi) race course in a time of 1 minute 35.35 seconds. (According to fastestlaps.com, that time edges out the 1:35.53 results of a gasoline-fueled 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. The fastest lap on the Sachsenring was set this year by a 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z06 with a time of 1:30.47.)
The diesel technology platform draws its power from a 3.0-liter V6 biturbo TDI with 320 kW (435 hp) of power and 800 N·m (590 lb-ft) of torque. The highlight is an electrically driven compressor. (Earlier post.) The Audi RS 5 TDI competition concept is based on a technical concept car that Audi presented in summer 2014 on the 25th anniversary of the TDI engine. (Earlier post.)
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The earlier Audi RS 5 TDI concept produced 283 kW (385 hp), with peak torque of 750 N·m (553.2 lb-ft) available between 1,250 and 2,000 rpm. The concept, also equipped with the electric compressor, introduced a 48V subsystem to drive the electric compressor; energy required to drive the electric compressor is largely generated by recuperation during coasting phases and stored in its own compact Li-ion battery.) Since then, the car was further developed for racetrack duty.
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The competition concept car’s 3.0 TDI biturbo is power-boosted to 320 kW (435 hp). Its maximum torque rose to 800 N·m (590 lb-ft). Based on this power, the Sport TDI accelerates to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in just 4.0 seconds and to 200 km/h (124.3 mph) in less than 16 seconds.
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The Audi RS 5 TDI competition concept beat the record time for diesel cars by 1.87 seconds with a time of 1 minute 35.35 seconds; the old record was set in February 2015. In spring 2015, sport auto magazine tested the Audi technology platform on the Hockenheimring, and it posted the best lap time in the magazine’s history for a car with a diesel engine.
I am proud of the excellent performance on the race tracks, because it underscores the leadership claim of Audi in the development of highly efficient and sporty diesel engines. We really pulled out all of the stops in developing the Audi RS 5 TDI competition concept—in its lightweight design, chassis and of course its drive system. We exploit the full power potential of the TDI and supplement it with the added thrust of the electric compressor, which we will soon see in a production car model.
—Ulrich Weiß, Head of TDI Engines Development at Audi
The Sachsenring is located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany. The course is 3,671 meters (2.281 miles) long, with 10 left turns and 4 right turns. The longest straight is 780 meters (0.485 miles) at Start-Finish.
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