Audi will be presenting the new R18 via its own online TV channel today, the first chance to see details of the car that will be running in the World Endurance Championship this season, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The R18 is named after her predecessors, but the 2016 version is a brand new model.
It has a diesel engine and a single hybrid system so you would be forgiven for thinking that this R18 is just an update of the 2015 e-tron quattro — yet this year’s design is entirely different. The flywheel energy storage has been replaced by a lithium-ion battery — just one of the most notable changes. Watch the presentation live online!
Cécile Bonardel / ACO Translated from French by Emma Paulay
Porsche Penske Motorsport came within a whisker of victory at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans, eventually settling for a hard-won runner-up spot. Despite a solid strategy and the absence of technical hitches, the #6 Porsche 963 was eclipsed by the #83 Ferrari 499P of AF Corse.
On 18 June 2000, Audi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. Twenty-five years later, this win by the R8 bearing the number 8 and driven by Frank Biela, Tom Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro is considered the key moment that paved the way to establishing the Audi legend at Le Mans.
Manthey Racing won the LMGT3 class for the second year in a row as the Manthey 1st Phorm #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 followed up on the Manthey EMA #91 car’s 2024 success. Austrian Richard Lietz was driver on both occasions – this time sharing the wheel with Ryan Hardwick and Riccardo Pera.
At the 2025 24 Hours, McLaren officially announced its Hypercar destined for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2027. The British constructor has hidden a series of numbers on the car's bodywork, and here's a breakdown.