recklessOP

why/how is the bolt locked back in the first two pictures?

http://www.auto-ordnance.com/images/m1fa.gif

i'd be interested to see how competitive they are. the caterpillar backed LMP we saw at le mans last year was using a production based engine (a modified VW touareg TDI V10) and wasn't very fast.

from the 1999 R8R... http://www.mulsannescorner.com/audir8r-99.html btw, the engine was a V8. little else carried over to the R8. they may have borrowed components from another racing engine (the chrysler LMPs used modified sprint car engines. the engine for porsche's aborted LMP900 entry was based on an F1 project.). most of the engines are purpose built these days. considering audi's resources and budget, i'd expect nothing less. good information here: http://www.mulsannescorner.com/juhaAudiR10.html eric mentioned reliability issues earlier. it seems the new audi engine is running a relatively low (for a diesel) compression ratio. the driver's have been commenting about a "narrow" powerband (less compression, more boost) and VERY little noise. they've also fitted soot filters to the engine. i'd be more worried about the gearbox! audi claims the new xtrac box is LIGHTER than the R8's ricardo box, despite the massive increase in torque (maybe they removed a gear?). the diesel powered LMP we saw at le mans last year had serious clutch/gearbox related problems. 2007 is going to be an exciting year...

yes and no. audi used a direct injection gasoline engine (the first race car to do so as far as i know) to good effect during the 2001 race. how about 6000 rpms? http://www.mulsannescorner.com/ricardojuddv10.html

the R8 wasn't a world beater out of the box. the 2000 race winning car covered fewer miles than the 1999 car that placed 4th competing against bmw, toyota, and nissan. more factory participation might have changed things. that said, audi has a lot of useful racing experience to draw from now. jesse's right, we'll have a much better idea after sebring. a new car winning le mans isn't unheard of. mclaren did it back in 1995.

factory team

can i get the stock lifters from the engine? i need a set...

it's not that simple...

dp

it rides like a truck (big surprise, i know!). if that's something you're used to, it may not bother you. the interior was ok, i just felt a little boxed in driving it. my parents ended up selling it to my brother. aside from the brakes and a problem with one of the seats, it seems to be holding up ok. it's been daily driven since it was new. the passport it replaced was a real piece.

on a mustang? what kind of improvement are you looking for? at the very least you'll need coilovers. almost every serious mustang club racer is running griggs or maximum motorsports hardware.