Audi Tests Innovative Lighting Technology On The Race Track
Audi is again using the Le Mans 24 Hours this year to further extend its advantage in the area of light and vision. With the new R18 e-tron Quattro race car, Audi has opted for a combination of LED and laser light. “Audi is the trendsetter in lighting technology,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development of AUDI AG. “The A8 has recently been available with matrix LED headlights – the most advanced lighting technology for production cars. We’re going to offer it in further models. Our latest development is laser light – even sharper, more powerful and more efficient. We’re equipping the new Le Mans race car with it and will be the first automobile manufacturer to introduce laser light in production cars.”
Optimum illumination of the track plays a crucial role in the Le Mans 24 Hours and other endurance races, which are partially held in darkness. “We’ve always attached great importance to making our drivers feel safe and comfortable in the cockpit of an Audi race car,” says Chris Reinke, Head of LMP at Audi Sport. “Good night vision is an essential element of this. The matrix beam LED headlights already provided our drivers with a major advantage at Le Mans – combined with laser light, it’ll increase even further. This new technology has great potential for the future.”
The Audi R18 e-tron Quattro set standards in terms of lighting range and light intensity at Le Mans last year, with its matrix LED headlights, consisting of eight LED units per side. The innovative headlights of the new R18 combine the strengths of the matrix LED headlights with those of laser light. At the International CES 2014 in Las Vegas in January, Audi showcased the Audi Sport Quattro laserlight concept car and a front section of the new Audi R18 e-tron Quattro including the headlights.
Two-time Le Mans winner and former World Endurance Champion Marcel Fässler already had the opportunity to experience the compelling advantages of the new headlights during tests held in darkness. “I’ve never had such good light on a race car as on the new R18,” the Swiss enthuses. “It’s clearly even better than last year. I wouldn’t call this just one step forward, but three. The laser light is brighter, more concentrated and more precise. For example, you can see the apex of a corner much better with it. At night, this could be a crucial advantage for us.”
Credits: Oneshift News Team
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