Honeywell helped the Audi R10 TDI rock the racing world recently by proving that turbo diesels can beat some of the world’s greatest racecars by besting all competition in its racing debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring. And for the eighth straight year, Honeywell’s (NYSE:HON) Garrett(R) turbochargers were helping boost Audi to racing victory.
The tough Sebring circuit is regarded as the warm-up for the granddaddy of endurances races this summer, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
As racing developments often foreshadow passenger car technologies, the Audi win offers a glimpse into a future of fast, reliable and low-consumption motoring for North America. The Audi engine is a technical tour de force: a twin-turbo, direct-injection, all-aluminum V12 displacing a modest 5.5 liters. While the engines’ 650 horsepower is impressive, the torque output is astronomical: 811 lb/ft of torque.
According to Adriane Brown, President and CEO of Honeywell Transportation Systems, “Audi has shown the American driving public that turbo diesels offer amazing performance, excellent fuel consumption and reliability under grueling circumstances. We’re glad our turbos gave Audi the boost they needed, literally.”
“The predecessor of the Audi R10 TDI, the record-setting Audi R8 with FSI gasoline direct injection, was already equipped with our Garrett turbochargers. So when Audi turned to us for the TDI diesel project, we had to step up to that challenge” said Doug Milliken, Motorsports Manager for Honeywell Turbo Technologies.
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