R10 successor on the cards

Audi has admitted that it has started work on a successor to its double Le Mans-winning R10 TDi turbo-diesel. But Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich says a decision to push the green light on the car will only be made straight after June’s Le Mans 24 Hours, which would still allow it to hit the track before Christmas.

Ullrich said design work had started on an R10 successor, but this did not mean the decision to approve a new car was a formality, adding that Audi may continue with the R10 into 2009.

It seems certain that the new prototype would be diesel-powered. Rumours suggest the German manufacturer would follow Peugeot’s lead and build a coupé, but Ullrich has repeatedly highlighted the benefits of open-top cars (see p52).