You are likely to get many answers if you ask people what the most raced car has ever seen. For example, people might mention the Bentley Boys, Ferrari 250 LM, and the Audi R18. Or you might hear something about the Escudo Dirt Trail.
Audi R18
Audi’s R18 race car is specifically designed for endurance racing. It has won races around the world, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is the most powerful Audi race car ever.
The R18 is based upon a 4.0 litre V6 TDI Diesel engine with a turbocharger. Its power is transmitted to the rear wheels through a six-speed Xtrac gearbox.
Audi’s hybrid drivetrain features a spinning carbon-fiber flywheel that generates power. A lithium-ion battery stores the power.
The Audi R18 has won every major endurance race since 2011. Audi has won 12 races in World Endurance Championships, including Le Mans. In 2012, the car won the e-tron specification.
The new R18 was redesigned and has a lot of new tech. Laser high-beams can be linked to GPS and illuminate corners before the driver turns. They can also be programmed to each track. The LED headlights require a good amount of cooling.
Audi’s aerodynamic body design reduces drag. The innovative venting system allows air from the top to exit through a vent, and then through a low pressure zone. This creates a tremendous amount of downforce.
The Audi R18 has been redesigned and has a new Xtrac gearbox. It features a new engine and a hybrid system that utilizes an exhaust heat recovery unit. Every inch of the car is designed to increase efficiency.
The Audi R18 won eight of the World Endurance Championships as well as four of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is the most successful Audi racing car.
Apart from its success in endurance racing, the Audi R18 has a high environmental consciousness. It uses fuel-efficient diesel fuel.
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 is one the most iconic racing cars of all time. It has twice won Le Mans 24 Hours, set an overall record for distance, and even made a memorable guest appearance in the Steve McQueen movie. It was also a significant influence on the development and racing of sportscar prototypes.
The Porsche 917 was the first of a line of cars that would make Porsche a force to be reckoned with. A series of improvements led to a better chassis, improved aerodynamics, and a turbocharged motor. Porsche was at the forefront of winning the International Championship of Makes in 1970. This series would eventually become the World Sportscar Championship.
The 917 was initially considered too fast. Many drivers started to doubt the car’s design in 1969.
Porsche was a pioneer in aggressive development during the 1971 season. They also developed a turbocharged 917. This was based on the design of the original 917, but with a new tail section that allowed for more airflow.
Another important development was the removal of rear-mounted exhaust pipes. This opened up the space behind the rear wheels, which resulted in more downforce.
Porsche’s development efforts were continued for the next one year. They worked with SERA French designers to develop aerodynamics and other features on the new 917.
These innovations made the 917 the fastest car ever built. It was 30 km/h quicker than its competitors in practice.
The engine was a flat-12 5.4-liter engine rated at 1,600 HP. By the end of the 1971 season, the Porsche 917 won eight of ten World Sportscar Championship races.
Ferrari 250 LM
Ferrari’s 250 LM is one the most iconic and well-known cars in motorsport history. It was a mid-engined sportscar and a predecessor of the Ferrari 250 GT. This model is extremely rare and highly collectible. This rare sports car was built in 32 examples between 1964 and 1966.
Enzo Ferrari’s master plan for building a sports car that would qualify for the Group 3 GT class resulted in the 250 LM. He would bridge the gap between GT cars from the 1960s and sports cars from the late 1960s by doing so.
This 3.3 liter V-12 engine produced 320 horsepower. A manual rear axle and a five-speed, non-synchromesh gearbox were used. All four corners were equipped with disc brakes. Both upper and lower A-arm suspensions were used.
As a race car, the 250 LM was based on the chassis and mechanical layout of the Ferrari 250 P prototype racer. The 250 LM was a mid engined coupe with an aluminum body and a tubular space frame.
Initially, the Ferrari 250 LM had a three-liter engine. Installed was a Colombo-designed V12. Initially, the LM was equipped with CA67 tyres. These were later replaced by 175R400 Pirelli Cinturato tires.
The 250 LM was a race winner. It was a legend and the last Ferrari to win an endurance racing race. It was the only Ferrari that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1965.
During its career, the 250 LM achieved greater success than Enzo Ferrari intended. It won many races around world. Some of these victories were in private teams, including Ecurie Francorchamps and NART.
Bentley Boys
The Bentley Boys were a group consisting of British motorists and gentlemen who drove Bentley cars during the 1920s. They are credited with a number of achievements, including driving a car around the stock exchange.
Known as the Bentley Boys, the gentlemen were a team of savvy drivers who enjoyed playing the stock market. One of their most famous moments was a race across France.
In 1928, the Bentley Boys had a prototype 4 and a half-litre car, which was driven by Bernard Rubin and Woolf Barnato. It was one of most highly-racing Bentleys of its era.
During their brief period in motor racing, the Bentley Boys took the win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times. One of their drivers, Glen Kidston, even survived being torpedoed twice.
Bentley Boys were also known to be gung-ho drivers. This was especially true in 1925, when they entered the grueling event at the last minute. Their first car was built in a hayloft above the Bentley’s workshop.
The Bentley boys were certainly the most well-heeled group of drivers. Many of them lived in Berkeley Square apartments. They were also well-known for their partying.
They were also well-known because of their gung ho style of motoring. This included a series spanning across continents. As a result, they became world-famous.
The documentary “Les Bentley Boys” by Bentley Motors takes a look back at the history of this group. They won four consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans races, in the late 1920s or early 1930s.
A decade later, the boys returned to Le Mans in the early 21st century, winning the overall trophy in 2003. Several of their vehicles are still in existence.
Escudo Dirt Trail
The Suzuki Escudo dirt trail is a racing machine that was specifically built for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The car, despite being a relatively new model at the time, was able attract a lot of attention from racing enthusiasts.
The Escudo Dirt Track was fast enough to compete in the Unlimited class with a 0-60 mph speed of 2.5 seconds. It was a formidable challenge at 678 lbft of torque and just 1,760 pounds.
The Escudo’s bodywork was designed for maximum downforce. The front air dam was ridiculously large and the front splitter was huge. This was combined with a number of aerodynamic aids to create an incredible amount of downforce.
The Escudo was powered with a pair 2.5-liter DOHC, V6 engines. Each engine had a displacement of 2,493 cm3 and produced 995 hp at 8,100 rpm. They were electronic controlled and had an IMF antilag system.
The car also had a 2.5-liter twin-turbo engine. While it was not the fastest race car ever built, it was more than capable of tackling the hill climb course.
The Escudo was the first car to push the aero game forward. Large louvers adorned the wheel housings in the front section. The upper intake was fitted with a false grille to cool the intercooler.
The chassis was made from an aluminium space frame. It had an overall weight of 800 kilograms. The H25A engine was used as the base for the engine. It had a displacement capacity of 2,493 cm3 and produced 95 kgf.m at 6,500 rpm.
The Escudo dirt trail was able to produce all the known downforce. However, its downforce was not sufficient to overcome the competition.