The original machine had been Audi’s first closed cockpit Le Mans prototype in over a decade, created due to new rules restricting power output and putting a heavier emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency.
The first iteration left room for a potential hybrid system to be added, which it duly was in 2012, and came in the form of two electric motors and a flywheel which stored and redistributed energy.
Combined with the TDI V6 engine, the car produced over 700bhp. In 2013, Kristensen’s team-mate Loïc Duval harnessed the machine to take pole by over 1.3sec from the next closest R18 and, along with third team-mate Allan McNish, the trio would win by over a lap from the challenging Toyota team.
The win would be the last for Kristensen, an incredible ninth Le Mans title.
Audi A4 DTM 2006
Along with its Quattro Group B machine and brilliant R8, the Audi A4 DTM stands as one of the German marque’s greatest competition car.