Audi R18 Gets Digital Rear Camera and LED Headlights for Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is just two weeks away, and the teams will be at the track this weekend for a pre-race test. AudiAudiGermany, 1909 > present83 models
8213 photos
27 videos
is touting the latest safety features installed on the 2013 R18 E-tron QuattroAudi R18 e-tron quattroGermany, 2012 > present8 photos
2 videos
including a digital rearview camera and LED matrix headlights. 

It is just the second time that the R18 has raced at night this season, and the R18 gets upgraded LED matrix headlights with 800m of lighting, 85% more sight distance since 2006. Each headlight has eight LED lights with an active matrix. When the R18 corners the lights pointing forward dim, and the lights pointing into the corner become brighter. It helps the driver look into the apex into the corner and see the track better. 

The e-tron Quattro also gets a rear-facing camera embedded in the engine compartment to finally give the drivers a view of what is happening behind them. The camera offers 60 degrees of viewing angle. The image is displayed in the cockpit on a 6.8in diagonal AMOLED screen

Audi has also upgraded the R18's steering wheel to control the car's brake force distribution, traction control, radio, drink supply, engine setting and traction control. An LED screen on the wheel displays lap times, sector times, lap difference and tire inflation.

“Our race drivers have come to value the constant technological improvements so much that they wouldn’t want to do without modern assistance systems anymore,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.