Audi announced today its plans on entering the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 12-13 and they will be competing with an evolution of the R15 TDI diesel race sports car.

To keep it in line and make it a little bit more competitive, Audi tweaked the R15 TDI's body shape in addition to giving it a modified cooling and fuel tank system. The V10 TDI engine gets smaller air restrictors yet still delivers a staggering 590 horsepower.

According to Dr. Wolgang Ullrich, head of Audi's Motorsport division, Audi is more inclined to participate in Le Mans - compared to F1 - because the technologies behind making a competitive race car in this racing category is relevant to what they research on in Formula One.

"At Le Mans, efficiency is of paramount importance – and today, more than ever before, it is a key deliverable of production vehicles as well and it is one of Audi’s special strengths, " he said.

Updated 04/06/2010: Audi unveiled today new details on the R15 TDi race car that will compete at this year’s 24-hour race at Le Mans. The car features a new radical design that features more red. In addition, large areas of the Le Mans race sports car that is internally designated as "R15 plus" will be kept in a purist black carbon-fiber look. The Audi R15 TDI sporting its new design will make its debut at the Le Castellet 8 Hours on April 11.

Press release after the jump.

2010 Audi R15 TDI diesel race sports car

Specifications
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  • Model: 2010 Audi R15 TDI diesel race sports car
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