As with most iterations of the Audi->ke14 R18 race car->ke148, this year's e-tron quattro machine has just received a number of updates ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans->ke1591. The endurance event is scheduled to take place in mid-June in France.

Unlike the version used throughout the 2014 World Endurance Championship, the Le Mans racer's body has been optimized for minimal aerodynamic drag, an essential property on Circuit de la Sarthe -- an unusual track that consists of several long straights and high-speed turns.

The Le Mans body might not differ much at a first glance, but a closer look reveals the Germans have altered the fenders, which now have opening on the inside instead of at the top, and elongated the body at the rear, with the wing no longer hanging above the diffuser. Lastly, the exhaust configuration has also been changed and the tail pipes are now located above the diffuser, instead of exiting to the right and left of the huge central fin.

Through these updates, the R18 e-tron quattro will be capable of higher speeds, and aim for faster laps and average race speed. Last year, factory driver Andre Lotterer achieved an average speed of 150.37 mph on his fastest lap.

Audi will field three teams in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans race->ke447 with the goal of winning its fifth consecutive even and the 12th title since 2000.

The powertrain of the R18 e-tron quattro in Le Mans configuration remains unchanged, with a revised, V-6, diesel engine motivating the rear wheels and with an e-tron quattro hybrid->ke147 system spinning the front axle.

Click past the jump to read more about the Audi R18 e-tron quattro Le Mans.

Competitors

2014 Toyota TS040 Hybrid

Toyota has returned to Le Mans with the TS030 Hybrid in 2012, failing to win the famed event for two consecutive years. For 2014 the Japanese will be racing the TS040 version, one that had a great start in the 2014 World Endurance Championship. The brand new race car is keeping its gasoline-electric drivetrain, but the naturally-aspirated V-8 engine is now mated to an Aisin electric motor that spins the front wheels.

Additionally, a DENSO inverter will be in charge of grabbing energy during braking and sending it to a super-capacitor for that extra power kick on the long straights. Toyota will field two TS040 Hybrids in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The driver lineup will remain unchanged from last year's race, with Alexander Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, Kazuki Nakajima, Anthony Davidson, Sebastien Buemi and Stephane Sarrazin sharing driving duties.

2014 Porsche 919 Hybrid

Porsche is returning to Le Mans after no less than 15 years, and their weapon of choice is also a hybrid vehicle. But unlike Toyota and Audi, Porsche has developed a 2.0-liter V-4 engine that delivers 500 horsepower at 9,000 rpm. The turbocharged four-pot, also a structural component of the chassis, is joined by an electric motor and an energy recovery system for additional boost. The former is mounted on the front axles and powers the wheels, while the latter uses thermal energy collected from the exhaust system to power a generator.

Two Porsche 919 Hybrids will be seen at the Circuit de la Sarthe next month, where they will be driven by Brendon Hartley, Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Mark Webber. Porsche had a poor start to the WEC season, with both cars retiring during the first race, but the Germans faired better during the second event and now rank second in the manufacturers' championships, behind Toyota but ahead of Audi.

2014 Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro LMP1