This year’s Le Mans 24 Hours will see a new generation of hybrid LMP1 race cars trying to make the sport a little bit more efficient, and kinder to the environment. And the most important hybrid racer is without a shadow of doubt the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. Toyota also has a contender, but Audi has been the king of the hill for years, and they’re the one always coming up with groundbreaking technologies. The R18 has been quite successful in its first outings, so many believe it has got the 2012 Le Mans all wrapped up as well.

In this promo film Audi Motorsport principals and main drivers talk about the excitement of being part of a new trend:

Audi has won races around the world utilizing groundbreaking technologies such as quattro, turbocharged direct injection (TFSI) and turbo diesel (TDI) engines. Each of these found their way into very successful production vehicles such as the original quattro, the iconic Audi R8 and everything from an A3 to an Q7 TDI. Now it is time for a new era of racing technology through the R18 e-tron quattro which uses brake regeneration to power the front wheels while the V6 TDI engine powers the rear.