The Misunderstood Exclamation Point!

IN PUNCTUATION LAND, THE EXCLAMATION IS KING.

Uh...whoops...i had my caps lock on.


Aside from turning you white when you read it in someone's manuscript, it has many other fantastic uses.  For example, if it were large enough, you could prop up a building with it as a huge red column.  However, here's more on this misunderstood form of punctuation:

1) Use it as an ice cream scoop for the rock hard stuff you got in your freezer compartment that hasn't seen the light of day since you started your New Year's Resolution.

2) Use it to express your undying love.  Perfect for Valentine's Day which is just around the corner.

3) Use it as a symbol for your new religion.

4) As a quest marker in the Massive Multi-Player Online Game that you are designing.

5) In your Independence Day celebration.

If you're ever in doubt if you are using it correctly, consult the following chart.  It's amazing and happy Monday.

MSCAQS6ANG2E

Starz Camelot

I love tales of King Arthur. 
So needless to say...I'm really excited about this. 

Here's the video for it if you don't want to follow the link to the Starz website.

The selling points:  It has Sex, Violence, Humor, in a very real dangerous world.  Did I mention sex?  Have you seen these actors and actresses?

mmmhmmm.  I love TiVO and I'm totally going to watch every single episode.

Things I really like:

1) Just like in the show "Merlin" which I watch whenever I can, Arthur is a young king/prince.  This is totally how it needs to be.

2) The attention to detail...the armor, fight scenes, etc. look awesome.

3) The actors are really good looking.  Although I'm going to miss Bradley James as Arthur.

Please When You Write, Try To Do It Well...pretty please?

Good writing really does depend on more than making a collection of words worthy of belief.  In my opinion, a writer wants his work to be read by others with minds different than their own.  To this end, it requires practice and a lot of it.  For the any level of writer, maybe there's something below that you could put to use to polish that final draft into a gleaming manuscript of amazing(ness)!

1) A sentential adverb -- it's a single word or short phrase, usually interrupting normal syntax, used to lend emphasis to the words immediately proximate to the adverb.  Compare:

• But the lake was not drained before April.
• But the lake was not, in fact, drained before April.

2) Asyndeton consists of omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses.  In a list of items, asyndeton gives the effect of unpremeditated multiplicity, of an extemporaneous rather than a labored account:

• I came, I saw, I conquered.
• She likes pickles, olives, raisins, dates, pretzels.

3) Polysyndeton is the use of a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause, and is thus structurally the opposite of asyndeton. The rheotrical effect of polysyndeton, however, often shares with that of asyndeton a feeling of multiplicity, energetic enumeration, and building up.

• "The water, like a witch's oils, / Burnt green, and blue, and white." --from Samuel Taylor Coleridge

4) Understatement deliberately expresses an idea as less important than it actually is and can be really effective in humor.

• "Hey! Assbutt!" -- The angel Castiel getting archangel Michael's attention in the Season 5 Supernatural episode right before he sets him on fire with holy oil.  Calling Archangel Michael an "assbutt" is really funny understatement in the context of the show and had me and others laughing.

5) Litotes is a particular form of understatement generated by denying the opposite or contrary of the word which otherwise would be used.  Compare:

• Heat waves are common in the summer.
• Heat waves are not rare in the summer.

6) Use adjectives but only when necessary.  To identify weak adjectives (the ones you really don't want), ask yourself what they mean.  What exactly am I saying by using the word "dark"?  Is "perfect" really a good adjective in this situation? Here's an example of the bad use of an adjective that I've seen in more than one manuscript:

• (something) was dark black.   Or, alternately, "He stared at me with his dark gaze while I lusted over his perfect features."

Black is already dark.  I actually cannot think of anything darker.  Please don't describe it as dark black.  And in the above sentence, dark and perfect are just silly.  It's impossible for me to imagine what exactly is going on because I've no idea what "dark" and/or "perfect" mean in this context.

You are wonderful :)

Baked Alaska -- Yumm

First, Baked Alaska is not Sarah Palin with a suntan.

No...

Rather, it's my favorite dessert.  And I keep trying to pester my friend Meg to make it.  In case you don't know what it is, I've summoned Gordon Ramsay to tell you all about it below:

It's sponge cake, it's meringue, and it's a little piece of Nirvana with a crippling fat count.

If you make any...please send me some.  I'm a terrible cook.

Oh and thank you James for providing me with this link. :)

Peugeot Concept Car of the Strangest Egochine

Weird car design concept: Peugeot Concept Car of the strangest Egochine

I Heart Google Earth & the iPad

I have to say that the iPad is one of the best inventions and investments a writer could make. The applications allow you to proofread your manuscript in one hand as a .pdf file and you can make edits by just tapping the screen and highlighting the text or scribbling a note down for yourself. Additionally, there is the powerful application called Google Earth.

Do people actually use Google Earth?  Well, writers should if they are describing any kind of action in a place that is unknown to them.  Some authors can get away with not knowing (Stephanie Meyer is an example as she had no clue what Forks looked like but decided to write about it anyway).  I'd have issues with this if it were my text but I don't think fact-checking is the kind of thing romance writers worry about anyway.

You may have some familiarity with this already, having used it somewhat to spy on your own house. However, its power and gift to a writer go far beyond that. I used it to do a street-by-street description of a chase through St. Louis all the way to the Millennium Hotel (which I've never seen in real life). Admittedly, my work with it has mostly been removed from my final manuscript but it was still great practice.  And it came in really handy when I wanted to spy on Cornell's campus and learn all about where the Arts Quad lay in respect to the libraries, McGraw Tower (site of the great pumpkin caper), and where the synchotron was in respect to Lynah rink.

Furthermore, the Google Earth application allows you to zoom in on buildings to see cars or landmarks, it labels those landmarks and the streets, and even gives you links you can touch with your finger that open up a wikipedia article on what your viewing as well as several real life photographs. Wow...what a tool if you are crafting any kind of story. I imagine that it used to cost a lot of money and time for an author to drum up authentic research. This application allows you to stay in the flow of your writing without breaking stride and the details provided allow you to invest into your manuscript a deep level of authenticity.

Kowloon Walled City is an Urban Fantasy Setting

How important is setting?  

As a reader and not a writer, the first thing I really take note of is how the author has created his setting.  Some masters of world-building include Tokien, David Eddings, and unquestionably George R.R. Martin (even though it's a bit strong on all the hetero-sexual annointing of said areas "down there", women performing needlework, and little girls being the object of desire for grown men).  But hey, whatever George...amirite?

Now, in film... one Director really stands out and that's James Cameron in the blockbuster hit Avatar.  Think of how real Pandora looked what with its floating mountains, flying monsters, and glowing moss.  It was an astounding vehicle for the delivery of that story (which was essentially just a re-telling of Pocahontas). 

In my opinion, aspiring writers disregard the idea of world-building and just slog on with characters that are nothing more than humans with a little quirk.  Example: So-and-so is an angel/ demon/ vampire/ werewolf and the story is going to be about how unusual this is and how they come to terms with the issues and prejudices associated with these roles. 

Your setting will help you develop your plot. A plot that takes place in outer space is going to be a lot better developed for your story of industrializing the moon, than is say...a tropical forest. But I don't think it has to be hard.  If you keep in mind what kind of story you're telling, you will automatically have ideas about your setting. 

Readers like to understand why characters do the things they do.  In Million Dollar Baby, despite the fact that Hillary Swank decides that it's best for her to just die at the end of the show, we know that this is a choice that her character would have made.  It may not be the same choice that everyone else makes, but the setting (her being a fighter, her family life, and the fact that she was a reflection of all the elements of the setting around her) made it irrefuteable that death is what that character would have chosen.

Anyway...I'm linking the above story on the Kowloon walled city here so that you can watch it.  I think that it is an amazing example of a real-life setting that stepped right out of the pages of some science-fiction book.  It's no longer around, but wow... I could think of ten or more stories that could have taken place in there.

Mercedes Benz Sports Cars Concept Blackbird Tron Legacy

Mercedes Benz Sports Cars Concept Blackbird Tron Legacy

New concept cars from Mercedes Benz, Mercedes Benz Sports Cars Concept Blackbird Tron Legacy, created for the 2010 Australian International Motor show. At least, that's the abstraction abaft Peter Vardai's new Mercedes aggressive Blackbird abstraction car.

Mercedes Benz Sports Cars Concept Blackbird Tron Legacy

The Mercedes Benz takes elements from airplanes, absorption on acceleration and movement with capacity aggressive by the TRON legacy. Maybe in the abutting cine the TRON aggregation can advancement the lightcycle and barter it in for a badass Benz.

Mercedes Benz Sports Cars Concept Blackbird Tron Legacy

New concept of Tron Lagacy in the shape of “Blackbird” a stylish Car. Paying tribute to the Mercedes-Benz, the Hungarian designer Peter Vardai invented a concept car called the “Blackbird”, which is built on the idea of speed and freedom of feelings towards the strengthening of the brand.

Drawing its name from the fastest manned aircraft, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the new car is equipped with a bow and lights to emphasize the sporty Mercedes.

Mercedes Benz Sports Cars Concept Blackbird Tron Legacy

Made in 2010, the Australian International Motor Show, Mercedes Blackbird inspired by the latest Hollywood blockbuster, Tron Legacy, just like Audi’s E-Tron concept. Moreover, the Mercedes Tron vehicle makes use of novel colors to suit the movie.

Mercedes Benz Sports Cars Concept Blackbird Tron Legacy

The Goldman Sachs Helicopter -- ZOMGAH!

In one of the stories I'm writing, my protagonist has a friend in college whose dad works for Goldman Sachs.  I wanted to see what their helicopters looked like and found this below.  All I gotta say is wow...the rich really do live wayyyy better than us people without money.  Le sigh (the French version of the normal sigh and yes...somehow more exotic don't you think?) 

But I digress.  Here's the picture:

This is the Eurocopter EC145 "Mercedes-Benz Style" Helicopter. For this special edition EC145 turbine-powered chopper, Mercedes Benz was hired to design the interior in a stylish and opulent manner. The  medium-sized, twin-engine helicopter features a plush, wood-paneled, yacht-like interior with high-end upholstery, three multi-function boxes offering a cool box, cup holders, tables, monitors, and blu-ray player, and a windowed partition wall between the cabin and the passenger area to keep the help from bothering the guests.

Checkout the cockpit here ==>

And here's a pic of the entertainment panel when it's in the up position ==>

And of course, the whole reason for taking the helicopter is to avoid the traffic in Manhattan on the way to the golf course, amirite?

I'm so jealous that even writing about it in a fictional point-of-view is sure fun as hell.   Oh how the other half live :)))

SLC Restaurant Review: Cafe Madrid

Last year, I told my brother about Cafe Madrid; he had no idea what I was talking about and he has lived in Salt Lake City for over two decades.  First, I want to say that I'm biased because every experience at this restaurant has made me feel like a prince.  Okay...now onto the review.

Cafe Madrid is absolutely my favorite(ist?) restaurant in the valley for so many reasons (but I'm going to try really hard to put them all down here so that if you read this, you'll think about checking it out).

This is a picture of me (I'm the guy on the right in the white shirt), my friend James (who's basically an amateur Chef, my friend Meg (the blond), my partner-in-crime in going out to eat Gary Atwood (middle of the two girls), and my best friend Tomeka Munford (black woman on the right).  James and Tomeka were visiting me from out of town and this was the last place we went to on our list of places to check out in the Salt Lake Valley and it turned out to be the best.

J.C., the host, is absolutely amazing.  When he says "Welcome...welcome...to Cafe Madrid.  This is your house..." he means it.  The hospitality is top notch and the food is its unparalleled equal.  Your glass never gets even half empty and the waiters are there at your beck and call to make sure that your dining experience is unforgettable. 

Oh...and the food...yum.

Did I say yum?  It bears repeating so...yum X2.

Everything on the menu is absolutely perfect.  I love the Payaya because it comes with little mussels in the saffron infused rice with these huge grapefruit slices on the side.  They don't always have it available so you're really lucky if you go and they happen to be serving it. 

And the Croquettas are so delicious that I really only have to text my friend Gary with the single word "Croquettas!!!" followed by the obligatory three exclamation points to get an equally excited response.  It's like we're on the same wavelength or are perhaps telepathic.  But this doesn't mean you need super powers like telepathy to enjoy this restaurant.  Actually, all you really need is the craving for super fine dining and the need to feel pampered.

It's also fun to go with someone who is fluent in Spanish.  My friend Gary ordered everything for us in Spanish and when it came to desserts, he just said, "We'll take the first five."  That was fun.  If you intend to go to Cafe Madrid, it's best to make a reservation. 

When I took my parents there over Christmas, when my dad got up, someone even came forward to help him out of his chair.  How cool is that?  I've never seen that at a restaurant.

Microsoft Office 2010

I'm a p.c. so whatever the software is that Mac Users out there rely upon is in that unknown territory that I label "incognito".  As such, I want to report that I absolutely love MS Office 2010 and I'm happy that I upgraded.  Features that I reliably use in my writing.  Well for starters, it has a really nice Thesaurus feature built into it.  I know that professional writers like Stephen King say that you should write your whole manuscript out without ever consulting a Thesaurus.  However, all I have to say to that is that it obviously works for him but what may be good for the goose is not always good for the gander.

Other features...well OneNote is amazing.  I can keep all of my notes in this particular program and no matter what computer I use, as long as I have access to my email and a copy of MS Office 2010, then I have access to all of my scribbles.  With a click, I can save a huge web page of information.  This has been an invaluable tool in penning my second novel (the sequel to Slipstream) in which my protagonist goes to play ice hockey for the Cornell Big Red.  I wanted to make the experience and the details as real as possible about this famous Ivy League school.  So my research required a lot of articles, interviews, testimonials, and newspaper clippings about either Cornell or the games that the Big Red played. 

Additionally, I got really lucky and met Louis Harris online.  He's a super-talented, super-smart Editor that lives in South Africa.  At first, I didn't trust him completely and to assuage my trust issues, MS Office 2010 has security features that allow you to lock and safeguard your document (including placing a signature on every page).  This is a really awesome thing and mimics in many ways the security features available in Adobe Acrobat Professional but for way cheaper.

I know that there are people out there that disparrage Windows and/or Microsoft.  One of them happens to go by the name Admiral Potato.  I met this guy at my friend Meg's home for a night of board games and good food.  I have to admit, I was a little taken aback by the guy insisting to be called Admiral Potato, especially when I knew that this wasn't his name.  But he turned out to be pretty cool.  However, he was one of those that really hates Microsoft products. 

All I have to say to that is that Microsoft Products for me, seem to do exactly what I want them to do.  The Windows 7 operating system runs smoothly, it has backup and restore capability to my external hard drive, and all of the programs I run work well on it.  Additionally, I work with a lot of handicapped people, and MS Word really does well by Dragon Naturally Speaking.  Also, for people that can't afford DNS, Windows comes with its own voice-recognition software.  Truth be told, the company has inserted a lot into its operating system to help those with disabilities.

Anyway, if you're a writer like me, and don't know what to pick to help you get your words onto the page, I'd go with MS Office 2010.

2011 Ferrari Sport Cars Ferrari Enzo Concept By Peter Simon Design

2011 Ferrari Sport Cars Ferrari Enzo Concept By Peter Simon Design

Based on the Credo E-Bone form language, Peter Simon designed an incredible Ferrari concept. This designer takes the Italian dynamic and organic, soft shapes that are closest to nature. Inside and out, this vehicle is meant to radiate energy and power. The inspiration is no less than animal and human bones, creating a dynamic supercar that’s highly energetic.

This is the Ferrari Sport Cars Ferrari Enzo, the cars that never ever stops, but appears to sit in time even as it flies down the highway. In the event that our fantasy does come true, concept cars designer Peter Simon already has an idea of what he thinks the Enzo successor is going to look like.

2011 Ferrari Sport Cars Ferrari Enzo Concept By Peter Simon Design

Featuring a far more aggressive nose and front end than the real Enzo, Simon’s concept work is the personification of a car that certainly poses a design identity that’s all its own.

According to Simon, the inspiration behind his work was taken from – get this – human and animal bones. Simon took his inspiration, weird as it sounds, and combines with the flair of Maranello to create a striking study that boasts of swooping angles that we’ve never seen from an actual Prancing Horse.

2011 Ferrari Sport Cars Ferrari Enzo Concept By Peter Simon Design

It’s not hard to imagine what the world would be like if Ferrari did come out with a successor to the venerable Enzo supercar. As one of the meanest and most awesome supercars to come out of Maranello in history, the 2011 Ferrari Sport Cars Ferrari Enzo Concept By Peter Simon Design certainly has no equal – that is unless a successor to it comes along down the road.

2011 Ferrari Sport Cars Ferrari Enzo Concept By Peter Simon Design

2011 Mercedes Benz CL550 4Matic Coupe Luxury Sport Sedan

2011 Mercedes Benz CL550 4Matic Coupe Luxury Sport Sedan

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 comes with the latest technology while providing a comfortable ride, but the car needs a better approach to driving at low speeds. The 2011 Mercedes Benz CL550 4Matic Coupe Luxury Sport Sedan CL-Class has been unveiled and Stuttgart’s large coupe gets some nice exterior and interior upgrades. However the most significant changes come under the hood with the new 2011 CL550 getting a new 4.6L V8 twin-turbo making 429-hp and a maximum torque of 516 lb-ft. The out going model made 382-hp and a peak torque of 391 lb-ft. Even with that increase in power, fuel-economy has been improved by 10-15 percent. The 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4MATIC goes from 0-60 mph in just 4.9 seconds (previous model did it in 5.4 seconds) with a top speed of 155 mph (electronically governed).

2011 Mercedes Benz CL550 4Matic Coupe Luxury Sport Sedan

These new engines make their U.S. debut in the restyled 2011 Mercedes Benz CL550 4Matic Coupe Luxury Sport Sedan CL-Class set to arrive at Mercedes-Benz dealerships in November. The flagship coupe of the Mercedes-Benz model range, the CL-Class features a new hood, fenders, grille, bi-xenon headlights with LED turn signals and daytime running lights. The rear of the vehicle incorporates new LED taillights, bumper-integrated exhaust pipes and reverse lights now located in the trunk lid. Inside, the interior includes new steering wheel design and interior colors.

2011 Mercedes Benz CL550 4Matic Coupe Luxury Sport Sedan

New V8 bi-turbo engine with innovative technology. The new-generation CL-Class also assumes a pioneering role with its drivetrain. Under the hood of the CL550 4MATIC a new V8 biturbo engine with BlueDIRECT technology delivers impressive power. With its 4663 cc displacement, the eight-cylinder engine produces 429 hp so that despite 0.8 liters less displacement, it is still around 12 percent more powerful than its predecessor, which had an output of 382 hp. At the same time, torque was raised from 391 lb-ft to 516 lb-ft ““ an increase of 32 percent.

2011 Mercedes Benz CL550 4Matic Coupe Luxury Sport Sedan

The new engine achieves a 10-15% improvement in fuel economy and 23% improvement in CO2 emissions. The CL550 4MATIC requires a mere 4.9 seconds to accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph (previous model: 5.4 seconds). Summing up: the CL550 4MATIC is significantly more agile, torquey and thriftier than its predecessor.

The air suspension and standard all-wheel drive with 2011 Mercedes Benz CL550 4Matic Coupe Luxury Sport Sedan complex while the seats massage care occupants. The 3D navigation system provides the detail, and Harman Kardon stereo sounds excellent. night vision and adaptive cruise control add security and comfort. Mercedes-Benz fits the cabin of the CL550 with superb standard technology and then makes more items available that push the tech envelope even further. Think blind-spot detection, adaptive cruise control, and even a night-vision system. Imagine a main video screen that lets the driver look at navigation while the front passenger watches a movie.

Lancia Stratos Sport Cars Concept

Lancia Stratos Sport Cars Concept

In November 2010, forty years after the Stratos’ presentation at the Turin Motor Show, the New Stratos was publicly presented for the first time at the Paul Ricard Circuit – the legend returns. The legendary Lancia Stratos HF was without a doubt the most spectacular and successful rally car of the 70s. With its thrilling lines and uncompromising design tailored to rally use, the Lancia Stratos not only single-handedly rewrote the history of rallying, it won a permanent place in the hearts of its countless fans with its dramatic performance on the world's asphalt and gravel tracks - a performance which included three successive world championship titles.

The latest  Lancia Stratos Sport Cars Concept not but single-handed rewrote the account of baiting, it advanced a perm place in the affections of its innumerous fans on its dramatic production on the world’s mineral pitch and gravel tracks – a execution which admitted 3 sequential world backup titles. The centrepiece of the fresh 2010 Lancia Stratos are the 4.3L, light alloy V8 locomotive of the Ferrari F430 Scuderia, which speeds the high tech sports car to a accelerate of 200 kilometres per hour in 9.7 seconds.

Lancia Stratos Sport Cars Concept

The goal for the development of the Lancia Stratos HF's successor was to once again create a mid-engine sports car with a short wheelbase, low weight and superior agility. Just as the Lancia Stratos, with its Ferrari Dino V6 engine, was nevertheless a distinct sports car in its own right, the New Lancia Stratos Sport Cars Concept is also a distinct development, using components of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. Almost all of these components have been modified and, as necessary, customized to their new purpose. However, it should also be emphasized that the Ferrari Scuderia already sets the standard amongst the current super sports cars and, as such, provides an excellent basis for further development.

The high execution locomotive which absorbs its intake air by the roof spoiler’s face openings, back-number equipped on afresh control social unit and a high-performance exhaust by Capristo, including multiplex and sports car exhaust; it delivers 540 horsepower and provides a torque of across 500 Land of Enchantment.

Lancia Stratos Sport Cars Concept

The aluminum chassis was shortened by 20cm and welded to a roll cage made of 40mm-thick FIA FE45 steel. This method significantly increases rigidity, and this, combined with the shifting of the center of gravity towards the front, provides the basis for the vehicle’s extraordinary handling characteristics. Both the body – which is 33cm shorter than the Scuderia’s – and the interior are constructed entirely of carbon fiber and aluminum. All of the body components of the shell and interior are made of visible carbon. This places especially high demands on the quality of the processing, which was accomplished by Re Fraschini.

Since the first blurry pictures of New Lancia Stratos Sport Cars Concept appeared on the Internet in the summer of 2010, sports car enthusiasts and motorsport fans from around the world have been waiting impatiently for confirmation of whether the successor to the legendary Lancia Stratos really drives as impressively fast and with as much agility as appearances would suggest.

Lancia Stratos Sport Cars Concept

Finally, the steering has been converted to electro-hydraulic, the new smaller carbon steering wheel displays the exact shift points via differently colored LEDs and the paddle shifters are from the Ferrari 430 racecar. The New Lancia Stratos Sport Cars Concept, like the racing version of its predecessor, has been extensively geared – down to every last detail – towards lightweight design and performance. Not surprisingly, the specification sheet was therefore extremely ambitious in this regard as well.

Lancia Stratos Sport Cars Concept

2011 Audi Sports Cars Racing R18 TDI

2011 Audi Sports Cars Racing R18 TDI

With the new R18 Audi Sports Cars is aiming for its tenth Le Mans success in 2011: Since its debut in 1999, the brand with the Four Rings has won the world’s most important endurance race as many as nine times with the R8, R10 TDI with muscular torque delivery and outstanding efficiency: TDI. Today, TDI engines are sporty, smooth and economical. The international endurance sports car racing for the last decade, there’s really just one name that has defined the discipline during that timeframe: Audi. The German nameplate that cleaned house in rallying and sedan racing before making the quantum leap to sports prototypes in 1999 has made success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other races around the globe look like a piece of strudel.

2011 Audi Sports Cars Racing R18 TDI

The R18's headlights, which are the first to completely consist of LEDs with optimized amount of light, are a technical highlight. The new generation of headlights was developed in close cooperation between Audi Sport Cars and the Technical Development (TE) division of AÚDI AG and by using at Le Mans, will be prepared for future use in production vehicles. Audi's light designers had the chance to make their mark on the development as well: The LEDs of the daytime light form the shape of a '1' which is intended to inspire associations with Audi's historic brand logo.

2011 Audi Sports Cars Racing R18 TDI he has made is configured as electrification continuous tense, the Audi Sport plans for pushing forward step by step. ”Only the efficiency of all of the time factor is very important to us,” says Dr Wolfgang Ullrich.” No matter who is the recovery of energy we can choose a key aspect for the Audi – in motorsport as well as on the production side of the house – is that it gives a real advantage.”

2011 Audi Sports Cars Racing R18 TDI

Significantly smaller engines than those used before will be prescribed at Le Mans in 2011 as the rule makers aim to achieve a substantial reduction of engine power. By opting for a 3.7-liter V6 TDI unit, Audi retains the diesel concept that saw its first victorious fielding in 2006. ‘From our point of view, the TDI continues to be the most efficient technology,’ says Úlrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Sport Cars. ‘There are good reasons why the share of TDI units among Audi’s production models is as high as it is.’

Through the innovative V6 TDI engine for the Le Mans 24 Hours, motorsport is yet again performing pioneering work for the production arm at Audi where there is a growing trend towards smaller, more economical but yet powerful engines. Another new development is the six-speed transmission in the R18 which has been specifically modified for use with the smaller engine. Development of new Audi R18 began in mid-2009. V6 TDI engine has been running on dynamometers since the summer of 2010. The 2011 Audi Sports Cars Racing R18 TDI, with Allan McNish at the wheel, has achieved the first essay on horse racing at the end of November.

The racing debut of the Audi R18 racing planned for Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) 6 hours on 8 May 2011. Before the show, fresh bequeath prototype consists of a round-bodied fray first on the race track at Le Mans for the official test day on April 24, and collect important data for the race on June 11 and 12 2011.

2011 Audi Sports Cars Racing R18 TDI

Audi plans to field three cars at Le Mans the 2011 Audi Sports Cars Racing R18 TDI, which will be entered by Audi Sport Team Joest, the most successful Le Mans team of all time. In addition, Audi Sport Team Joest will contest the Le Mans World Cup (ILMC), owned by seven airstreams absolute survival in three continents (recognizes the Le Mans 24 Hours) with two cars.In the opening race at Sebring on March 19, the team will use two “R15 plus plus” car.”Send the R18 into the race at such a starting point for prospective difficulties in logistics and conditions by placing with our development program,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich.