Remember Audi's diesel-powered R10 TDI sports-prototype, which won the Le Mans 24 Hours last month? Well, the brits decided to put it against a Harrier GR7 "Jump Jet" multi-role combat aircraft in a race at RAF Wittering in England yesterday (6 July). If you think the Harrier gave it a beating, guess again…. Although the R10 didn’t actually win in the standing one-kilometre race, it gave the Harrier a scare as the Jet won just by one-tenth of a second !
But the Harrier, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Pete Keenlyside, ultimately just beat the Audi to the 1km by literally a "nose" before the jet took off in a spectacular vertical climb.
Audi R10 driver, Allan Mcnish, comments: "I had a practice run against the Harrier moments before the race ‘proper’ and I came very close to beating it - it was a very close run contest. It was essentially a ‘fun’ race but when a racing driver and a pilot get together it quickly becomes serious. For our diesel-powered Audi, which we didn’t modify or prepare specifically for this event in any way, to come so close to beating a Harrier jet-fighter I believe was a tremendous achievement once again for TDI power."
| Specifications | Audi R10 TDI | Harrier GR7 "Jump Jet" |
| Engine | 5.5 V12 turbo, 2 Garrett-turbo chargers, diesel direct injection TDI | Rolls Royce Pegasus Mk 105 turbofan weight 3746 lbs (1700 kgs) |
| Power | Over 641bhp, in excess of 1100 Nm | 21,750lbs thrust (approx 15,000bhp) |
| Length | 4.65m | 14.36m (47ft 2ins) |
| Width | 2.00m | (Wingspan) 9.25m (30ft 4ins) |
| Height | 1.03m | 3.55m (11ft 8ins) |
| Weight | 925 kg | 8,864kg (19,500lbs) |
| Fuel type | Shell V-Power Diesel | Avtur F34 (Jet A1) |
| Fuel tank capacity | 90 litres (20 gallons) | 3,446 litres (758 gallons) |
Fuel consumption | 41 litres per 100km (6.89mpg) | 97.74 litres per minute (21.5 Gallons) at max thrust |
