Bosch Clean Diesel Helps Audi Dominate American Le Mans Series

Diesel power has won more than half of this year's races; also powering vehicles available to consumers

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Aug. 21 -- Bosch's advanced clean diesel technology - the same technology available to consumers in production vehicles - is powering endurance racecars to victory in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI has won four of seven races this year on the ALMS circuit, including the race at Road America, located in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on Aug. 9.

In worldwide Le Mans racing, the Audi R10 TDI has captured the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans for three years in a row, including being the first diesel-powered car to win the 102-year-old race in 2006.

Bosch expertise has helped transfer clean diesel performance from the track to the road, offering passenger vehicles an average 50 percent increase in torque. Race fans will have a chance to see the advantages of clean diesel technology in action Labor Day weekend at the 2008 Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. The second running of the Detroit Sports Car Challenge presented by Bosch is Aug. 30, 2008, from 2:35 p.m. until 5:20 p.m. ET, on the Raceway at Belle Isle Park in Detroit.

"As an industry-leader in clean diesel technology, Bosch is proud to play a vital role in the success of the Audi R10," said Bernd Boisten, regional president, diesel systems North America, Robert Bosch LLC. "The success we've seen on the race track and on our roads is proof that diesel is a powerful and viable powertrain option, offering consumers improved fuel economy, reduced emissions and increased performance."

Bosch's racing history dates back to 1903, when a Mercedes "Type 60" stock car equipped with a Bosch magneto, won the Gordon Bennett Race in Ireland. Today, as development partner with Audi, Bosch supplies the specially adjusted high-pressure pumps and piezo-inline injectors for the diesel common rail injection system on the Audi R10 TDI. The system has contributed to numerous Audi victories since its debut at the 2006 12 Hours of Sebring.

The same Bosch technology powering the Audi R10's racing success is available to consumers today through a number of automakers. When compared to gasoline vehicles, clean diesels provide a number of benefits to consumers, including: an average increase in fuel economy of 30 percent; a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by up to 25 percent; and, up to 50 percent increase in torque.

Bosch's high-pressure diesel injection system has greatly influenced the advancements of clean diesel technology. In 1997, common rail technology brought a new dimension to the diesel engine market, resulting in cleaner, quieter, more efficient and responsive vehicles.

Bosch's new diesel technology advancements have helped further position the company in the motorsports industry and continue to solidify its position within the automotive industry as a leader in powertrain development.