Which hybrid Audi model won the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans?

The Audi R18 e-tron quattro won the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans. André Lotterer, Marcel Fässler, and Benoît Tréluyer drove the No. 1 Audi Sport Team Joest car to victory, completing 378 laps and securing Audi’s eleventh overall win.

The car was significant because it became the first hybrid vehicle to win the 24-hour race. Its diesel engine powered the rear wheels, while energy recovered under braking was stored and used to drive the front axle under acceleration. This created a temporary all-wheel-drive effect without using a conventional permanent four-wheel-drive system.

Toyota’s TS030 Hybrid briefly challenged Audi after the start, but an accident during the sixth hour removed one of Toyota’s leading cars from contention. Audi ultimately swept the overall podium: a second R18 e-tron quattro finished second, and an Audi R18 ultra took third. The victory also began a run of hybrid-era success at Le Mans, as manufacturers increasingly combined combustion engines with energy-recovery systems.