2008 Great Miami River Days
Miami RedHawks football
Run for Vision 5K
Happy Earth Day!
Happy Earth Day!
Today is the 38th annual celebration of the planet we call home, and a day to step back and think about things we can do to preserve and restore our natural resources…
So that’s the official line on Earth Day, but I want to know: what do YOU think about Earth Day?
Is it a time to reflect on accomplishments?
A time to call for more action?
Or something in-between?
Send a post, let us know, then go outside and do something good for the planet.
Home > Blogs > Living Green > Archives > 2008 > June > 13 > Entry
Think green for LeMans weekend
The 2008 running of the 24 Hours of LeMans is scheduled to start tomorrow. If you’re not familiar with the event, it’s arguably one of the premier motorsports events in the world. As of this writing, 99 cars in four classes are set to tear into the endless laps of the historic endurance race. With that many different cars, multiple drivers per car and mechanical problems a ‘when’ rather than an ‘if’ for most teams, it should be a fantastic spectacle, even if you can only catch the highlights on cable TV.
So what does that have to do with green living and the environment? There is a link. I promise. Read on…
The peak of the pack at LeMans is the LMP1 class. These prototype race cars, mostly sponsored by multi-million dollar factory support, are sleek racing purebreds, the fastest beasts on the circuit.
This year, five of the top six qualifying cars in the LMP1 class are diesels.
LeMans is traditionally a proving ground for new automotive concepts. If you can sling it around at full throttle for a full day and night, after all, it’s probably good enough for daily driving. Audi has been dominant with their R10 TDI, and Peugeot has added itself into the mix with a wild looking model, the Peugeot 908.
The low-end torque and good mileage of the diesels are proving their worth in races like LeMans, and the technology has already started to trickle down, most sexily in the Audi R8.
Now the folks racing at LeMans this weekend probably aren’t too concerned about their carbon footprints, what with the stopwatches ticking and cameras flashing. But think about the implications: Diesel power, once the provenance of semi trucks and lousy American sedans, is now not only an option for biofuel transition, but also the weapon of choice for one of the world’s premier auto races.
Racing is a forum that has the power to change opinions about transportation. Imagine what a strong showing by a hybrid or (gasp) an all-electric entry would do for the image of those types of motive power. Who knows? Maybe one day not too far distant, our kids will take down their muscle car posters and put up pictures of sleek, speedy fuel-cell supercars, not even realizing their lead-footed dreams could lead to cleaner air for us all.
Have a good weekend, and enjoy the race!
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