Audi Quits

["Karl Nordstrom" <KXN2@PSUVM.PSU.EDU>]

Can anyone explain what it was about the Audi' cranks that BMW protested?

>KXN2@psuvm.psu.edu (Karl Nordstrom) says
>>cpalmer@dingo.rtp.dg.com () says
>>>
>>>Of course it was BMW who persisted in protesting the Audi cranks
>>>(which had been cleared in 2 or 3 prior protests) and eventually
>>>caused Audi to withdraw.
>>
>>Could you explain what it was about the Audi' cranks the BMW protested?

>The crankshaft on the production Audi V8 engine the crankshaft has a 90
>degree angle between,  if you'll excuse a bit of techno-jargon, the
>bits for adjacent cylinders.  They made a new crankshaft for the race
>car with the angle increased to 180 degrees.  Apparently this made it
>stronger with a loss in refinement that made it unacceptable for a
>production car.

>                        Andrew  Henry
>Sempre  Gilles                                  bspahh@gdr.bath.ac.uk