For the diesel-head with deep pockets...

[Joe_Black]

I'm just all giddy!

Written by: Autocar staff
Ingolstadt, Germany – 1/7/2008

Audi Readies First-Ever Diesel Supercar



Two weeks before the Detroit motor show opens it doors, Audi’s star of the North American International Auto Show has leaked onto the internet – and according to early reports, it’s a 500hp diesel-powered sports car.

The German car brand will show a design concept called the R8 V12 TDi at Detroit and, just as its name suggests, it’ll be a twelve-cylinder turbodiesel version of the critically acclaimed mid-engined R8.

Although there has been no official confirmation from Audi yet, the R8 V12 TDi should use the same 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V12 as the Q7. That motor produces a heady 500hp and 738lb ft of torque between 1750- and 3000rpm. Bluetec technology means it’ll also be clean enough to meet emissions standards.

If the response to the hot diesel R8 is positive and Audi puts it into production, the R8 TDi will be a line in the sand in the development of the diesel motor car – the first true diesel-powered supercar, Audi could argue. Expect more on the car to emerge at its unveiling next weekend.

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto...wmodels/42284/



http://www.germancarblog.com/2008/01...o-detroit.html

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/au...4/audi_r8.html

[kpaske]

Hmm... Toureg SUV or R8 Supercar? Decisions, decisions... Hell, by the time I can afford either of them (probably never) I bet there will be a lot more awesome diesels to choose from on the market. Of course, so few still make it over here I'm not sure if/when that will ever change. Then again, if India starts putting millions of those $2,500 deathboxes on the road maybe they'll start soaking up all the gasoline so we can finally shift towards more use of biodiesel and other alternative fuels.

[Scott Harness]

Sweet!

[Joe_Black]

Yeah, I think the real cool-factor is that they're actually building these things and Americans aren't so loyal to Detroit at the expense of their wallets anymore. It's a wide open show and when it comes to diesels we're running at the back of the pack. Fortunately ignorance is curable!

[Chopper]

Yeaaah....I like the R8 alot, but I believe I'll take mine burnin' high test.....save the oil burner for the big S class Merc

[mbeach]

As a recent diesel convert, I'll have to say that I love my Duramax.
Any motor that can pull 7000 lbs of truck carrying 5000 lbs in the bed and still drop most cars at a stoplight gets a thumbs-up in my book.
The engine is so good in fact, it almost makes me forget that I'm driving a domestic.


If the Touareg wasn't such a POS, I'd love to have the diesel version -that would be the ultimate family truckster.

On a related note, Audi does most of its cold-weather testing up here. About a month ago, the wife spotted some Audi prototype SUV running around town -it was bigger and boxier than the Q7. Save for the AU rings, it had no other badges on it. 2009 maybe?
I've made her start carrying around a camera for just such occasions.