Detroit Show: Audi R8 V12 TDi Concept Official Images & Details
Following our first post on the R8 V12 TDi Concept yesterday, Audi came out with an official press release and a high-res image gallery on its diesel powered supercar. Rumoured to go into production before the end of the decade, the R8 V12 TDi is powered by a 5.9-liter V12 turbodiesel that generates 500 HP and 1,000 Newton-meters (737.56 lb-ft) of torque. According to Audi, the diesel-powered R8 sprints from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 sec while its top speed is in excess of 300 km/h or 187 mph.
AUDI R8 V12 TDI Concept: Detroit 2008
Audi is presenting a revolution in the top class at the North American International Auto Show 2008 – the first 12-cylinder diesel engine in a high-performance roadgoing sports car. The V12 TDI with a displacement of six liters powers a concept car based on the Audi R8. This unit generates a huge 500 hp and 1,000 Newton-meters (737.56 lb-ft) of torque. Audi is writing a new chapter in diesel technology with this power unit. Equipped with the expertise that Audi has built up through its motor sport activities, the R8 V12 TDI in matt “Grace Silver” embodies superb road handling, pioneering technology and fascinating design. The V12 TDI is closely related to the engine in the Audi R10, the two-time Le Mans winner – so it catapults the Audi R8 into supercar terrain concerning performance too. It sprints from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 4.2 seconds and its top speed is well over 300 km/h (186.41 mph). The peak torque, reached at only 1,750 rpm, paves the way for effortless acceleration that is unrivaled even at this level.
The new V12 TDI belongs to Audi’s family of V engines but has the ideal included angle for this engine type of 60 degrees between cylinder banks. Its highlights include the new chain drive layout that includes the two newly developed high-pressure pumps for the common rail injection system.
Its sound is as thrilling as you’d expect in a sports car of this caliber. For all the subtle smoothness that typifies this design principle, the twelve-cylinder unit is full-bodied and equipped with energetic overtones that make no secret of its performance potential.
