Audi R8 V12 TDI concept. Click image to enlarge |
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Audi R8 V12 TDI concept
Detroit, Michigan - Audi unveiled the first 12-cylinder diesel engine in a high-performance road-going sports car today. The R8 V12 TDI with a displacement of six litres generates 500 hp and a mind-boggling 738 lb-ft. of torque.
The V12 TDI is closely related to the engine in the Audi R10, the two-time Le Mans winning race-car. The diesel engine in the R10 sports prototype won its very first endurance race at Sebring, Florida, when it was pitted against an entire field of gasoline-engined challengers. But its most crucial victories were surely in 2006 and 2007 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, when it simply outclassed the international elite.
The V12 TDI race engine in the R10 produces over 650 hp from a displacement of 5.5 litres, giving it the potential for a top speed as high as 330 km/h depending on the gear ratios.
The Audi R8 V12 TDI sprints from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds and its top speed is well over 300 km/h. The peak torque, reached at only 1,750 rpm, paves the way for effortless acceleration that is unrivaled 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.
The road-going version of the new V12 TDI is built at the Györ plant, in Hungary.
