Back at the Detroit Auto Show, Audi revealed their V12 TDI R8, a concept that celebrated Audi’s continued success with the alternative fuel in prototype racing with the R10 and now R15 endurance racers. The TDI concept also served as a preview for the future turbo diesel supercar. But due to the current economic situation, it doesn’t look like Audi will be taking any risks in the near future.
The Audi R8 V12 TDI concept is powered by a 5.5 Liter turbo diesel engine inspired by their original diesel racecar, the R10. The engine in the R8 concept produces a max output of 500 HP and a peak torque of almost 740 lb-ft. The concept could sprint to 60 MPH in only 4.2 seconds.
An Audi insider said that engineering a production version involved modifying the chassis in order to accommodate the V12 TDI power plant as opposed to the standard model, a cost that would be too expensive to pass along to the consumer.
6 comments
Send message
Add to my friends list
RSS -
Webmaster free news |
Thats just Audi being cheap, as usual. This current car is based on a Gallardo platform and the engine is the one used in the A4 and it has a base price of 120K. The gearbox is also borrowed from the gallardo. What exactly is the cost of chassis modifications when your car borrows just about everything from other cars?
Just like the Germans to be stringy. Its a wonder they sell crap at such high prices and get away with it.