There are tons of rumors floating around about the upcoming second generation of Audi R8->ke1440. Everything from five-cylinder engines to wireless charging capabilities for the R8 e-tron are being talked about for the car’s 2016 entrance into the U.S. market. Well, here’s one more for the rumor mill: a TDI version.

The idea may not be new, but it seems to be gaining some credence for the upcoming model. Volkswagen->ke94 Group executive Ferdinand Piëch is reportedly itching to have a turbo-diesel engine under the R8’s rear glass. While a TDI-powered R8 won’t be likely until at least 2017, the possibility is still present.

What’s more, Volkswagen->ke94 Group has two TDI options to choose from. The first would be to simply use the existing 4.0-liter V-8 TDI but spiced up with more horsepower and torque. The other option would be to utilize the 5.0-liter V-10 TDI Audi is currently developing for future Bentley->ke15 models.

While we’ve got no firm estimates on horsepower and torque outputs for the V-10 TDI, we can always guess. Remember the V-10 turbo-diesel Volkswagen stuffed under the hood of its Touareg SUV in the late 2000s? With twin turbochargers spooling up, it made 310 horsepower and a stump-pulling 553 pound-feet of torque. Imagine what today’s clean-diesel->ke1917 technology and computer control systems could do for a performance-oriented V-10 TDI. Perhaps 500 horses and 800 pound-feet of torque? We can always hope.

While the TDI R8 remains a distant model at this point, we can count on some high-performance gasoline engines to power the mid-engine supercar->ke177. Expect the V-8 and gasoline V-10 to carry over, along with some nice output updates.

Note: 2008 Audi R8 V12 TDI pictured here.

Click past the jump to read more about the next generation Audi R8.

Why it matters

Not only would a diesel-powered R8 expand Audi’s repertoire for making interesting cars, but with rising fuel prices and the looming CAFÉ standards, saving the dino juice is important business these days. Audi is already working on the e-tron version of the R8, complete with things like wireless charging and a 300-mile range. Adding a diesel alongside the electric and gasoline-powered versions would surely be good for business.

2016 Audi R8

The next-generation Audi R8 will come in several forms, including the standard V-8 trim, the powerful V-10 trim, and the e-tron version. In relation to the article above, the e-tron is said to be a fully electric vehicle that won’t skip out on performance. Both the V-8 and V-10 models will likely receive power updates in order to compete with the newest supercars on today’s market. And though the next R8 is set to hit showrooms in 2015 for Europeans, it’ll be at least till 2016 before it washes up on U.S. shores.