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.
Performance diesels are nothing new for the European market, across the Atlantic they love the more affordable fuel prices and longer ranges provided by the alternative fueled machines. Volkswagen has already answered this call with the high performance Golf GTD, a diesel burning alternative to the GTI. So the next step for the German automaker would be to release a diesel version of their latest sports hatch, the Scirocco.
The Volkswagen Scirocco GT TDI is powered by a 2.0 Liter TDI engine that produces a maximum output of 165 HP and a potent 258 lb-ft of torque. The alternatively fueled Scirocco can sprint from a standstill to 60 MPH in about 8 seconds and will reach a top speed of 140 MPH. All while returning about 53 MPG in mixed highway and city driving.
The Scirocco GT TDI has just been released in the British market, while we here in the U.S. are still awaiting the vehicles arrival, in any way shape or form.
Volkswagen has just revealed their first promotional video hyping the new Golf GTD, a diesel version of the stunning GTI. The Volkswagen Golf GTD is powered by a 2.0 Liter turbo diesel power plant that makes only 170 HP at 4,200 RPM but torque is up to 260 lb-ft between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm. This alternatively fueled GTI makes the 0 to 60 MPH sprint in just 8.1 seconds and has a top speed of 140 MPH.
The French carmakers Citroen unveiled their Hypnos concept car at the Paris Auto Show and making it a reality means it will become world’s first fully functional diesel hybrid when it goes in to production in 2011. The Hypnos’s drivetrain will be based around a conventional 200 HP 2.0 Liter turbodiesel driving the front wheels. While a 50 HP electric motor provides additional thrust for the rear rollers. A combination that Citroen claims will return 62.7 MPG.
At the moment nickel hydride batteries are powering the electric motors, but the next generation is lined up to receive a set of more environmentally friendly lithium ion batteries. Citroen hopes that this hybrid setup can be applied to gasoline engines as well.
In an interview with AutoCar, Frederic Poil, the man in charge of Citroen’s hybrid powertrain project, was quoted saying that "With this combination we believe it is possible to build a car with the fuel consumption and emissions of a 1.6-liter engine, but the power of a 3.0-liter engine."
Audi launched the most fuel efficient A4 in the line-up: the A4 2.0 TDI e with a fuel consumption of 4.6 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (51.13 miles per U.S. gallon) and CO2 emission of 119 g/km.
The e version delivers 136 hp and can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 9.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 133.59 mph.
You may be familiar with the musician Sheryl Crow; but did you know that she and a group of other celebrities are doing their part to conserve the Earth’s natural resources and lower their negative impact on the environment? With the help of her Mercedes Benz R320 BlueTEC the singer songwriter believes that “the newest clean diesel vehicles are eco-friendly and deserve as much attention as other gas alternatives like hybrids.”
These next generation diesel vehicles are extremely quiet, unlike the traditional clackers that you can hear from a mile away. These new diesels are cleaner and have an extremely efficient range of over 500 miles from a single fill up. The best part is that they qualify for similar IRS alternative power train tax credits just like their gas electric hybrid cousins.
What is most shocking is that the EPA estimates that the U.S. is capable of conserving 1.4 million barrels of oil per day, if only one third of the light duty automobiles on the road were state of the art clean diesels, utilizing technology like the Mercedes BlueTEC vehicles.
This is so far just a rumor but a fun one. In the game of one upping everyone, BMW may be thinking that two turbos may not be good enough for its performance diesel engine, so it bolted on one more on for good measure. Next to the X5 M, BMW may give its six-cylinder diesel with a tri-turbo setup delivering 354 hp.
To entice the eco-minds, BMW will also add technology like the Start-Stop system and Brake Energy Regeneration (KERS). The super oil burner will likely slot between the X5 M and X5 xDrive48i, and have the body kit to reflect it. This could include a more aggressive bumpers and flared wheel arches.
BMW added today a new entry level to the X3 lineup for it’s European customers. The new X3 xDrive 18d is the most efficient model in the lineup, with a fuel consumption of 45.6 mpg and a CO2 emission of 165 g/km.
The new BMW X3 xDrive18d is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel that delivers 143 hp. The new BMW X3 xDrive18d accelerates from a standstill to 62 mph in just 10.3 seconds and has a top speed of 21 mph.
With the addition of the new engine, BMW is now offering a choice of three petrol-engine models with power output ranging from 150 hp to 272 hp and four diesel models culminating in the 286 hp BMW X3 xDrive35d as the most dynamic performer in the range.
Audi announced today the pricing for the Q7 TDI - the first clean diesel to be sold on the US market. Sales will begin later this month and prices will start from $50,900.
The Q7 TDI (powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine) offers the efficiency of 25 mpg in highway driving and a range of more than 600 miles on a full tank. The Q7 TDI also gets an EPA-rated 17 mpg in city driving and combined fuel economy of 20 mpg.
On the exterior the Q7 TDI features sporty S line styling upgrades, including S line front and rear bumpers, S line badging, headlight washers and 19-inch five-spoke wheels.
Audi USA will start offering the Q7 3.0 TDI this month on the national dealers. The car has a fuel economy of 25 mpg and over 600 highway miles of range.
The new SUV is powered by a TDI 3.0 V6 clean diesel (50-state) that delivers 221 hp and a peak torque of 406 lb-ft torque. It makes the 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds.
The Q7 3.0 TDI comes with 21 inch wheels with 295/35 tires, six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes provide ample stopping power, turbocharger optimized for US market.
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