Oil burning range topping R8!

[Andy G]

http://pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=17457

R8 V12 TDI, powered by a 5.9 litre V12 turbo diesel developing 500 BHP and a staggering 737 lb-ft of torque, delivered at an amazingly low 1750 rpm. This is enough to get to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds and it won't stop accelerating until you reach 187 mph.

New styling marks out this top model- and we think it enhances an already great looking car, although perhaps too fussy/ overstyled in places. For that reason we have published more pictures than usual so you can judge for yourself.

The R8 V12 TDI will be available at your local Audi dealer by 2010.

Off pistonheads

[Dominic]

Fuel of the devil.

Here's hoping it doesn't sound like the LeMans TDi race cars

[BiggestNizzy]

Never liked the looks of the thing, and the oil burner hasn't changed my opinion

[Shug]

How heavy? That's the real question - block is gonna have to be made out of iron to hold the compression, cooling system will be massive.

One of the things that's swept under the carpet is that the ACO had to increase the weight limit for LMP900 cars (like the R10 racer and Peugeot) so they could actually make them work. Cooling them is insane - the Pug's borderline doors are because the sidepods are full of radiator.

Efficient racers eh? Pish.

[Victor Meldrew]

As far as the looks go... its back to the old S1 vs S2 debate... first car was clean with no extra sticky on spikey bits... the new one just looks like a Max Power daydream.....

[alexgee]

it just seems so wrong. have they not pitched the R8 as a supercar? are supercars not all about the experience; visual and audiable.

one question - blasting through a tunnel in an R8 diesel, would you wind the windows down?

[fd]

Audi have all alloy diesels as per the R10 - only a matter of time before that tech hits production (wasn't so many years ago that all petrol engines were steel) . . . diesels also produce far less excess heat (much lower exhaust temp so much less head heating) so cooling system should actually be smaller compared to a petrol I'd have thought

I'd have one . . . more as a GT tho . . .

Edited to say that the current one looks better than this . . . overly chav . . .

Fd

[Shug]

Audi have all alloy diesels as per the R10 - only a matter of time before that tech hits production (wasn't so many years ago that all petrol engines were steel) . . . diesels also produce far less excess heat (much lower exhaust temp so much less head heating) so cooling system should actually be smaller compared to a petrol I'd have thought

I'd have one . . . more as a GT tho . . .

Edited to say that the current one looks better than this . . . overly chav . . .

Fd

Okay, engine will be heavier though - on the cooling side, the racers do have rediculous cooling requirements, much more than the petrol cars. You think this would simply be down to the greater capacity and higher boost that the dismal needs to be on par with the petrols?

My rant was more at loaded rules letting dismals beat the petrol cars for marketing reasons, so I guess it was slightly o/t I actually don't mind a diesel in a road car for drivability, but not a bloody sports car... Max torque at 1670rpm (or whatever) does not sell a car to me - rightly or wrongly...

[rossybee]

What a fecking Marmite Motor

[Dominic]

Apart from the bling wheels, I quite like the styling

[GregR]

One question. If diesel > petrol then what's the mpg? Weird to have an article on an oil burner and not make reference to it - what's the point of the thing unless it goes 1,000,000 miles to a tank?

Its not as if diesel is more sustainable than petrol, is it?

[woody]

One question. If diesel > petrol then what's the mpg? Weird to have an article on an oil burner and not make reference to it - what's the point of the thing unless it goes 1,000,000 miles to a tank?

Marketing.

I can see the old guy I used to work with, beaming with pride that his A2 has 1/4 of an R8 engine - you know the same as one that they won Le mans with.......

[fd]

My rant was more at loaded rules letting dismals beat the petrol cars for marketing reasons, so I guess it was slightly o/t I actually don't mind a diesel in a road car for drivability, but not a bloody sports car... Max torque at 1670rpm (or whatever) does not sell a car to me - rightly or wrongly...

Aye it's marketing . . . but then it's also a way of pushing the technology forwards . . . high performance diesels are very new, high performance petrols are well understood . . . diesels will get much better, petrols seem to be getting worse . . . what better way to move the technology forwards than to put it into motorsport . . . another example is all the energy recovery tech that will come into F1 soon . . . effectively making F1 cars hybrids . . . flywheel energy storage, etc . . . that's all marketing too . . . I mean - an eco friendy F1 car FFS ? . . . but that's what drives economies . . .

Personally I will never buy another petrol every day car . . . modern diesels are so much better in real terms . . . but I think it will be a long time before you see a diesel in a real sportscar . . . as opposed to a big lux uberbarge like the audi . . . which is what I would use it for if someone gifted me one

Fd

[Andy G]

Well chaps - we shouldn't be too quick to judge.

Didn't reckon the R8 would be a serious 911 challenger in the first place - they might just suprise again?

Still wonder what the likely cost will be? Could be the first £100k+ diesel?

[ruadh08]

I saw a standard R8 in Perth today in White, with the waist band bit in dark grey, and boy did the car look stunning in the flesh!!!