Audi V12 sets new diesel performance benchmark
Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 by admin
Audi has taken the diesel game to the next level with a new twin-turbo V12 revealed at the 2008 Geneva motor show, reports TOBY HAGON from Geneva.
Audi Q7 V12 TDI
Audi used the 2008 Geneva motor show to show off its new 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged V12 that will soon be available in the Q7 large off-roader and the R8 sports car.
With a whopping 368kW of power and even more impressive 1000Nm of torque, the new engine can propel the two-tonne-plus, seven-seat 4WD to 100km/h in just 5.5 seconds.
That makes it quicker than most 4WDs on the market, with the exception of purebred performance offerings such as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, with its twin-turbo V8 petrol engine.
Audi claims the Q7 V12 TDI uses 11.9L/100km in the process. By way of comparison, the Cayenne Turbo (with the same power and less torque than the Audi diesel) uses 14.9L/100km but achieves the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint faster, in 5.1 seconds.
Audi also fitted the new V12 to another concept of the R8 sports car, this time called the R8 V12 TDI Le Mans.
The new name masks essentially the same car shown at the Detroit motor show earlier this year but with a new colour. The R8 diesel sprints to 100km/h in just 4.2 seconds.
While Audi hasn’t yet committed to building the R8 V12 TDI for sale – the car is still officially a concept car – the fact it’s again been displayed at a major motor show suggests a showroom-ready version won’t be too far away.
The emergence of the V12 diesel engine in the Q7 4WD also adds weight to the production potential of a similarly powered R8 diesel.
Audi says the new V12 diesel is “closely related” to the 5.5-litre V12 twin-turbo used in its Le Mans-winning race cars.
source:smh