Audi R8 TDI Le Mans
I've got to admit it, I was blown away by this beauty the first time I saw it in print. It was sleek, and very powerful looking. Although I'm not a big fan of outlandish design, this pretty little number pushes all the right buttons. Yes, it does attracts a tad more attention than I would like but hey, it does make the Porsches and Ferraris look ordinary.
Now most would never have thought that in such a beautifully sculpted supercar would anyone hanker the thought of shoehorning a big turbodiesel engine into the midship. I hear you cry, "Nonsense! Surely the 4.2 V8 FSI engine is the cream! How about the 5.0 V10 from the Gallardo/S8 instead?"
It's time to change your perception and stop associating diesel engines with commercial vehicles and smoky taxis fellas, because diesel technology IS the IN thing now. Modern diesel engines have come a long way and trust me, they can be far more economical and cleaner than any conventional petrol engine on sale today. What do you get in a turbodiesel? Torque, LOTS of torque. See how the Hyundai Sonata/Kia Magnetis/Skoda Superb/MB E220CDi cabs pull away from you at the lights? That's what torque is all about.
Back to the DIESEL R8, believe it or not, it has cosmetic enhancements that make it look even FIERCER than the petrol engined one.
The specs will just make your eyes water: 5.9 litre V12 Twin Turbo Diesel with 500bhp and 1000Nm of torque. 0-100km/h will be faster than you could read this sentence, a scant 4.2 seconds; that's nearly half a second quicker than the petrol version. Transmission will be a six-speed manual with an open shift-gate. That huge amount of torque is too much for the DSG box to take, hence only the manual option is offered.
With such power, does it comes with a great deal of responsibility at the pumps? As a matter of fact, no. As a diesel, it is far more economical than petrol and Audi quoted the fuel consumption to be just a tad heavier than that of the 3.2 V6 TT. Emissions will easily meet the stringent 2014 Euro6 regulations. (We just introduced Euro4 for crying out loud!)
Well, it will still be a while till this babe hits the streets. The new Gallardo will be out before this, so we can expect a good 5 years or so waiting for the diesel R8. So as of now, all we can do is feast our eyes on the official pictures of the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans. Watch the drool mate...
Now most would never have thought that in such a beautifully sculpted supercar would anyone hanker the thought of shoehorning a big turbodiesel engine into the midship. I hear you cry, "Nonsense! Surely the 4.2 V8 FSI engine is the cream! How about the 5.0 V10 from the Gallardo/S8 instead?"
It's time to change your perception and stop associating diesel engines with commercial vehicles and smoky taxis fellas, because diesel technology IS the IN thing now. Modern diesel engines have come a long way and trust me, they can be far more economical and cleaner than any conventional petrol engine on sale today. What do you get in a turbodiesel? Torque, LOTS of torque. See how the Hyundai Sonata/Kia Magnetis/Skoda Superb/MB E220CDi cabs pull away from you at the lights? That's what torque is all about.
Back to the DIESEL R8, believe it or not, it has cosmetic enhancements that make it look even FIERCER than the petrol engined one.
The specs will just make your eyes water: 5.9 litre V12 Twin Turbo Diesel with 500bhp and 1000Nm of torque. 0-100km/h will be faster than you could read this sentence, a scant 4.2 seconds; that's nearly half a second quicker than the petrol version. Transmission will be a six-speed manual with an open shift-gate. That huge amount of torque is too much for the DSG box to take, hence only the manual option is offered.
With such power, does it comes with a great deal of responsibility at the pumps? As a matter of fact, no. As a diesel, it is far more economical than petrol and Audi quoted the fuel consumption to be just a tad heavier than that of the 3.2 V6 TT. Emissions will easily meet the stringent 2014 Euro6 regulations. (We just introduced Euro4 for crying out loud!)
Well, it will still be a while till this babe hits the streets. The new Gallardo will be out before this, so we can expect a good 5 years or so waiting for the diesel R8. So as of now, all we can do is feast our eyes on the official pictures of the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans. Watch the drool mate...
