German Car Forum

It's not an official announcement but of a "a secret dream” from Wolfgang Hatz, executive director of engine and powertrain development of Audi as he talks to Italian magazine Quattroruote in the October issue.
After the presentation of the Q7 with the new V12 TDI, Hatz has revealed it's dreams: to reduce the noise of the TDI motor so noone could understand a difference in respect to a Benzine one and "to mount a diesel engine in one supercar like our new R8".

Source: http://www.autoblog.it/post/5784/unaudi-r8-diesel

Pretty neat. Aren't diesels already quiet?

It would obviously be a fantastic idea to give a desiel engine to the R8, hot looks combined with amazing power and excellent fuel economy. Sounds like a winner too me.

Oh, sweet Mother of God let this happen.

V12 TDI R8 with DSG = heaven on earth.

Compared to gasoline....certainly not! They make a terrible sound! BMW's too.

Like i have said long time ago:

-2007 sales of the V8 R8 start
-Late 2007 the V10 5.2 lt R8 is presented and sales start in 2008
-One year after that the R8 TDI is coming but as a limited production model , only 500 cars (approximately the final number is yet to be decided) will be available for sale.

Just don't ask for sources for the third info, those are internal information and even if you ask someone in Audi they will tell you that "no decision has been made yet" ect.

How 'bout an A8 V12 TDI? That would be the car to have diesel power! I could park a car like that next to my S65 AMG, unless Mercedes comes up with the S 600 CDI 4 Matic.

Not until the next generation A8 according to my info.

Audi considering V-12 diesel option for new R8 Porsche-fighter
World's first diesel supercar?

Senior board members confirm Audi is working on a diesel version of its new R8 Porsche-fighter in the aftermath of its historic 2006 Le Mans win with the diesel-powered R10 racer.

The engine is the same as that just launched in the Q7 and introduced in the A8, a 6.0-liter V-12 with 500 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. That's slightly less power than the Lamborghini-derived V-10 version will have, but way more torque. With the right gearing, this means the diesel could be the quickest of the R8s.

The R8 TDI hasn't been approved for production yet, but if it gets a green light, it'll be unique among sports cars, although Mercedes-Benz displayed Bluetec diesel SL and SLK concepts at the 2005 Geneva show.

Audi insiders admit the diesel R8 has a couple hurdles to overcome. Though compact, the V-12 diesel is bigger and heavier than the V-10 and V-8 gas engines. Another issue is whether the diesel particulate filter trap would fit between the R8's mid-engine and its rear bumper. But if the R8 TDI is okayed, look for it in Audi showrooms no earlier than model-year 2009.

Source: http://www.motortrend.com/features/a...2_0701_audi_r8

Approximately how much benefit in fuel consumption will the diesel powerplant offer compared with the 5.2 V10 engine?

Without knowing the exact details i would say 30-35% less.

Check it out:
http://www.automotorsport.se/nyhetsm...?version=43853

-According to a member of the Audiboard, they have diceded to put the V12 diesel in the R8

Finally a Swedish article No prob reading..

R8 with 500 Diesel BHP CommonRail and 1000 Nm/Torque !

Poor transmission and such !!

COME ON AUDI - WAY TO GO!!! Always In My Heart

That's how they should have done it from the start......I don't get the idea with the present R8.......sure very nice looking and all........but to weak on the performance side to be interesting.....with a V12 ......well, that's another thing!!

Dutch magazine Autovisie has information that Audi will release a Roadster version of the R8 which will be called R8 Spyder.
Audi's supercar will also use the 5.2 lt V10 engine and there’s also the possibility of a diesel powered version which will use the 6.0L V12 TDI seen in Q7 V12 TDI.

Source

Why R8 "spyder"? Lambo, Ferrari, Maser and now R8? C'mon...

Isn't Spider/Spyder an Italian thing?

An exotic sports car with a diesel sounds like peanut butter with jelly to Car and Driver's journalists so they start speculating about what engine the R8 TDI will use.

One thing though , they claim that the twin-turbodiesel 6.0-liter V12 originating from the Q7 V12 TDI is "ridiculously impractical" and can't be used.
Are they right? l would say no...

More Details

Impractical in what sense? Too heavy, too big, uneven torque curve and power delivery?

I'd rather see a high revving gas V10 in the R8. The R8, being a light car doesn't need all that torque from the V12 TDI.

George Achorn (Fourtitude) had told me that the V12 can fit in the R8 but due to size and weight of the engine extensive modifications will be needed.

Also cooling is a problem but that can be fixed too.

In other words Audi is already working on the project for the past year or so.

Yannis,you say that all problematic areas with this powerplant to be fitted can be resolved and that is also my opinion..But,would it make any sense to totoally modify R8 just to put this engine under the bonnet ?And what about price of such car ?

It makes sense cause Audi wants to write again the automotive history books with the first diesel power supercar.

The price will be probably outrageous and the production number limited.

An exotic sports car with a diesel? Sounds like peanut butter with jelly to us.

BY JORDAN BROWN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEINRICH HÜLSER AND JEFFREY G. RUSSELL
May 2007
Those familiar with VW/Audi’s naming conventions know TDI is the acronym for Turbocharged Direct Injection, the German automaker’s revolutionary diesel power plant that made its debut back in 1990 in the form of an inline five-cylinder powering the Audi 100 Wagon. So the next question is, “An R8 with a diesel?!” In short, yes.
Sources say Audi has a diesel-powered R8 in the works, and we’d like to think they’re right. As far as cutting-edge diesel technology goes, Audi’s one of the best in the biz. Its latest demonstration of spark-plugless prowess came in the form of the R10 TDI race car, winning its very first race at the 12 Hours of Sebring as well as the infamous 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Petit Le Mans. So who better to make a diesel exotic?
The bigger question—especially for us in the U.S.—is why would Audi want to put a diesel in a car that already is so good in its present form? We know, clean diesels have proven they are for more than big pickups and school buses. Europeans swear by them. They would give up anything to pay a measly $3.45 a gallon like we do, while our low gas prices over the years prevented diesels’ torquey richness from being brought to the U.S.
We realize European buyers with $110,000-plus for an R8 TDI are not counting the change in their piggy banks for gas money. So, we suspect that it’s an image thing, or that they are addicted to the torque.
This brings us to the next question: Which engine would Audi use in an R8 TDI? While there are a mess of TDI powerplants to choose from, rumors and our educated guesswork narrows it down to three possible choices. Consider them the good, the bad, and the ridiculously impractical.
All three powerplants can be found in the Audi Q7 SUV. First, the good: the 4.2 TDI V-8 which makes a solid 326 horsepower backed by 561 pound-feet of torque. Next, the bad: the 3.0 TDI V-6 that puts down a very sub-exotic 233 horsepower, although it makes its fair share of torque at 369 pound-feet. Last, and certainly not least as far as sheer power goes, is the ridiculously impractical 5.9 TDI V-12 influenced by our aforementioned friend, the R10 race car. This beast lays out a mind-numbing 493 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.
So naturally our choice would be the 5.9 TDI right? Unfortunately, just as reality strikes us each week when our paychecks arrive, so does it remind us of practicality, and the 5.9 TDI ain’t that. It’s far too heavy for a sports application such as the R8, not to mention with that kind of power Audi may be overstepping its bounds with subsidiary Lamborghini. What a shame. We really wanted to see a car that would literally break your neck under acceleration.
On the flip-side, the 3.0 TDI V-6 seems a little anemic for an exotic—233 horsepower would only cut it in something as light as the Ariel Atom, but at 3500 pounds, the R8 isn’t what we’d call ‘slim and trim’. Torque numbers aside, the 3.0 TDI falls short. So, two down now, one to go.
Our Final Answer
That leaves the 4.2 TDI V-8 as the obvious choice. Making only 22 percent less power than the current gasoline powered 4.2-liter found in the R8, it would produce a whopping 77 percent more torque! That’s 77 percent more force throwing you back into the seat when you hit the throttle, and maybe even 77 percent more fun. In the gasoline R8, the 317 lb-ft of peak torque hit high at 4500 rpm. In contrast, a 4.2 TDI V-8 R8 would make 561 lb-ft starting at 1800 rpm all the way to 2500 rpm. Now that’s what we call low-end grunt.
The 4.2 TDI propels the Audi Q7 from 0-to-62 mph in a claimed 6.4 seconds—and that’s an SUV. Factor in better gearing, less weight, and more grip and you start to get a feel for what the R8 4.2 TDI would be capable of. In addition, the diesel engine weighs less than 600 pounds, which isn’t too bad for a car on a diet.
Oh, and we can’t forget about the gas mileage. According to our estimates using the Q7 as our guidepost, the EPA fuel economy of an R8 4.2 TDI would jump from 14 mpg to 17 mpg—a 22 percent increase. Whether you use those extra 3 mpg for a few more sessions at your local track or avoid a stop en route to the country club, the choice is yours. As for getting the golf clubs in the car, you’re on your own.
So that’s our story and we’re sticking to it, at least for now. We are comforted knowing that, in the interim, we should see a Lamborghini Gallardo sourced V-10 in the R8-RS on our side of the pond. So, we figure we’re gonna be winners either way.

2009 Audi R8 TDI - Car News - Car and Driver May 2007

Thanks for the info Bartek. I have already mentioned the article in the previous page:

http://www.germancarforum.com/192642-post18.html