Summary
So, let's hurry up with that R8. Getting the V12 to fit into the spot occupied by the V8 wasn't easy. In fact, it was impossible. With two extra pistons tacked to the end of each cylinder bank, the diesel is about 15 centimetres longer than the V8. Since the engine sits behind the passenger compartment, the "firewall" (between the engine and the passenger compartment) was moved ahead. The V12 is also taller since instead of the traditional 90-degree "V" arrangement with the V8, the diesel has an angle of just 60 degrees: it's more upright. To feed cool air into a hotter engine bay, the R8's "side blades" are now more like "side scoops" while the roof has a large duct built into the top.
Still, that's not exactly the point of the R8 TDI. As the "halo" vehicle for what the company calls a diesel "offensive," the car should set the tone for future models. Audi has plans to offer a diesel V6, V8 and the R8's V12 TDI under the hood of the Q7 sport-utility vehicle, which probably makes the most sense given fuel-economy concerns and the weight of this big rig: a torquey diesel would make the Q7 feel lighter on its feet without breaking the fuel budget. The V6 TDI, displacing 3.0 litres and having an output of 221 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, will also find its way into the new A5 coupe.See the full content of this document
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Audi R8 Diesel?
A diesel 'offensive' without offensive diesels
By Jeff MelnychukIf you were out to change the notions that diesel engines are smelly, noisy and slow -- when they're anything but -- what would you do?If you were Audi, you would we...See the full content of this document
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