While the idea of shoe-horning a race-bred, Le Mans-winning, turbocharged diesel engine into the Audi R8’s chassis isn’t an entirely new idea, it is one that was shelved and has now re-emerged.
You may remember that Audi showed off the R8 V12 TDi concept at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, which featured the 6.0-litre V12 diesel engine that is now found in the Q7 V12 SUV. Audi never produced the R8 V12 TDi because the costs associated with re-engineering the Audi R8 to house the massive twin-turbo diesel V12 were deemed too great and the associated costs too much to recoup.
Audi’s development of its Le Mans racers has continued, however, and so now, fitting a large V12 engine is no longer a problem because, well, there is no longer a V12 engine.
Set to rival the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder and Ferrari’s Enzo replacement, the proposed Audi R10 could use the hybrid drivetrain found in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro Le Mans racer. The R18 e-tron combines a V6 TDi with a brake energy regeneration and fly-wheel system, to drive the rear and front axles respectively. Transplanted into the road-going chassis of the R8, the car could potentially offer a combined power output of around 515 kW and at least 1 000 Nm of torque.
By using lightweight materials such as kevlar, carbon fibre and aluminium, the Audi R10 would likely be capable of a 0 – 100 km/h sprint in 3.0 seconds and a top speed easily in excess of 320 km/h.
Audi’s technical development chief, Wolfgang Durheimer, reportedly told Auto Express that, “there is definitely room for a super sports car above the R8.” Durheimer went on to say, “If we made this a diesel hybrid it could be a hot seller. What always sells is performance – if it is quick, has low consumption and looks cool, I’m sure it would be a success.”
