The latest reports surfacing suggest that Audi’s new supercar is scheduled for oiloplasty. That’s right, the R8 is getting a diesel. Backing up these reports are earlier ones that suggested a Lamborghini Gallardo test mule (on which the R8 is based) with what sounded like a diesel was heard driving around Sant’Agata Bolognese.
Ingolstadt seems to be on a quest to dominate the world with diesel power. The R10 race car put Audi on the map as the first manufacturer to compete for overall victory at the 24 hours of Le Mans with a diesel – and the R10 has been cleaning house in competition ever since.
Audi has yet to confirm the reports, which suggest that the diesel in question will be a 6-liter V12 TDi twin-turbo-diesel with output over 500 horsepower – more than the current gasoline V8 produces – and even more impressive torque figures.
If the R8 does indeed get a high-performance diesel, Audi will cause us to continue questioning our assumptions about the performance of oil-burners.
