Audi R8: A TDI variant of the supercar will be offered

Audi has the unique talent of being able to mix the oil and water of the engineering world and somehow turn it into champagne. Take for instance the passenger car and four-wheel drive. Besides the tiny volume production of Jensen, Audi was the only manufacturer that attempted to combine the drivetrain system of agricultural vehicles, like tractors and pickup trucks, in a frame belonging to a regular motor vehicle. It worked brilliantly. Audi found great success with quattro, which helped it dominate rally races and road races alike. Today, quattro is the cornerstone of almost all things Audi. Without it the brand just wouldn't be the same.

The gears are beginning to turn on a new groundbreaking phase for Audi, which is set to revolutionize the auto industry in another way: through the use of diesel power. Diesels aren't anything new, of course, and while Audi has had great success using diesel power on the track, especially with its new TDI Le Mans winning R10 racer, they're far from the first to incorporate Rudolf's invention in race or road cars.On the contrary, they're looking to be the first to create a diesel-powered supercar, based on nothing less than their brand new R8.

Instantly, the engine that Audi aficionados will think of is the brand's flagship diesel, the majestic 6.0-liter V12 TDI that develops 500 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque, although it probably wouldn't make the cut for its size and weight. Keeping in mind that the R8 is a very small vehicle, the cast-iron and vermicular graphite block would completely alter the car's balance and therefore its handling characteristics. Instead, insiders are reporting that the R8 TDI will feature Audi's newly developed 4.2-liter V8 TDI engine.

The latest evolution of the V8 TDI has yielded a brand new engine that is 4.2-liters in displacement and generates 326 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. With four less cylinders on board, the engine will weigh less and will be more compact in size.

The unique characteristics of the diesel engine will be as interesting to exploit in a road going performance vehicle as they have been on the track, although this engine makes nearly 25-percent less horsepower than the current gasoline V8 engine (of the same displacement), the losses are more than minimized by its staggering 561 lb-ft of torque. This engine should also drop the R8's fuel consumption by about 20- to 22-percent.

Audi is also said to be preparing a second, more powerful gasoline engine for the R8 that will feature ten cylinders. Just last year, the Ingolstadt-based brand launched the new S6 and S8, both which feature V10 engines derived from the Lamborghini Gallardo, albeit with major changes in just about every area. Whether or not Audi opts for the in-house tuned engine, or the straight-up, high-revving Lamborghini unit has yet to be announced. Either solution - more cylinders or diesel - presents an exciting future for the R8.