Auto Performance Racing Blog

Auto sales in the U.S. plunged from 15.6 million vehicles in June 2007 to 13.6 million in June 2008. Plus, Toyota has a serious parts problem on its hands for the Prius–enough that sales of the car actually declined by a third, even in this climate. More

Subaru just announced a Plug-In Concept version of its STELLA mini car. More

The V12 Vantage RS concept is based on Aston Martin’s critically acclaimed V8 Vantage coupe, but the company’s design and engineering team have fully exploited the design flexibility of their unique VH architecture and the motor sport development of their 6.0 litre V12 engine to create a dramatic and production feasible concept car focussed on extreme performance and dynamics. In a speech to the …

By Andrew Liszewski

Earlier, I mentioned that the Corvette ZR-1 was 1 of 2 vehicles I would gladly leave the show with this year. Well here’s the other one. The Audi R8 V12 TDI concept is the first 12-cylinder diesel engine to find its way into a high-performance roadgoing sports car. Until now diesel engines have offered a poor ratio when it comes to power output vs. weight, so while they’re ideal for a massive ocean-going freighter, they’re not so great for a high-performance supercar.

Not surprisingly the V12 TDI engine in the R8 is closely related to the engine used in the company’s Le Mans winning R10, with a few modifications made to improve the center-of-gravity, as well as making it fit into the narrower engine compartment of the roadgoing R8. What you end up with is a 0 to 60 time of 4.2 seconds, a top speed of about 186mph and 738 lb-ft of torque.

You’ll find some more pics of the Audi R8 V12 TDI after the jump, including a shot of the V12 engine itself.

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