Although launched back in 2006, Audi’s super car, the R8 is still being actively worked by the brains in the German auto marquee. The variant did not just stop after they introduced the V8 and V10 version, but also kept on going with the much more ferocious R8 GT and the record-breaking electric R8 e-tron that lapped the Nurburgring in just over 8 minutes.
And now, words are surfacing that Audi is going to bring back a concept model that they had shelved for quite some time and actually try to get it on the road. The R8 V12 TDI was Audi’s attempt in making a diesel-powered supercar and was revealed back in the 2008 Detroit Motor Show. But with only 493-horsepower coming out from the Q7-sourced engine, the great looks of this concept was not enough to push it to the surface and was forgotten for years; until now.
This resurrected concept gets a whiff of fresh air since Audi is getting better in the diesel-hybrid technology, demonstrated by their Le Mans-winning R18 e-Tron Quattro. The R18 gets an extra boost from electricity generated via a flywheel system that powers an electric motor on each front wheel, allowing it to blast out from a corner at speeds more than 120km/h.
The details of this diesel R8 are still sketchy, but it will be featuring a carbon fiber monocoque and a diesel no larger than a V8. Audi decided not to go with the V12 used in the concept as it was “too heavy and having too much torque for existing transmissions”.
