The Audi R8 V12 TDI (later renamed the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans), was a

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...

concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...

that was first presented to the public at the 2008 North American International Auto Show on 13 January and then the Geneva Motor Show in March in the same year. The car was fitted with a 6.0-litre

V12 engine A V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more common than V10 engines. However, they are less common than V8 engines. The f ...

, utilising

Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...

's long-established

Turbocharged Direct Injection TDI (Turbocharged Direct Injection) is Volkswagen Group's term for its current common rail direct injection turbodiesel engine range that have an intercooler in addition to the turbo compressor. TDI engines are used in motor vehicles sold by th ...

(TDI)

turbodiesel The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output ...

technology. This engine produces at 4,000 rpm and of torque at 1,750-3,000 rpm. The car utilises Audi's quattro permanent

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...

system and a 6-speed

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear change ...

. The car can accelerate from in 4.2 seconds, and can reach a top speed of over 300 km/h (186 mph). Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept 4

The R8 TDI Le Mans has modified

suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...

settings and brakes to cope with the additional power and weight (), resulting from replacing the standard V8 engine with the V12 TDI. The V12 TDI requires more cooling than the standard R8, hence a

NACA duct A NACA duct, also sometimes called a NACA scoop or NACA inlet, is a common form of low- drag air inlet design, originally developed by the U.S. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the precursor to NASA, in 1945. Design Prior s ...

is incorporated in the roof to feed additional air into the engine. The vents on the front and back of the car have also been increased by 20% in size. The car all-LED headlamps which were first seen on the

Audi Le Mans Quattro The Audi Le Mans quattro is a concept car, developed by German automobile manufacturer Audi, for presentation at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, to celebrate Audi's three successive wins at the arduous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 2000, 2 ...

concept. For its appearance at the Detroit Motor Show, Audi fitted 20 inch alloy wheels. The rear bulkhead has been moved forward in order to accommodate the physically larger V12 engine, meaning it loses the space behind the rear seats usually found on the standard R8. In May 2009, Audi decided to halt plans for possible production of the R8 TDI, citing "the cost of re-engineering the petrol R8 to accommodate the massive

twin-turbo Twin-turbo (not to be confused with a twincharger setup, which is a combination of a supercharger and a turbocharger) refers to an engine in which two turbochargers work in tandem to compress the intake fuel/air mixture (or intake air, in the case ...

charged diesel engine is simply too great – and that it would be unable to recoup its investment through sales alone".

References

External links

{{Audi R8 Le Mans Concept Coupés Sports cars Rear mid-engine, all-wheel-drive vehicles Cars introduced in 2008