Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept

**soho** · 10-04-2011, 07:37 PM

Not sure if these are official renderings supplied by Audi, but Audi Media was given credit for the images. Either way, this is absolutely stunning.

EDIT: I apologize. Apparently these are the same renderings supplied back in 2010.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVrd70KO2zM&hd=1"]Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept (With music) - YouTube[/ame]

The V12 TDI is displayed as the beating heart of this sports car, like a work of art inside a large showcase. Its look, underscored by the air deflectors located beneath the restyled rear glass lid, differs clearly from its production counterpart. The engine can even be seen after dark, when white light-emitting diodes illuminate the engine compartment -- as on the production R8 version. This "showroom" can additionally be fully lined in genuine carbon fiber, for a particularly exclusive look.

The continuous line running from the front apron across the wheel arches and flanks to the tail end, then back down the other side, is one of the latest design hallmarks of the Audi brand. This "loop" naturally encompasses the air apertures, the headlights and the taillights.

The Drivetrain

The roadgoing version of the new V12 TDI is built at the Györ plant, in Hungary. And the R8 V12 TDI still has a massive 500 hp on tap. In developing the six-liter engine, it was a clear priority to integrate it into the current family of Audi V engines, of which many thousands of versions with 6, 8 and 10 cylinders have already been built - both gasoline and TDI.

Audi's engineers were in an ideal position to use their experience building the racing engine to develop the road version. Like the other power units in this range, the distance between cylinder bore axes on the V12 TDI is 90 mm (3.54 in.). Yet its included angle is 60 degrees, not 90 degrees. This means no free inertial forces or mass moments of inertia can occur with the V12. The results are refined in every respect.

The 83.0 mm (3.27 in.) bore and 91.4 mm (3.60 in.) stroke produce a total displacement of 5,934 cc - just like the 3.0 TDI. At only 684 mm (26.93 in.) long, this large diesel engine is very compact and just 166 mm (6.54 in.) longer than the V8 TDI. This compact length is key to accommodating the V12 in the midengined Audi R8.

The V12 TDI crankcase is made from gray cast iron with vermicular graphite - a high-tech material referred to as GJV-450 that is already used on the V6 and V8 TDI engines. GJV-450, made by a patented casting process, is about 40 percent more rigid and 100 percent more fatigue-resistant than gray cast iron. This enabled the developers to make its walls thinner, cutting its weight by around 15 percent compared with conventional gray cast iron.

The two cylinder heads are each made from three main elements. These are a base section made from a high-strength aluminum alloy incorporating the intake and exhaust ports, an oil-bearing upper section, and a reinforcing ladder frame supporting the two camshafts.

The valves are actuated by low-friction roller cam followers; the compression ratio is 16.0:1. Map-controlled swirl variation of the combustion air has been adopted from the V6 and V8 TDI engines. This produces permanently optimized swirl concerning both emissions and high performance.

**randombloke** · 10-05-2011, 01:36 AM

there was at least one actual car that they had out to the motoring press (which was repainted at one stage), although they couldn't open the taps on it as the concept's drive-train wasn't up to the job:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carrevi...0/audi_r8.html

**tobs408** · 10-09-2011, 09:12 AM

i was under the impression that the trans can not handle the torque and we can not incorporate the emmisions equipment for the epa required exhaust gas limits.

**willyjp** · 10-09-2011, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by tobs408

i was under the impression that the trans can not handle the torque and we can not incorporate the emmisions equipment for the epa required exhaust gas limits.

well obviously they'd have to come up with a driveline that would handle the torque....

but, as far as the second point, it may well be that a V12 TDI wouldn't make it to the US for emissions reasons;

the EU is far more tolerant of the Diesel's emissions "Achille's heel" which is the so-called "NOx" (or oxides of nitrogen)---the Diesel's combustion taking place at such a high level of temperature and pressure that the nitrogen in the air literally "burns"...does so in Otto cycle engines as well but not as much); (but of course it's the higher combustion temp that leads to the increased volumetric efficiency of the compression ignition engine)

that's why VW/Audi and everyone else have been selling outstanding Diesels in Europe for years while we've been on the outside looking in; and the "California" group of states ratcheted the maximum NOx level down (to 1/8th of the EU level!!!) recently, which was why most builders had to have urea injection added if (the NOx oxidizes the reduced NH2 in the urea...with the help of a big cat... and everyone comes out happy

)

so, if your mouth is watering for a V12 TDI R8 in the US, be ready for POSSIBLE disappointment; they MAY be able to do it with urea and a big catalyst...if they can find room for the "blue stuff" tank and a bigger cat; but they COULD just decide "American's don't want diesels anyway," which is the decision Ford and GM made quite some time ago....a big mistake IMHO

one hopeful spot on the horizon in all this is what I've read about the emerging "Otto/Diesel" (or spark/compression ignition engines) which can adapt valve timing (and thereby cylinder pressures), fuel charge volume and timing, and other parameters to run, on start-up and other times, as Otto or spark engines and, under heavy loads, switch over to compression ignition a-la-Diesel; there's no end to how clever they can get I guess

**tobs408** · 10-09-2011, 10:23 AM

there is room for the urea tank, but the next hurdle is the heat during regeneration and the plastic bumper half an inch from the catalyst... can you say first run v8 cars in Europe?