Rate It: The Diesel V12-Powered Audi Supercar

I'd drive one in a heartbeat- and fill it up at truck stops. 

A R8 TDI would be fun to own if only for the looks you'd get when filling up at a diesel pump... at least until that novelty got old (and as someone who owns a TDI, it does get old...)

Otherwise, sure - I like the R8 and wouldn't be against owning one regardless of the engine.  

I've always appreciated the power density that is possible with diesels.  Given their engineering, you turn up the boost and the fuel until something explodes.

Dad's duramax is putting almost 1000 lb-ft to the wheels with injectors and a tune, and I expect it to last to 400k miles.

As a show car, fine, but as a production car no way.  The business case is preposterous -- what wealthy supercar buyer ever thinks "This Ferrari/Lamborghini I want to buy is awesome... but too bad it isn't a diesel."

In fact, I hate how cynical I feel about this car.  The R8 TDI celebrates Audi's TDI Le Mans program. But the only reason diesels ever won at Le Mans was because VW Group and Peugeot sank countless millions to show off their deceitful 'Clean Diesel' technologies over that of their European rivals.  And the only why reason why Diesel was a big deal in Europe at the time was because politicians had decided that cars should be heavily taxed based by their CO2 emissions--despite the fact that Diesel exhaust is worse for human health and just as bad for the environment as gasoline emissions.

I lose interest as soon as someone says diesel.

The last thing we need is a supercar that is a tune away from rolling coal, there's enough of that already out there. The concept is cool though.

If it had made it into production, would we have eventually seen an owner of one blocking off an EV charging station with it? 

nderwater said:

As a show car, fine, but as a production car no way.  The business case is preposterous -- what wealthy supercar buyer ever thinks "This Ferrari/Lamborghini I want to buy is awesome... but too bad it isn't a diesel."

In fact, I hate how cynical I feel about this car.  The R8 TDI celebrates Audi's TDI Le Mans program. But the only reason diesels ever won at Le Mans was because VW Group and Peugeot sank countless millions to show off their deceitful 'Clean Diesel' technologies over that of their European rivals.  And the only why reason why Diesel was a big deal in Europe at the time was because politicians had decided that cars should be heavily taxed based by their CO2 emissions--despite the fact that Diesel exhaust is worse for human health and just as bad for the environment as gasoline emissions.

Call me Ian

That sums up the problem with the car. It was a promotion for the TDI LeMons program. Which was a promotion for more mundane TDI cars. Which VW was blatantly cheating emissions tests so they could get a slight advantage. Which is why I was able to get a Passat at fire-sale prices after VW's buyback program.

Wait, I'm getting off track. If this had come out, it would probably be the ultimate symbol of VW's mendacity in the Dieselgate scandal. Which might mean that they wouldn't be modified to roll coal - why bother when your car is already the biggest possible middle finger to the environmentalist movement?

diesel AND manual? oh hell yeah!

In reply to Dieselboss15 :

But why so many forward speeds? Sounds like three would do it: burnout, acceleration, cruising.