The 2009 Audi R8 V12 TDI
If you were disappointed by the news that Audi would not put the R8 V12 TDI Le Mans into production, we've got some exciting news to lift your spirits. According to emerging reports, Audi has confirmed previous rumors that a V10 will find its way into the R8's midship engine bay in the second quarter of next year. And not just any V10, either: the 580-hp twin-turbo V10 from the RS6 Avant. (And here we thought Audi developed that engine just for a station wagon.)
The news is attributed to an interview in Autocar magazine with Wolfgang Hatz. What, you don't know who Wolfgang Hatz is? Tssk-tssk. (Okay, we didn't either.) He's the head of powertrain development for the entire Volkswagen Group, and he says the engine has already been signed off on. Initial cooling problems that caused previous prototypes to burst into flames have been solved chiefly through the addition of a roof-mounted vent like the one seen on the previous R8 V12 TDI concept. Reports suggest the supercar will get the nameplate RS8, although there's the potential for Audi's halo car to be confused with an RS version of the A8 sedan. While we're forced to take everything with a grain of salt today, this is one lead we hope isn't an April Fool's Day hoax.
