Audi continues to chug away in the diesel department while other automakers have shied away from the fossil fuel. Audi boss, Rupert Stadler, has hinted at the possibility of a diesel Audi R8 in the near future, as well as a Le Mans-inspired road car. “What makes Audi different is that we stick to diesel, even in the V8 segment, where everyone else has pulled out,” says Stadler.
Audi’s option to stick with TDI vehicles has paid off with figures indicating that 12 percent of Audi Q5 buyers opt for the diesel variant. “We’ve been the first to bring a diesel in the SQ5 and why shouldn’t we be prepared for the next step?” said Stadler at a TDI event. In regards to the RS5 TDI Concept, which boasts a 3.0 BiTDI engine with an electric turbo, Stadler added, “If you feel the heat of the concept you will know the [RS] genetic code is prepared for a lot of things.”
Audi’s R&D boss, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, shares Stadler’s enthusiast for a diesel R8. “I think it is possible if there is a demand in the market. But the technology is definitely possible.” While the market for diesels may be smaller in the U.S., Stadler believes a diesel R8 might sell very well. “People want to have fun but with good fuel consumption and that is something we are working on,” says Stadler.
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