TD...i...don't get it
 

OK, so not really a classic car issue as the TDi craze is on modern Audi's but I was wondering something. While sat in the "library" at home this eveing I was reading of Audi's success in racing with the TDi's and how this technology has changed the face LeMans.
Now, after being privaliged to own an '04 Audi A8 V8 TDi I can vouch for the performance of the modern TDi's. After the success in LeMans and the SEATs in racing also, how come Audi aren't playing on this by making particualrly sporty diesel road cars? ALL S and RS models are still very much petrol powered...... Does this mean that despite the improved and frankly remarkable performance of TDi's we are just not ready for diesel Performance models?? Is it worth all the expence in devolping racing diesels to not bother with sports diesel road cars???

Your thoughts please cos it's buggin me!!

If you want a sporty diesel engine you won't go far wrong with the big 2.4 5 pot lump in a Volvo. Pity the car aint so sporty but it is by far and away the best diesel engine I'v exprienced. Pulls like train until the cylinder head pops one or the turbo hose comes off :wall:

Apparently BMW do a good sporty one too, often bettering their petrol counterparts in the 0-60 but it's got a cylinder missing and a badge that says I'm a corporate noob! I'll be getting one end of next year :rock:

They did talk about making a 5.0 V10 TDi R8, but the plans for that were soon squashed.

The V10 TDi is already used commercially anyway, so it wouldn't take much effort to put one into an R8 would it?
Is the world ready for a diesel engined 'supercar'????????
I think it is but maybe Audi didn't?
They must have a large share in the market for large rep mobiles (A4/A6's) and there's a high amount of those on the road with the diesel engines in. Maybe they are happy enough for the majority of their sales of diesel cars for Fleets and Fleet Management/Leasing Companies? They seem to have a lions share of it when you seen whats the majority car in the outside lane of the motorways.

was there not a rumour of a deisel R8? or was that exactly it a rumour

The R8 V12TDi has been made in prototype - they SHOULD make it!! If they can stop it catching fire that is!!
Lambo reckon they're gonna do a 4 door Supercar, similar to Aston Rapide thing, only avaliable with a TDi but we'll see!!
An A6 with the 4.2 V8 TDi would, I'm sure be as competant as the BiTurbo V10 petrol!!
I'm sure it's just down to marketing but surely Audi should be playing on their brilliant status in terms of diesel engines.

I've had experiance of BMW's diesels, and they are quite good but I still reckon Audi's have em licked! BM's newest turbo'd petrols though are very good - which I'm not happy about!!

being privvy to this what would a sporty deisel sound like? would it have the throb and the bark Ben

Hmmmm I have the 3 tonne beastie that's a 3 tdi deisel tractor and it knocks spots off my old a6 2.8qs :yikes:

Well, my 4.0 V8 TDi sounded brilliant! Not sure you'd get it to sound like a rally car but hey, most new petrols don't either!!

Mine had a deep purposeful growl that was great!!!!

But diesel cars usually cost more, Porsche Cayenne diesel is about 3k more expensive than the petrol car, and you have to do about 66000 miles before it becomes economically viable.

And they only have "puff" between 2 -5000 rpm whereas petrols can be made to scream up to 9000 rpm.

maybe in the way Audi introduced 4wheel dive on their top of the range sports car (the ur) and then once it'd been accepted they then bought it out on the rest of the range . Dont forget 4wd was seen at the time as being only any use for the farm boys.
It'd make sense to introduce diesel power in the R8 and then later on lower sports models?
Only thing that puzzles me is how the narrow rev range would work in practice (never having driven a TDi)