Audi R8: Preparing a diesel for LeMans?

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Audi R8: Preparing a diesel for LeMans?

Jalopnik is reporting that Audi might be working on a diesel-powered Audi R8 for LeMans!

Mulsanne’s Corner (where’ve you been all our lives) is reporting a rumor — from a reliable source, natch — that Audi’s next Le Mans Prototype racer could be powered by a diesel V12. Yes, we were shocked too — considering the propensity of diesels to implode under extreme duress (like, say, a really long race). The source says Audi will develop the oil burner as a V12 rather than a V10 for technical reasons.

A V12 will allow for more revs which, while not eliminating reliability issues, moves the stress on the engine from the head bolts to elsewhere.