CAR magazine reports that Audi showed off an R8 at the Detroit Auto Show with a new twin-turbo, 6.0-liter V12 engine. That in and of itself isn't news. What's different about this announcement is that this V12 was a clean diesel.

The R8 V12 TDI concept car makes 493 horsepower and a house-pulling 738 pound-feet of torque. Significantly, and in the grand Audi tradition, that torque peaks at just 1,750 rpm, with the curve staying flat until 3000 rpm. (Remember, it's a diesel, so the redline is only 4,500 rpm anyway.)

Audi claims that the V12 already meets Euro 6 emissions regulations, which won't come into effect in Europe until 2014, according to the report. The engine manages this by using Audi's new AdBlue technology, which "pulses urea into the exhaust" to quell nitrous oxide omissions. As to be expected of an enthusiast publication, CAR complained about the possibility of a less-than-stellar exhaust note, a trait typical of diesels. I love me the sound of a Ferrari V8 or Porsche flat-six myself. But if the emissions clean up as promised, I'd gladly trade it for the environmental benefits of a clean diesel--not to mention 493 hp.

There's no word yet on whether or not this concept would go into production. But I wouldn't bet against it, given the proliferation of performance-focused diesel introductions in recent months.

[via CAR]

Post by Jamie Lendino