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The Audi diesel engines
Pure power
An output of 368 kW/500 bhp and 1,000 Nm of torque – Audi is unveiling an
engine which sets new standards in the diesel sector. The majestic V12 TDI power
unit with its capacity of six litres endows the high-performance Audi Q7 SUV
with sports car credentials. It is the harbinger of a wide-scale model
initiative, as Audi seeks to make major inroads into the US market with its
diesel models – courtesy of a new emission control technology which cuts
emissions drastically.
The Audi Q7 V12 TDI raises the bar in the burgeoning sports utility vehicle
segment. A time of just 5.5 seconds for the dash from zero to 100 km/h and an
electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h give the high-performance SUV
sports car calibre. Its six-litre twelve-cylinder diesel unit demonstrates the
tremendous technological expertise at Audi's fingertips. 18 years after the
Ingolstadt brand invented the modern-day TDI engine, it is presenting it in an
all-new high-tech, range-topping guise.
Audi makes the vital breakthroughs
All of the diesel engines from Audi deserve the tag of 'sporty' on account of
their impressive performance – the six and eight-cylinder 2.7 TDI, 3.0 TDI and
4.2 TDI units serve to underline this. The pioneering role that Audi assumes in
the field of diesel technology stems from the peerless expertise it has amassed
over recent decades. Audi engineers have been responsible for one vital
breakthrough after another – the most important of these was the world's first
ever TDI engine to be fitted in a passenger car, which Audi introduced in 1989.
Last year, Audi demonstrated the dynamic potential of diesel power in most
memorable fashion on race tracks around the world. The V12 TDI in the R10 sports
prototype unleashed in excess of 650 bhp and left its petrol-engined competitors
in its wake in each of the eight races it competed in. Highlights of this
winning streak included its triumph at the gruelling Le Mans 24 Hours as well as
its victories in the LMP1 category of the American Le Mans Series.
The trend towards diesel engines is gathering strength all the time in the
United States too. Audi is firmly convinced that the TDI engine represents the
powerful and economical alternative for the future of motoring, and is therefore
preparing a model drive to bolster this trend. The Q7 3.0 TDI is expected to hit
showrooms in the USA in late 2008. Thanks to the exceptionally low emissions
resulting from its cutting-edge Bluetec technology, this engine even complies
with the US Tier II Bin 5 standard which places extremely tough demands on
nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions.
SCR catalytic converter for reducing nitrogen oxide levels
At the core of the Bluetec technology is a catalytic converter known by the
abbreviation of SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction). The second system component
takes the form of an auxiliary tank which contains a carbonyl diamide solution.
The solution is injected in small doses into the exhaust system where it
decomposes into ammonia, which then breaks down the nitrogen oxides into
nitrogen and water. The arrival of the ultra-clean Bluetec diesel engines will
see Audi hold true to its tradition of always being at the very forefront of
diesel technology.
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