Audi Q7 V12 TDI

What do you get when you grab a Toureg V10TDI, add two cylinders and upgrade the interiour? Well you get a Audi Q7 V12 TDI!

Gizmag has the story.

Audi is set to debut the first twelve-cylinder diesel engine in a series passenger car. A six-litre V12 will be available in the Audi Q7 that is reminiscent of the engine featured in the all-conquering R10 Le Mans racing car and it catapults the driving performance of the Audi Q7 SUV into the echelons of top-class sports cars. The V12 TDI engine produces a colossal 500 PS and 1,000 Nm of torque giving the car a 0 to 100 km/h time of just 5.5 seconds, and an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h. Maximum torque is available from just 1,750 rpm. The high-tech diesel engine, with the world’s first 2,000 bar Bosch Common Rail system, provides the high-performance Audi SUV with superior power reserves in any situation. The impressive sound of the new Audi is provided by the ultra-modern piezo-injection system. The V12 TDI transmits this power through a new six-speed tiptronic gearbox to the quattro permanent four-wheel drive system.

Checkout the Audo Press Release

INGOLSTADT, Germany—Audi is aiming to cash in on its victory this past June at Le Mans with its diesel-powered R10; the automaker is bringing out a spectacular new 6.0-liter V-12 diesel engine.

Planned for the German carmaker's Q7 SUV next year, the new unit marries two of Audi's 3.0-liter V-6 units on a common crankshaft and is said to kick out a solid 500 hp. That's some 174 hp more than Audi's strongest diesel to date, the 4.2-liter V-8 unit found in the top-of-the-line A8.

Significantly, it's also 50 hp more than Audi's largest gasoline engine, the 450-hp 6.0-liter W-12. The defining characteristic of the new engine, however, is its mammoth torque, which peaks at 737 pound-feet—restricted only by the inability of the Q7's ZF-engineered six-speed automatic gearbox to handle any more. Nevertheless, it's still enough to make the new V-12 the world's most powerful production car diesel engine. Audi claims the new V-12 propels the Q7 from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.5 seconds, with top speed limited to 155 mph. Combined cycle fuel consumption is put at 19.7 mpg.

Accompanying the new engine is a series of suspension tweaks along with the inclusion of ceramic brake discs, which are claimed to reduce unsprung mass by more than 50 percent. Other changes include a restyled grille and LED driving lights similar to those seen on the S6.

Although Audi denies it, rumors abound that the new diesel engine will be offered in the upcoming R8 supercar planned to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show later this month