Audi is expanding the range of engines available for the A8 to include a third and, once again, emphatically sporty version: a newly developed V8 TDI. The A8 4.0 TDI quattro delivers 202 kW (275 bhp) at 3750 rpm and produces 650 Nm of torque between 1800 and 2500 rpm. This makes it the world’s most powerful eight-cylinder diesel engine in a production saloon car.
The newly developed biturbo V8 with two intercoolers not only has a higher swept volume and power output than its predecessor, the 3.3-litre 165 kW (225 bhp) engine; it is the first TDI version in Audi's new range of V engines and has a chain drive for camshafts and ancillaries.
The A8 4.0 TDI quattro puts up the performance of a top athlete. This fleet-footed luxury saloon with aluminium body sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.7 seconds – faster than any other diesel saloon car worldwide. It also achieves a governed top speed of 250 km/h. Its torque of 650 Newton metres offers a quality of traction across the entire road-speed range that can otherwise only be experienced in sports cars.
650 Newton metres not only make the A8 4.0 TDI quattro the highest-torque Audi in existence, but put it right at the top of its class. The 4.0 TDI engine is currently the highest-powered, highest-torque V8 diesel engine in any production saloon car. A further quality: its refinement also sets a new benchmark in this class.
The sheer power and the specific characteristic of this eight-cylinder power unit once again reaffirm the credentials of the Audi A8 as the sportiest saloon car in the luxury segment. And thanks to its top-of-the-range TDI, Audi once again demonstrates its expertise and dominance in the development of such powerful, refined and, not least, economical diesel engines.
Text and photos courtesy of Audi AG
