The V8 and V10 engines that powered the Audi R8 over the years were perfect for the brand’s mid-engined supercar. Yet, despite how good these engines are, a shop in the UK is preparing to build an R8 with a diesel engine.
The shop in question is dubbed Darkside Developments and recently published a video discussing some of the options that it is considering in making its diesel R8 a reality. We’re sure that hardcore R8 enthusiasts may be disappointed to hear about a project like this but the result will certainly be unique.
One option that Darkside Developments is considering is a diesel V6 supplemented by a massive turbocharger. Another option it is pondering is a V8 diesel with two turbochargers hanging out from the back. However, this option seems slightly less likely as finding an appropriate manual transmission to mate to such a powerful engine could prove to be a difficult, and probably very expensive, endeavor.
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The shop intends on using its diesel R8 as a top speed car, rather than one focused on track times, something that the R8 is probably more suited for.
While it would certainly be cool to see a diesel-powered Audi R8 on the road, such a vehicle wouldn’t be entirely without precedent. In fact, Audi famously unveiled the R8 Le Mans Concept back in 2008 with a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine producing 493 hp at 4,000 rpm and a monstrous 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque between 1,750 and 3,000 rpm. Audi gave serious thought to putting the car into production, but ultimately decided against it due to the costs involved.