The Powerhouse: The New AUDI V8 TDI

Audi, the pioneer of TDI engines, will be unveiling its new 3.3 litre eight-cylinder TDI, the latest highlight in an already lengthy tradition, at the 20th International Vienna Engines Symposium. It again underlines Audi's expertise in TDI technology with its 480 Newton-metres of torque across a speed range of 1800 to 3000 rpm, its power output of 165 kW (225 bhp) at 4000 rpm and its outstanding acoustic properties and refinement. With 4-valve technology, a common-rail fuel injection system, two electronically controlled VTG turbochargers and cooled charge-air and exhaust-gas recirculation, the Audi V8 TDI is the first engine in its class to meet the stringent EU III exhaust emissions limits.

Ten years ago, Audi launched a version of the Audi 100 powered by the first direct fuel injection engine designed specifically for use on a passenger car. The 2.5 litre TDI with five cylinders had an output of 88 kW (120 bhp) and developed a torque of 265 Newton-metres. The 85 kW (115 bhp) version launched shortly afterwards complied with the US emissions standard of that time and achieved installation rates in excess of 20 percent on the Audi 100 and its follow-up model, the Audi A6.

Audi has revolutionized diesel engine technology with its TDI engines, emphatically demonstrating that this engine concept can hold its own in terms of dynamic performance and driving enjoyment when compared with the spark-ignition principle - with the added bonuses that its fuel consumption is around 30 percent lower and it develops substantial torque even at a very low engine speed. This combination strikes a happy balance between the apparent contradictions of enjoyable sports performance on the one hand, and environmentally conscious mobility and maximum range on the other.

On the V8 TDI, Audi uses six-jet injection nozzles and matching piston design with a wider, shallower combustion-chamber recess. Thanks to pre-injection and the combustion quality achieved, particularly for cold starts, the compression ratio has been reduced to 18.5 : 1. This is relatively low for a direct-injection engine and produces a favourable relationship between high performance and low emissions, while preserving good cold-starting behaviour.

Audi has now built almost one million cars with TDI engines. The new Audi V8 TDI represents the latest highlight in a string of developments which have revolutionized the automotive diesel engine and contributed substantially towards Audi's sharper image based on "Advancement through Technology", in line with its corporate slogan. There is currently no other system that performs so efficiently and therefore coincides so closely with the future requirements of individual transport. The new eight-cylinder, high-tech TDI is bound to attract a large following particularly in the prestigious range-topping market segment, in which diesels of this calibre can expect to be well-received now that they are acoustically barely distinguishable from their top-quality spark-ignition counterparts.

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