Audi Unveils New Diesel Sports Car

Audi already had a fairly good claim to innovative diesel engine technology. After all, this is the company that invented the turbo-charged, direct-injection diesel engine, and the one that debuted a 12-cylinder diesel R8 Supercar concept at the Detroit auto show.

Now, Audi’s bringing diesel to a production-series sports car with the TT 2.0 TDI in both coupe and roadster versions, making it the first automaker in this field. The 2.0-liter engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission can achieve zero to 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 140 mph. The engine generates 170 hp and 258 pounds-feet of torque.

Not to say that any of those numbers are pedestrian, but the real eyebrow-raiser is this: Audi says the coupe gets 44 mpg and the roadster 42 mpg.

Of course, the TT 2.0 TDI is meant for diesel-hungry Europe, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Audi might bring it stateside if diesels begin to crack the U.S. market. Audi already has plans to bring its diesel SUV, the 2009 Q7, to the U.S. this year.

Audi Puts a Diesel in the TT; First Diesel-Equipped Series-Production Sports Cars (Green Car Congress)
Audi Discovers Diesel’s Sporty Side in the TT 2.0 TDI (Autopia)

Comments

[Mart]

Diesel Sports Cars seem to be the final taboo almost. There was talk a few years back of a Diesel SL and SLK but I don't think anything ever really came of it.

I guess the TT, being a development of the Golf platform, is the logical choice as that platofrm is already very Diesel-centric in Europe. Probably an easy conversion.

I'm interested if the extra weight of the Diesel engine will have much effect on the performance, especially in FWD versions?

[Hybrit]

Wow, what a step backward. What's Audi's next innovation...slapping those goofy Olympic Rings on a horse?

[msm]

"Not to say that any of those numbers are pedestrian..."

Yes. Within one second of a Toyota Sienna. Impressive. ;)

[Joeblow]

The acceleration of a mini van, and smells worse than a horse.

[Joeblow]

Nothing like carving up the twisties at 1,800 rpm with the clatter of your diesel engine filling the cockpit and the stench of diesel fuel still on your hands.

[jp]

Your comments are typical American response to diesel. Closed minded. Have any of you driven or spent time in newer diesel vehicles?

[msm]

I have nothing against diesels. I just thought it was amusing that the reviewer would find an Audi sports car with a 7.5 second 0-60 time, "not pedestrian."

To answer the question, I have not spent any time in a new diesel. But, I have spent time in a Sienna that can _almost_ smoke an Audi production-series sports car. Wheeeeeee!

[jp]

You guys are killing me. Have to get out of the mind set faster is better. Bottom line, fuel is getting pretty expensive. We need vehicles with reasonable performance that obtain higher MPGs.

[jp]

Also, have any of you seen the original Steve McQueen movie Bullit? That Mustang with a 390 V8 did not do much faster 0-60 then 7.5 seconds

[Mart]

Maybe the question is not if the TT is too slow, but if the Sienna is too fast?

Seriously, does a minivan REALLY need sub-10 sec acceleration? The sooner people here are willing to settle for something a little more reasonable in performance, the sooner we'll all be driving 35mpg cars...

The Mk1 GTi only had about 10 sec 0-60 time i believe, and look how much fun that was!

[Mart]

Oh - and the other thing you redneck minivan drivers are forgetting is this:

258lb ft of torque

Thats even more than the 3.2 V6. So while you may keep up immediately from the lights, watch as the TT blows you away on the highway, on inclines, and almost anywhere else, all while delivering more than 40mpg.

Adios amigos!

[JP]

I am with you Mart. My former brother in law had a 1985 GTI. I loved driving that car.

[msm]

True, the Audi does have 13 more lb-ft of torque than the Sienna. I'm sure it weighs a lot less, too. But wouldn't the Audi guy still be really mad that I kept up with him as long as I did, even with all those car seats and groceries in the back? :)

[AV]

they may have the same 0-60 time, but the TT is going to get 3 times better gas milage, and oh yea, its sexy.

[Joeblow]

My earlier comments above may have been a bit over the top, because I haven't driven one of the new diesels. Still I'm a bit skeptical of a diesel sports car. The essence of a sports car is a high winding and responsive engine to blast you out of the corners. I think of diesel engines as low-revving torque monsters that do better in an SUV. I'll reserve judgement until this one comes out and we all learn what the red line is.

[Christopher]

"Still I'm a bit skeptical of a diesel sports car"

Has anyone heard of the Audi R10. The only diesel engine to win 2 La Mans and has not lost a race in it's class in 22 tries.

[Bloke]

I love this comment:

"True, the Audi does have 13 more lb-ft of torque than the Sienna. I'm sure it weighs a lot less, too. But wouldn't the Audi guy still be really mad that I kept up with him as long as I did, even with all those car seats and groceries in the back?"

Is the guy driving the sports car always just trying to get away from someone else as fast as they can. And the person driving the minivan, why are you trying to catch a sports car? Other than trying to look at it I would presume. People racing in minivans is very sad. It probably puts kids at risk, and you look very very silly.

[Joeblow]

Christopher, Maybe you don't know the difference between a race car and a sports car. So what if Audi stunk up the LeMans course with its one-off diesel R10? That's not a sports car. Given Audi's record of poor reliability for their consumer products, I remain skeptical of any diesel sports car they might attempt. VW has a long history of failures with diesel cars in the U.S.

It's about time someone got serious with a diesel sports car in the US! What you people are forgetting is the ease of making incredible amounts of power from a diesel with a few simple mods, and still getting great mpg's. This IS the future and hopefully the ignorant public will realize this soon. Diesels have come a long way since the clatter slug of an engine in the old rabbit. Audi's diesel LeMans cars dominate due to their incredible torque and good mileage, among other reasons.