TDI record

A leader in diesel power, Audi continues to explore new and innovative ways to derive greater power and efficiency from its diesel powerplants.

The Audi RS 5 TDI competition concept with race driver Nicki Thiim at the wheel, completed a lap of the 3.6 kilometre circuit in just 1 minute 35.35 seconds – beating the existing record by 1.87 seconds.

24 October, 2015

Last year (2014), Audi celebrated the 25th anniversary of the TDI engine and as part of that milestone, the Audi RS 5 TDI competition concept was unveiled to showcase the company’s latest developments in TDI technology. That particular vehicle has been further refined to the point it has recently smashed the record for cars powered by diesel engines around the Sachsenring track in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany.

Boasting a 3.0 V6 TDI biturbo with power boosted to 320kW, the RS 5 TDI competition concept’s torque was increased to a whopping 800Nm giving it acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.0 seconds and to 200 km/h (124.3 mph) in less than 16 seconds.

This saw the car, with race driver Nicki Thiim at the wheel, complete a lap of the 3.6 kilometre circuit in just 1 minute 35.35 seconds – beating the existing record by 1.87 seconds.

The record time was set as part of Sachsenring Record Day, which was organized by Auto Bild Sportscars magazine and tyre manufacturer Michelin.

Earlier this year, another major German automotive title, sport auto magazine tested the Audi technology platform on the Hockenheimring, where it posted the best lap time in the magazine’s history for a car with a diesel engine.

“I am proud of the excellent performance on the race tracks, because it underscores the leadership claim of Audi in the development of highly efficient and sporty diesel engines,” said Ulrich Weiß, Head of TDI Engines Development at AUDI AG.

“We really pulled out all of the stops in developing the Audi RS 5 TDI competition concept – in its lightweight design, chassis and of course its drive system. We exploit the full power potential of the TDI and supplement it with the added thrust of the electric compressor, which we will soon see in a production car model.”

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TDI record

A leader in diesel power, Audi continues to explore new and innovative ways to derive greater power and efficiency from its diesel powerplants.

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