The world's first bona fide diesel-powered sports car - the new 140mph Audi TT 2.0 TDI quattro - brings 50mpg-plus fuel economy, a 23% reduction in CO2 output and EU5 compliance to the 2008 Geneva Motor Show (March 6th to 16th). Far from being just a flight of fancy, the latest TT is fully production-ready, and opens for European order in Coupe and Roadster body styles on Thursday March 6th. First deliveries are expected in summer 2008.
The ideal TT TDI engine, which not only had to complement the much-loved character of the TT but also had to fit transversely into its compact engine bay, arrived recently in the space-efficient shape of the latest 2.0 liter, four-cylinder TDI with performance and refinement-boosting common rail fuel injection incorporating advanced piezo injection technology. Launched to critical acclaim in the new A4 Saloon in 141hp form, the economical new powerhouse transfers to the TT with an upgrade to 168hp, and an impressive 258 lb/ft maximum torque output - more than even the 3.2 liter V6 petrol model can muster.
Spurred on by a new turbo charger with adjustable vanes that allow rapid torque build-up, and by the sophisticated common rail injection system, whose advanced piezo injector nozzles can perform up to five distinct injection sequences per cycle, the new engine offers more than enough performance to dispel any lingering doubts about sports car compatibility.
Spinning freely to its 5,000rpm limit, and doing so without fuss thanks not only to its high-tech injection technology but also to refinement-boosting balancer shafts, the TT 2.0 TDI quattro Coupe with six-speed manual transmission takes just 7.5 seconds to reach 62mph. A top speed of 140mph is possible where conditions allow, and the stamina-building influence of TDI is made abundantly clear by a combined consumption figure of 53.3mpg.
The stride forward in efficiency over the outgoing 2.0 liter TDI engine also shows in a CO2 figure of 140g/km for the Coup - over 20% less than the 2.0 TFSI petrol model - and in a drastic reduction in untreated emissions of oxides of nitrogen. Improvements in combustion chamber thermodynamics mean the new engine can run on up to 60% recycled exhaust that has been cooled by the radiator, and ensure the 2.0 TDI already complies with proposed Euro 5 emission limits.