Audi has presented a revolution in the top class at the Geneva Motor Show 2008 – the first 12-cylinder diesel engine in a high-performance road-going sports car. The V12 TDI with a displacement of 6 litres powers a concept car based on the Audi R8. This unit generates a huge 500PS and 1,000 Nm of torque.

The R8 TDI Le Mans bodywork is painted in brillant red and looks even wider and more resolute than the core model. It shows its potential through its muscular proportions, accentuated wheel arches and even larger air apertures. The rhombus-patterned cover on the air inlets and outlets is the hallmark of Audi's sporty top models and a familiar feature of the current RS generation.

One new aspect is the glass roof of the passenger compartment with two large transparent sections. These, together with the glazed engine compartment behind, form a radical new feature. The unmistakable NACA duct in the middle of the roof is a functional detail normally reserved for racing cars. Its ingenious shape accelerates the air drawn in here for the two cylinder banks of the V12 TDI engine.

The LED tail lights of the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans have a unique three-dimensional look. But the highlight is the all-LED headlights of the study vehicle. With their lenses and reflectors, not only do these innovative light sources have a ground-breaking appearance, they also provide a functional advantage: LED light, with its color temperature of 6,000 K, resembles daylight much more closely than xenon or even halogen light.

The interior's design is as sporty and exclusive as the exterior: the characteristic element here is the monoposto, an expansive arc running around the steering wheel and instruments, connecting the driver to the car. The interior consequently picks up on the dynamism of the R8 TDI Le Mans and gives it tactile expression in a form that is accessible the moment you climb in.

The V12 TDI engine is built at the Györ plant, in Hungary. The Audi R8 TDI Le Mans still produces a massive 500PS and the 83.0 mm bore and 91.4 mm stroke produce a total displacement of 5,934 cc. At only 684 mm long, the large diesel engine is very compact and just 166 mm longer than the V8 TDI. This is key to accommodating the V12 in the mid-engined Audi R8.

The two new dual-piston high-pressure pumps build up to a pressure of 2,000 bar in the rails. The high pressure distributes the mixture optimally throughout the combustion chamber. The result is that the ignition process is faster, more homogeneous and more acoustically refined. The more efficient combustion process also increases power output, cuts consumption and reduces pollutant emissions.

The two turbochargers are located on the outside of the engine's 'V' and generate up to 2.6 bar of boost pressure. They play a crucial role in producing the huge torque of 1,000 Nm that the V12 TDI maintains from 1,750 rpm to 3,000 rpm. In developing 368 kW (500 hp), the diesel achieves a specific output of 62 kW (84.3PS) per litre

The Audi R8 TDI Le Mans already fulfills the Euro 6 emissions standard. The heart of the system is a special catalytic converter downstream of the oxidising catalyst and particulate filter. The second component in the system is an additional tank containing an aqueous urea solution. Small quantities of the solution, known as 'AdBlue', are injected into the exhaust system. The hot exhaust gases break the solution down to form ammonia that splits the nitric oxides into nitrogen and water.