Audi will present at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show the New Audi R8 V12 Turbocharged TDI Le Mans with 500hp, the first 12-cylinder diesel engine in a high-performance roadgoing sports car.

Audi is writing a new chapter in diesel technology with this power unit. Equipped with the expertise that Audi has built up through its motor sport activities, the R8 TDI Le Mans in Brilliant Red embodies superb road handling, pioneering technology and fascinating design.

The V12 TDI is closely related to the engine in the Audi R10, the two-time Le Mans winner – so it catapults the Audi R8 into supercar terrain concerning performance too. It sprints from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 4.2 seconds and its top speed is well over 300 km/h (186.41 mph).

The Audi R8 TDI Le Mans already fulfills the Euro 6 emissions standard that is likely to take effect in 2014 and calls for sharply reduced nitrogen oxides. By designing ultra-precise fuel metering by the common rail system, Audi’s engineers have made full use of current clean diesel technology.

The Audi R8 TDI Le Mans with Brilliant Red bodywork 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 V12 TDI engine is displayed as the beating heart of this sports car, like a work of art inside a large showcase. With extremely clean, ultra-low emission technology, Audi is continuing its tradition of leadership in diesel engine technology.

Here is a more detailed break down of the new motoring taxes announced in today’s (12 March 2008) Budget.

Car tax rates and VED bandings

This years budget announced the reform of the car tax structure. New bands will be introduced from 2009, to reward drivers of the cleanest cars. There will also be higher first-year rates in 2010, to influence car buying choices.

Changes to VED rates will take effect from 13 March 2008

Pre-graduated VED (registered before March 2001)

Graduated VED for Private Vehicles (registered from March 2001)

Fuel duty - increase delayed

The planned fuel duty increase of 2 pence per litre in April 2008 will be delayed until 01 October 2008. Main road fuel duty rates will rise by 1.84 pence per litre on 01 April 2009, and will increase by 0.5 pence per litre above inflation on 01 April 2010.

Increase in fuel duty by 2p delayed by 6 months. From 2009, major reform of the vehicle excise duty. For new cars from 2010, the lowest polluting cars will pay no road tax in the first year. Higher polluting cars will pay more - Cars under the 130 g/Km will pay £0 road tax in the first year.

Audi will introduce the Audi A4 Avant next week at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show. The Audi A4 Avant goes on sale this spring in Germany and other European markets, with prices starting at $40,600.

When the 2009 Audi A4 series goes on sale, the sedan will get a 265-horsepower 3.2-liter FSI V6 that makes 243 pound-feet of torque, while both the sedan and wagon will offer a “high-powered four-cylinder turbocharged engine,” according to Audi.

In Europe, the new Audi A4 Avant will be offered with a choice of five engines, including two gasoline and three diesel power plants, as well as six-speed manual, Tiptronic gearboxes and a continuously variable automatic.

Audi says the new wagon is 4.7 inches longer than its predecessor, with a longer wheelbase providing better stability, while the body is nearly 10 percent lighter and considerably more rigid. As usual, the Avant will come in front-wheel-drive and Quattro all-wheel-drive variants.

Among the wagon’s technical features are LED headlamps, an electromechanical parking brake, adaptive cruise control, a lane departure warning system and a side hazard warning system.

A music interface provides a connection with an iPod, and cell phones can be integrated into the hands-free multimedia system. A top-of-the-line option is a 505-watt Bang & Olufsen audio system with 14 speakers.

The new 140mph Audi TT 2.0 TDI quattro - has 50mpg-plus fuel economy, a 23 per cent reduction in CO2 output and EU5 compliance to the 2008 Geneva Motor Show (March 6th to 16th).  The latest Audi TT is ready for production, and will be available for UK orders in Coupe and Roadster body styles on Thursday March 6th priced from £26,350 OTR. First deliveries are expected in summer 2008.

The ideal Audi TT TDI engine, which not only had to complement the much-loved character of the Audi TT but also had to fit transversely into its compact engine bay, arrived recently in the space-efficient shape of the latest 2.0-litre, four-cylinder TDI with performance and refinement-boosting common rail fuel injection incorporating advanced piezo injection technology. Launched to critical acclaim in the new Audi A4 Saloon in 143PS form, the economical new powerhouse transfers to the TT with an upgrade to 170PS, and an impressive 350Nm maximum torque output – more than even the Audi TT 3.2-litre V6 petrol model has.

The Audi TT TDI engine has a new turbo charger with adjustable vanes that allows rapid torque build-up, and  a 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 Audi 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, this Audi TT has a combined consumption figure of 53.3mpg.

UK specification for the new Audi TT 2.0 TDI quattro is similar the familiar Audi TT 2.0 TFSI petrol version, offering features such as 17-inch Trapez alloy wheels, leather and Alcantara-upholstered sports seats, electronic climate control and an MP3-compatible 140-watt Audi Concert audio system with single CD drive. The Roadster adds a fully automatic electrically operated soft-top and integrated wind deflector.