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From YourSITE.com Columns If you’re at all familiar with the Audi lexicon, little more than mention of the letter ‘S’ is needed to get your blood going. Audi’s range of S cars has a long and storied history at providing strong performance for those looking to go fast. However, no one ever said these cars weren’t thirsty for fuel, especially the modern examples with their plethora of cylinders. This begs the question, would it be possible for Audi to build a range of cars that might get the attention of performance freak and the environmentally concerned alike? The answer might surprise you, and there’d be no need to even mention the word ‘Hybrid’. At least there doesn’t have to be.
Before last September at the Frankfurt IAA when Audi added the word ‘Hybrid’ to its repertoire, Ingolstadt was already quite proficient in diesel technology - never mind the recently announced diesel-powered R10 racecar which should raise that proficiency even more. Between Ingolstadt and Audi’s parent Volkswagen AG, there’s no shortage of industry-leading diesel motors. Granted, their marketability in markets like the United States is still limited, but equipping them in more sport-minded cars would raise the awareness of diesel as a performance alternative, in Europe for now and eventually in the USA. Look at the formula of the S-cars nowadays. Audi’s days of high-strung turbos in S-cars may be past at this point, and some may lament that fact. However, the current mix of S models remain strong GT offerings in each respective class. Drop a large displacement engine in a smaller car, add sport kit like wheels, suspension and seats and the result is what we all lust for at the Audi dealer or on the show stand.
Why couldn’t this be the same for diesel motors? Think of the S4 as it is now. However, drop Audi’s new chain-driven 4.2 TDI under the hood and badge it the ‘DS4’. The car would look and handle like the current S4, and we know by seeing the performance of the A8 4.2 TDI that performance wouldn’t be far off of the petrol S version. Even better, the larger and heavier A8 4.2 TDI gets 30 mpg, well above the S4’s North American rating of 21 mpg.
Want a DS6 and DS8? It wouldn’t be that tough. Even we Americans know the prowess of the V10 TDI fitted in the Volkswagen Touareg. Package that engine in the body of a new S8 or S6 and you’d again have a very interesting pair that would perform not far from the S version at a fraction of the fuel consumption.
In Europe, many countries now offer tax breaks for diesel models. Fuel prices continue to rise, and those addicted to performance must settle for general run-of-the-mill A-cars rather than S-cars. Sure, the standard A-Audis are no slouches and ‘S-line’ packages have gotten more and more prevalent, but the performance-oriented owner wants nothing less than S or RS series cars. Why shouldn’t they have the choice of a DS series as well?
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