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Audi RS5 TDI Sets Faster Lap Times Than Corvette C7, Nissan GT-R and 458 Spider

The RS5 TDI concept, which Audi revealed last year, just set a record time of 1 minute 35.35 seconds around the Sachsenring race track.
Audi RS5 TDI concept 7 photos
Photo: Audi
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You've probably never heard of this 3.6 km (2.2 mi) race course located in Germany. So we checked and learned of quite a few spectacular machines that were slower than the RS5 TDI.

For example, the 2015 Corvette Stingray went round in 1:35.53, while the 550 horsepower Nissan GT-R took 1 minute 35.70 seconds with Guido Naumann behind the wheel. The Ferrari 458 Spider, Mercedes SLS AMG GT and Porsche 911 Targa 4S are just some examples of slower cars.

Audi says that its lap is a record for cars powered by diesel engines, and though their machine is a prototype, it's engine will make it into production. In place of the 450 PS 4.2-liter V8 usually found under the bonnet of an RS5, we have a 3.0-liter V6 biturbo TDI with 435 PS of power and 800 Nm (590.0 lb-ft) of torque. The highlight is an electrically driven compressor that uses current to spin, thus drastically reducing lag.

“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," says Ulrich Weiß, Head of TDI Engines Development at AUDI.

Of course, Audi pulled all kinds of tricks to make a diesel car set record laps. For example, the RS5 TDI is 241 kg (531.3 lb) lighter than the model upon which it is based. It's safe to say that the SQ7 of whatever car receives this engine won't have a CFRP body or titanium parts.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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