The publication Race Engine Technology has given Audi Motorsport the “Race Engine of the Year” award for their 3.7L V6 TDI powerplant. The engine, which was vital to Audi capturing its 10th title at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year, produces more than 540-hp through the use of a single turbocharger.

Compared to its V10 TDI predecessor, the 120-degree, extremely compact V6 TDI is 25-percent lighter and uses a single turbo rather than the twin-turbo the V10 TDI used. The single turbocharger sits above the engine and draws its air directly through the roof-mounted air scoop. The setup was the result of a collaboration with Garrett, one of the leading manufacturers of turbochargers.

“Audi invented the TDI engine and is convinced that this technology remains one of the most efficient and modern forms to power a car – especially at Le Mans where engines with high specific power, low fuel consumption and low emissions are a necessity,” explained Audi Motorsport’s Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.

Volkswagen is recalling 168,000 diesel engine vehicles produced from 2009-2012 over a possible leak from the fuel injectors that could start a fire.

The vehicles in question are Volkswagen Jetta, Jetta SportWagen and Golf models as well as the Audi A3 TDI. 161,144 VWs and 7,131 Audis are involved in the recall, while no injuries or accidents have been reported so far. Volkswagen says that about 20 percent of the vehicles in question have fuel injector lines that could be potentially faulty. The company will begin notifying dealers and owners in November.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Diesels are starting to make a serious push in the U.S. marketplace and while both the Japanese (Mazda) and Americans (General Motors) are planning oil burners for our shores, it’s the Germans that have always cornered the market on diesel options for passenger cars.

While VW has offered diesels for years, its Audi luxury brand has only had the A3 TDI on the market for a relatively short while. Audi is now looking to expand its diesel lineup, adding a TDI option for the new A6 luxury sedan.

According to the latest reports the A6 will get a 3.0-liter turbo diesel making between 225 and 250-hp. But that’s not all. Audi is also looking to introduce a 313-hp twin-turbo 3.0-liter diesel that would produce well over 400 lb-ft of torque and deliver a 0-60 time of around 5.5 seconds.

Audi has not given any indication of when this diesel A6 might hit our shores.

[Source: Car&Driver]

General Motors has officially confirmed that there will be a diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze compact car in the U.S, planned for introduction in 2013. The current Chevrolet Cruze Eco is rated at around 40 mpg on the highway, so the diesel would have to deliver significantly better fuel efficiency than that to justify a higher-price. GM CEO Dan Akerson commented on the diesel variant, ”I drove it the other day. It is great, these new diesels are quiet. Should make it in the low- to mid-40s, and that’s with an automatic,”.

Diesel engines on average get 20 percent to 40 percent better mileage than similar-sized gasoline engines but lately, diesel fuel in the U.S has averaged 5 percent to 10 percent more than regular gas. Diesel engines are also costlier than gas engies, and require complex emissions gear, upping the price of diesel vehicles. GM wouldnt release anything pertaining to the price or give other details about the diesel Cruze because production is more than a year away however, a Jetta diesel with an automatic costs $24,865 so  the Cruze is likely to be competitively priced.

Check out Cruze Talk forums for more info

[Source: USA Today]

On July 13, Rainer Zietlow and his team set a new world record for driving the length of the Pan-American Highway covering nearly 16,000 miles  through 14 countries in a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel SUV.

The team set off on this journey to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the legendary Pan-American Highway. The team began their adventure on July 2 at the southern-most tip of Argentina where the Pan-American Highway begins, then travelling through Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Canada. The team drove day and night, taking five hour shifts throughout the trip.

Zietlow chose the Toureg TDI Clean Diesel for its durability, high-performance and long-range fuel efficiency. The Touareg features a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 TDI engine that produces 225-hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The clean diesel SUV consumes  30 percent less fuel and produces up to 25 percent lower CO2 emissions than comparable gasoline vehicles.

The journey was to benefit charity organizations that work in 48 developing countries. Zietlow will donate 10 Euro cents for each kilometer that was driven to two villages in Latin America managed by Plan International.

Zietlow will travel to VW dealerships across the U.S from August 1-30 with the record setting Touareg so the public can learn about the record setting journey.

GALLERY: 2011 Volkswagen Touraeg TDI

In this 14 minute video, Audi takes the viewer through all that goes into competing and winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The video takes an in depth look into the all-new sophisticated R18 TDI race car and all the people working for the Audi racing team. The video is very entertaining whether hearing from Audi’s top executives or the race car drivers themselves and features some great slow motion shots of the Audi race car going airborn and some terrific angles of Le Mans car crashes.

Check out the video after the jump!

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Audi is set to abandon its Q7 V12 TDI due to slow sales and rapidly advancing diesel technology in their smaller displacement motors. The current V12 TDI makes 500 horsepower and 738 lb-ft, and is widely considered to be one of the most impressive SUVs on the market.

But with Audi’s V6 TDI making a more-than-adequate 313 horsepower (compared to the 4.2L V8s 340 horsepower), Audi is moving to drop both the V12 and V8 TDI motors in favor of the newer, more efficient V6. Mercedes-Benz and BMW abandoned large displacement diesels long ago, so such a move wouldn’t be out of character for Germany’s third luxury brand.

[Source: Car and Driver]

According to a recent report by Car and Driver, Audi will be offering a diesel option for the soon to be released 2012 S6 and S7 Sportback models.

Official details have yet to be released, but there is speculation that the diesel variant will likely have a 3.0-liter TDI powerplant rivaling the gas engine in power. The diesel will have less horsepower but more torque; somewhere around 350-hp and 479 lb-ft of torque.

The gas engine is expected to be a 430-hp turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, which Audi will share with the Bentley Continental GT.

Designed for the European market, it’s unclear (and unlikely) that the diesel S6 or S7 Sportback will be offered in North America.

[Source: Car & Driver]

With consumers in search of higher fuel economy from their vehicles, diesel sales are projected to rise drastically over the next few years. That, at least, is the opinion of Peter Marks, CEO of Bosch operations for North and South America, a supplier of diesel engine parts and one that has significant stake in seeing this prediction come true.

Speaking at an Automotive Press Association lunch in Detroit on Thursday, Marks said that diesel vehicle sales could account for up to 10 percent of new vehicle sales in the U.S. by 2015, an incredible jump from the current 3 percent.

Touting the benefits of diesels, he indicated that such engines could get more than 54 mpg by 2015, and that while diesel cars would likely cost $1,200 to $2,800 more than a conventional gasoline engine, the significant savings at the pump could make the technology pay for itself in just 14 months.

By 2015 Marks said he expects the current number of diesel cars on offer by automakers in America will double, rising from roughly 20 right now to 40. While European brands have been pushing diesels for decades, several other automakers are about to join in, with Mazda announcing recently it would offer a diesel-powered car, while Chevrolet has also said a diesel-powered Cruze will make its way to America. In addition Jeep is believed to be mulling the return of diesels.

[Source: FreeP]

NHTSA is investigating certain Volkswagen Golf and Jetta TDI cars, as well as the Audi A3 TDI for a suspected fuel pump defect that could cause vehicles to stall at highway speeds and render them unable to restart.

The agency claims that it has received 160 complaints and one accident report relating to the defect. The TDI diesel vehicles uses high pressure fuel pumps which may fail and clog the fuel system with debris. Volkswagen is co-operating with NHTSA as it investigates the 97,272 cars sold between 2009 and 2010 which may be prone to the defect.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Consumer Reports released their ranking of fuel efficient cars in their upcoming January issue, and their rankings may come as a shock to conventional wisdom.

Scoring highest was the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, a car that previously had a reputation for anything but reliability(although it was less about reliability than overall performance). The Ford Fiesta and Mazda2 took second and third place respectively, while Honda’s CR-Z came in fourth, with the consumer mag stating “the ride is choppy, noise levels are high, and on-limit handling can be tricky.” The CR-Z’s score was so low that Consumer Reports was unable to give the vehicle a “recommended” rating.

Although the Jetta costs about $27,000, its 36/49mpg city/highway rating was unbeatable, and the vehicle performed well in other objective tests. Chalk up yet another win for turbo-diesels.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Audi is launching a revised version of their 3.0 TDI in the German market that sees a slight reduction in power in exchange for improved efficiency.

New new Q7 TDI will pump out 204 horsepower and 332 lb-ft through an 8-speed transmission and return 33 mpg, comparable with some four-cylinder sedans. 0-60 will take 9.1 seconds, compared to the standard 240 horsepower Q7 TDI that only takes 7.9 seconds. With a marginal reduction in mileage, the faster TDI will likely stay on our shores as the sole Q7 TDI, with the slower, more efficient car confined to Europe.

[Source: Left Lane News]