Audi TT 2.0 TDI - World’s First Diesel Sports Car

So it isn’t quite the R8 V12 TDI that was shown off in Detroit, but Audi is taking a step in the right direction by launching what in effect is the world’s first mass produced diesel sports car. As Audi has proven on the track, it is possible to have a diesel-powered Le Mans winner, and based on the way that the R8 TDI was received back in January, it shows that there’s an interest in a diesel-powered sports car.

At 2.0 liters in displacement, this engine ties in size with the 2.0T. The power difference between gas and diesel is usually quite large, but in the case of the TT diesel it’s actually fairly small. With 170 horsepower it is only 30 hp shy of the gas-powered 2.0T, but the diesel’s ace is torque. It has a whopping 258 lb-ft at it’s disposal, which will make for brisk acceleration from standstill or while on the go. Zero to 60 mph is dispatched in 7.5 seconds, which isn’t as quick as either gas-powered TTs, but it’s still sufficiently quick to be a real sports car, and offers other benefits many will find even more enticing, fuel economy.

Its combined fuel economy (averaging city and highway) is 44 mpg for the coupe and 43 mpg for the roadster, and they emit no more than 8.2 oz/mi of carbon dioxide, a tiny amount for a sports car. Additionally, all TT diesels come equipped with a six-speed manual and quattro all wheel drive.

The new TT 2.0 TDI will make its grand debut at Geneva, and will be on sale this summer.