Most dyed-in-the-wool Audi fans will cite the five-cylinder configuration first in any discussion about its most iconic engines, and the fact that it still lives on today in the RS3 (for now) is a point that keeps enthusiasts very happy.
But while five is regarded as the sweet spot for purists, we should remember that Audi has never been afraid to experiment with the number of cylinders and displacement sizes. And we must add electric motors and battery capacities to this mix too, given that the most potent Audi on sale today is the zero-emissions RS e-tron GT Performance. More on that one later.
For now, allow us to flip the pages to the 2000s, when Audi launched its first SUV, the Q7. The model debuted locally in 2007 and was well received — but one special derivative that arrived soon after the garden-variety models had settled really caused a stir.
That was the mighty Q7 V12 TDI, an astonishing technical feat for diesel motors and internal combustion as a whole. Even by modern standards the numbers are impressive: 368kW and a staggering 1,000Nm of torque. It weighed a hefty 2,680kg, but the stonking 6.0l engine helped thrust the big Teuton from rest to 100km/h in a claimed 5.5 seconds.
Ferocious as it was, the Q7 V12 TDI technically was not part of the traditional Audi Sport repertoire. It did not wear an S or RS label. In the post-Dieselgate world, it will never be repeated.
To understand the headspace of the company at the time, simply consider its 24 Hours of Le Mans participation and the R10 TDI Ultra racer it fielded. The V12 motorsport champion became the first ever diesel to win at Le Mans.
Those efforts were partly intended as a technical showcase, a testing bed for new diesel technologies and good old-fashioned flexing of pecs in the faces of chief rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. So Audi threw down the gauntlet on the diesel muscle front, but what about its petrol-engine performance cars of the day?
It’s easy to forget that the brand acquired Lamborghini in the mid-2000s and that interaction trickled into the Audi development mix in interesting ways. Unlikely ways … like with the third-generation S6, which packed a V10 unit deployed in the Gallardo.
The idea of a 5.2l unit with 320kW/540Nm in a practical executive saloon was downright scandalous. Its contemporary, the BMW M5, also packed a screaming V10 while the Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG held onto its V8 format. Later, Audi turned the wick up further with the RS6.
The brand had another ace in its hand during that period through the presence of a flagship supercar: the R8. Neither the Bavarian nor Stuttgart rivals had an equivalent product.
The 4.2l V8 coupé changed the game for Audi. It gave the brand elite positioning beyond the typical spread of mainstream premium hatchbacks, sedans and SUV models, and product placement in films such as Iron Man boosted the cool factor.
Later on, the R8 would be served in open-air Spyder form and, more importantly, with the option of a 5.2L V8 engine.
My first taste of the R8 V10 came with the second-generation model in 2016. Audi SA shipped over a fleet of left-hand drive examples for media to test at the Kyalami racing circuit, shortly after its extensive refurbishment.
The mid-engined supercar ticked the boxes and then some. Its muscular V10 wound up to about 9,000rpm. The flat, sticky cornering afforded by its Quattro system allowed for confident negotiation of the track’s faster sweeps.
On the road, the R8 was as endearing as it proved on track. Typical of the German brand, it was well-engineered and went without certain idiosyncrasies that plagued other exotics. Around town it was no more daunting to drive than a diesel Audi A4. But obviously, planting the power pedal, you were reminded you were not piloting just any four-rings product.
From about 2016 to 2021, we were privileged to have tested and reported on the various iterations of the R8 until it was put to pasture.
Taking the baton as the top-tier Audi performance model was the RS e-tron GT.
Understandably, it required some adjustment. The technological sophistication of the model — and its dazzling aerodynamic shape — was eclipsed by the lack of emotional appeal.
And how else could it have played out? From the thrilling, visceral acoustics of a massive V10 to the eerie, whispering silence of an electric powertrain, the dampened sentiment was inevitable.
In time, we warmed up to the charms of the RS e-tron GT. Audi placed one with us for a two-month test period, during which we subjected it to as many as nine different tasks, including a long-distance drive and the customary shakedown at Gerotek.
Its twin motors, a unit in the front and rear axles, delivered a combined output of 470kW/830Nm. As tested, the car sprinted from 0-100km/h in just 3.33 seconds. It could drift quite nicely too, as we learnt on the skid pad.
And while it may be difficult to believe, the updated version is even faster. And not fractionally either. The brand quotes a sprint time of 2.5 seconds, largely thanks to the boost in outputs, now 680kW/999Nm.
If you find the switch to full electrification extreme, the good news is that Audi has not completely abandoned its internal combustion investments in the performance car realm.
Next year, deliveries of the Nuvolari will begin. A direct successor to the recipe wielded by the R8, the hybrid coupé packs a twin-turbocharged V8 with electric assistance — a source borrowed from the Lamborghini Temerario. We hope to bring you driving impressions of the 499-unit exclusive model soon.
Wanted
