INGOLSTADT, Germany — Audi today announced an upcoming supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine that could put the venerable V8 engine configuration one small step closer to the endangered species list.
Our sources tell us that come fall of 2009, this new supercharged V6, called the 3.0 TFSI, will replace Audi's familiar and fantastic 4.2-liter in the 2010 S4 sport sedan. And while the S4 is the vehicle we're most excited about, the engine will first appear as the optional upgrade engine for a face-lifted A6 sedan. That model, which will arrive in the U.S. market early in 2009 as a 2009 model, will still offer a naturally aspirated V6 as its base motor.
While Audi has not officially released all of the new engine's applications, the company was specific about a number of technical aspects of the motor. The engine is a 90-degree 3.0-liter V6 with the company's FSI direct-fuel injection system which will allow for a high 10.5:1 compression ratio. The company says that in its initial application, the motor will pump out 290 horsepower at a bit less than 5,000 rpm and a thumping 310 pound-feet of torque at a mere 2,500 rpm. The blower is a Roots-type with twin four-vane rotors, similar to the units found in the upcoming Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette ZR1. The 290 hp will be made using 11.6 pounds of boost. The company estimates that in "virtually all" applications, the 3.0 TFSI-powered cars should achieve about 24 mpg. (That, presumably, is a highway figure). That would represent a 3-4-mpg improvement over the current V8-powered S4.
Our sources indicate that, depending on U.S. market emissions testing, the 3.0 TFSI in the '09 A6 will make right around 300 hp. That will match BMW's acclaimed twin-turbo inline-6 that sees duty in the 1, 3 and 5 Series cars.
For use in the S4, the motor will be cranked up to about 330 or 340 hp and will be mated with a six-speed manual transmission or a dual-clutch automated manual and will, of course, send power to all four wheels. Our sources say there's capacity to make much more horsepower out of the engine. The company does not want to upstage the 354-hp V8-powered S5 coupe, though. Eventually, the S5 will be powered by the supercharged V6 as well, at which point we hope to see what the engine is really capable of.
What this means to you: Better fuel economy with no loss of performance? We can live with that. We will miss the V8 sound, though. — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
Our sources tell us that come fall of 2009, this new supercharged V6, called the 3.0 TFSI, will replace Audi's familiar and fantastic 4.2-liter in the 2010 S4 sport sedan. And while the S4 is the vehicle we're most excited about, the engine will first appear as the optional upgrade engine for a face-lifted A6 sedan. That model, which will arrive in the U.S. market early in 2009 as a 2009 model, will still offer a naturally aspirated V6 as its base motor.
While Audi has not officially released all of the new engine's applications, the company was specific about a number of technical aspects of the motor. The engine is a 90-degree 3.0-liter V6 with the company's FSI direct-fuel injection system which will allow for a high 10.5:1 compression ratio. The company says that in its initial application, the motor will pump out 290 horsepower at a bit less than 5,000 rpm and a thumping 310 pound-feet of torque at a mere 2,500 rpm. The blower is a Roots-type with twin four-vane rotors, similar to the units found in the upcoming Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette ZR1. The 290 hp will be made using 11.6 pounds of boost. The company estimates that in "virtually all" applications, the 3.0 TFSI-powered cars should achieve about 24 mpg. (That, presumably, is a highway figure). That would represent a 3-4-mpg improvement over the current V8-powered S4.
Our sources indicate that, depending on U.S. market emissions testing, the 3.0 TFSI in the '09 A6 will make right around 300 hp. That will match BMW's acclaimed twin-turbo inline-6 that sees duty in the 1, 3 and 5 Series cars.
For use in the S4, the motor will be cranked up to about 330 or 340 hp and will be mated with a six-speed manual transmission or a dual-clutch automated manual and will, of course, send power to all four wheels. Our sources say there's capacity to make much more horsepower out of the engine. The company does not want to upstage the 354-hp V8-powered S5 coupe, though. Eventually, the S5 will be powered by the supercharged V6 as well, at which point we hope to see what the engine is really capable of.
What this means to you: Better fuel economy with no loss of performance? We can live with that. We will miss the V8 sound, though. — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
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