There once was a time when Audi could get away with selling the A8 full-size sedan with a mighty W12 and still pass emissions regulations. At the peak of the Piëch era (see what I did there?), when everything seemed possible, engineers shoehorned a V12 diesel into the Q7 luxury SUV. Heck, they even adapted the engine for a bonkers R8 TDI supercar concept with a six-speed gated manual gearbox.
But both twelve-cylinder powerhouses are now nothing but distant memories, and the naturally aspirated V10 mounted behind the seats of the R8 is also in the rearview mirror. Seeing the glass half full, the V6 and V8 engines still have a future in Ingolstadt. This pledge comes from a company that once said it would go completely electric by 2032. Like nearly every other automaker, it has backtracked on its lofty EV agenda.
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