Cause of burning Audi RS8 prototype revealed to be overheating twin turbo V10
Some of you who follow the development of the automotive industry through foreign sites may remember a photo of an Audi R8 burned to the ground on the Nurburgring sometime earlier this year. Now, Quattro GmbH director Wener Frowein reveals what happened in an interview with Dutch news site Nieuws.nl:
The burned Audi R8 was a prototype of the Audi RS8, the high performance version of the Audi R8 - not like the car isn’t already a scorcher to begin with. In the engine bay was a 580 PS twin-turbocharged V10 from the Audi RS6. Because of the mid-engine layout, the monster twin-blown V10 had cooling problems - this resulted in a total of 3 prototypes sharing the same fiery fate.
Hat tip to Geert Pick for the pointer.
November 27, 2007 @ 6:47 pm
Cooling problem? How come Audi face some probkem like this… Quite a shame…
November 27, 2007 @ 6:48 pm
it’s still a prototype… because its mid engined and not front engined its hard to get sufficient air into the engine bay.
November 27, 2007 @ 6:51 pm
The test driver sure in shock to see what came out from the engine bay.
November 27, 2007 @ 7:06 pm
its HOT…
November 27, 2007 @ 7:07 pm
cooling problem..hmm then how ferrari or lambo car survive..
they got mid engine to rite?..
November 27, 2007 @ 7:10 pm
Paris would say, THATS HOT ™
The heatshield must be something special when you’ve that monster engine just a few inches behind you while stuck in a jam.
November 27, 2007 @ 7:25 pm
afroiq: ferrari/lambo engines are normally aspirated - this one is turbocharged so it runs alot hotter.
November 27, 2007 @ 8:18 pm
come on.. its jst a prototype.. I believe that they will get the prob solved soon. For them to come out and acknowledge wht went wrong is a good sign.. it reflects the commitment to improve imo. anyway.. even half burnt.. it still looks hell of a car..!!! haaaha
November 27, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
not long ago i saw a video of a Gallardo burning on street, but i’m not sure what was the main reason……
November 27, 2007 @ 8:33 pm
Yea.. they’ll felt ashamed if this car is in production.. But if it is prototype, means they’re still testing it..
Its good to have problem occured during this phase, rather than in production..
November 27, 2007 @ 8:36 pm
Why not ask the porsche engineer to help it? Since they have the 911 turbo, maybe upgrade to hydrogen cooling.. lol…
I think this can be done by channeling more air to the radiator or have a boost cut to prevent overheating…
November 27, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
Well seen this pic but not sure whats the cause. Till now.
tahnks for the info Paul.
November 27, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
I think it would sell in potong kereta……
November 27, 2007 @ 10:37 pm
Thanks Paul… But i believe that Audi sure can solve this problem… Good luck R8!
November 27, 2007 @ 10:41 pm
just add more radiators. like the veyron
November 27, 2007 @ 10:42 pm
3 prototypes burned? Why did the engineers let it happen? If only 1 is destroyed then it’s acceptable lah..
November 27, 2007 @ 10:45 pm
Don’t know how to make mid-engine cars, please don’t. People’s life at stake here, Audi.
November 27, 2007 @ 10:58 pm
huh?? Mid Engine + 2 Turbo burned? Audi must take this problem seriously~
November 27, 2007 @ 11:39 pm
what bout 911 turbo? they had no problems.. probably they pushed the safe operating boost too far
November 28, 2007 @ 12:46 am
I think people figured that out already.. I also think they sohuld take some cooling aspects of the Veyron and place it on the R8
November 28, 2007 @ 2:53 am
hey, i got an idea.why don’t put the radiator on the roof .
or put the national/panasonic exhaust fan at the engine cover.
huhuhu
November 28, 2007 @ 2:55 am
no overheat problem right..hahaha
November 28, 2007 @ 7:30 am
Has this car gone into production yet?
November 28, 2007 @ 8:37 am
But R8 FTW !!
November 28, 2007 @ 8:39 am
Well, prototypes are always subject to extreme tortutres. Thr R8 is already one hell of a basher, and with the RS8, my God, the sky’s the limit they say.
However, just how long will these supercars continue to be developed given the more restrictions passed on by enviromental laws?
November 28, 2007 @ 9:23 am
thats what i called R&D.
November 28, 2007 @ 9:28 am
they should ask from the expert in mid-engine hey why dont the ask from lotus, lotus also mid- engine right
November 28, 2007 @ 9:40 am
Audi should just think to put the CAMPRO engine. Sure this type of incident wont happen anymore. Problem solved!!
November 28, 2007 @ 11:03 am
campro engine can’t even start the car,proton got engine 1 meh?
November 28, 2007 @ 12:30 pm
no worries…still proto…i bet they will solve it soon…audi ma…
November 28, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
At least the carmaker display solid accountability by revealing the cause of fire. There is nothing to be ashamed of because this is prototype.
To to toast 3 RS8’s is kinda heartbreaking…
November 29, 2007 @ 3:00 pm
i don’t find it suprising though, ferrari burn out always, even the enzo, check out wreckedexotics.com