#CleanDiesel

The U.S. is warming up to diesel-powered vehicles.

Diesel engines are something of a mystery to many drivers, especially in North America where gasoline is the king of motoring fuels. Of course compression-ignition has a host of benefits compared to spark plug-equipped powerplants, not the least of which is dramatically better efficiency.

Corporate Average Fuel Economy, CAFE for short, is a series of regulations designed to improve the efficiency of vehicles sold in the United States. Automakers will be required to average 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025.

The A8 is Audi’s flagship model, sitting at the top of its core lineup. Serving a diversity of luxury customers, the car is offered in two different wheelbases with a variety of engine options. There’s a supercharged V6, two flavors of twin-turbocharged V8 and even an exotic W12.

Back in 1892, after almost 20 years developing a more efficient version of Karl Otto’s four-stroke internal combustion engine, Dr. Rudolf Diesel, patented his design for the Combustion Power Engine, in which air is compressed to the point that the heat generated allows it to ignite without the need for spark. Thanks to its efficiency and incredible torque capacity, the diesel engine has become a mainstay in larger pickups, over-the-road trucks, heavy equipment and many European private vehicles. However, today; 118 years after Dr. Diesel patented his design, another Rudolf has created, what is perhaps the next step in the evolution of Diesel’s original engine concept.

For 2010 the Audi Q7 lineup of SUVs will receive several updates, as well as the addition of a new engine option.