A new superhero of diesel is in the ascendant. It's got 641bhp, has a V12 turboed engine and is limbering up for this summer's Le Mans. Can Audi's R12 take on petrol's massive domination of motorsport? The results of the 12-hour endurance race at Sebring on March 18 in the USA suggest it certainly can: Allan McNish delivered a resounding first place by outgunning an otherwise all petrol-powered field, emulating such legendary victories as that of Sir Stirling Moss who won at Sebring back in 1954.
Hang on, what's that got to do with this flash cabrio?
No manufacturer is pushing the diesel message so coherently as Audi right now. While the R10 will blood some noses on the circuit, this model represents the other half of a twin-prong attack: an opulent luxury saloon that blends seamlessly with the traffic in Monte Carlo yet relies upon the D word for its addictive performance.
So it's a bit of a mis-match?
Absolutely not. The darker crevices of the motoring world are still inhabited by diehards who say diesel is for tractors and that a derv-driven cabriolet makes as much sense as electric windows on a Boeing, but they'll need to spend just one minute either ferrying or being ferried in this delightful machine to see the light. It's quiet, V6-smooth and by golly, it doesn't half go. In fact, given diesel's natural low-down pulling power, it's a far readier provider of that wind-in-hair cliché cabrio drivers love.
OK, it looks good, but does it rape the planet?
Rape's a strong word, m'lud. You might understandably imagine that a three-litre powerhouse with 233bhp on tap and the ability to get you to 60mph in 7.2 seconds spells bad news for the air we breathe, but remember that a particulate filter is fitted as standard and this car does meet the latest stringent EU4 emissions standard, its emissions rating being 225g/km (which places the car just inside tax band F). Clever design has ensured that the engine is less than 18 inches long and weighs less than a hundred pounds, so fuel consumption is lower. Did somebody mention fuel consumption? Despite all this grunt, my test revealed that 30mpg is a reasonable target throughout a mixed week of driving, while the car's official figures suggest extra urban driving can muster as much as 47mpg. Range Rover drivers, read and weep.
Ah but what about the sticker price?
Damn, you spotted the weak point. Obviously at ¯¿½32,735, this one is no standard-issue repmobile. And then there are some must-have extras to send the figure north, such as cosseting Nappa leather (¯¿½1,275), metallic paintwork (¯¿½500), slick Tiptronic transmission (¯¿½1,400), extra soundproofing in the hood (¯¿½240) and extra meat from your speakers, courtesy of Bose, for ¯¿½450.
