Audi RS5 TDI Concept gets electric turbo and 380bhp

The Audi RS5 TDI Concept has been revealed with 380bhp and a small electric turbo to eliminate turbo lag and produce more responsiveness.

It’s two years since Audi revealed it was working on an electric turbo to be used in a twin-turbo setup, with the electric turbo able to offer boost pressure from much lower down the rev range than a normal turbo.

That has turned in to the Audi RS5 TDI Concept, where Audi has replaced the normal RS5‘s V8 with a 3.0 litre TDI engine with a small electric turbo for low rev work and a bigger turbo to do the higher rev stuff.

The electric turbo works from the off to provide maximum torque of 553lb/ft from just 1250rpm, before the bigger normal turbo takes over at 3,000rpm to continue the boost.

The benefit is that you always have torque on hand, even when coming out of slow bends, so the power is on stream straight away.

In the RS5 TDI that means you have 380bhp on offer (as well as that 553lb/ft of torque) and it offers performance that betters the V8 petrol – 0-62mph takes just 4 seconds.

Audi aren’t saying whether the RS5 TDI is going to make it in to production as Audi’s first diesel RS, but it seems certain the new electric turbo will find its way in to any number of cars in the not too distant future.

Audi R8 Diesel, anyone?