Bonus. Audi R15 TDI LMP
Photo: Emil Kirschner
Before we forget, there’s also the 5.5-litre V10 TDI which took endurance racing by storm and saw Audi to victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The successor to the R10 TDI Le Mans Prototype from Audi that brought diesel to the arena which had until then comprised only petrol, the R15 packed two less cylinders, but retained the 5.5-litre displacement, while being positioned closer to the middle of the car, improving dynamics with its better weight distribution. Even with more than 600 PS and over 1,000 Nm of torque paired to a 900-kg weight, it couldn’t match the success of its predecessor.
Essentials: 5.5-litre, twin-turbo diesel, more than 600 PS, 1,050 Nm, not for sale
Bonus II. Williams-BMW FW26
Photo: DPPI
What V10 list would be complete without the screaming mad Formula 1 car from the early 2000s. And at the peak of the V10’s performance in 2004/5, the BMW P84/5 3.0-litre unit was making over 970 PS and revving to around 22,000 RPM. This was the controversial ‘walrus-nose’ of F1. Although Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher did perform quite well in 2003, scoring wins and podiums to finish in third and fourth and getting BMW to finish second in the constructors’ championship, it was practically all downhill from there.
Essentials: 3.0-litre, naturally aspirated, 970 PS (approx)
