In the history of diesel engines, there are moments where engineers clearly ignored the brief and just built something magnificent. The Volkswagen V10 TDI is one of them.
The story starts with Ferdinand Piëch – the engineering genius who ran the Volkswagen Group through its most ambitious era. When the Touareg was being developed in the early 2000s, the decision was made to offer a flagship diesel unlike anything the market had seen.
The result was the 4,921cc twin-turbocharged V10 TDI. In standard form: 308bhp and 553lb ft – record-breaking for a diesel at the time. Then came the 2007 R50, boosted to 345bhp and 627lb ft. As Top Gear’s Ollie Kew put it in his recent feature, it’s the single torquiest V10 ever devised for the public highway.
To put that in context – a Ferrari 458 Italia produced 398lb ft. The Touareg R50, a 2.6-tonne family SUV, had 229lb ft more than a Ferrari supercar.
Torque arrives at just 2,000rpm in a great diesel surge that feels almost geological in its force. Owners describe it as feeling like the road itself is being pulled beneath you.
The downside? The engine is enormous. As Top Gear noted, working on the motor in situ is like trying to build a king size bed in a phone box. Some jobs require partial engine removal – a significant undertaking even for specialists.
Despite the challenges, the V10 TDI remains one of the most extraordinary engines ever fitted to a road car. Join the conversation with fellow enthusiasts at VW Owners Club.