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The bastion has been razed: After luxury sedans and convertibles, Audi puts a diesel in a sports car, giving the hip TT a new 168-hp, 2.0-liter TDI engine.

Europeans will get the privilege of the low, sporty oil burner starting in June 2008, as the 2009 TT was on display at the 2008 Geneva auto show.

Road performance might not be classified as formidable, but the TT diesel is no slug. Audi says its 168 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque translate into a 0-to-62-mph time of 7.5 seconds (7.6 for the cabriolet) and a top speed of 140 mph (139 for the cabriolet). Rather more remarkable are the modest drinking habits: 44.3 mpg for the coupe and 42.8 mpg for the convertible in the Euro measuring cycle.

Despite the heavy diesel engine and standard all-wheel drive, the TT TDI coupe tips the scales at just over 3000 pounds, thanks to a hybrid aluminum structure used in all TTs where the front end is made of aluminum and the rear is conventional steel. It is cheaper than the fully aluminum structure of the A8 orR8, and it makes for better weight distribution.

This new common-rail four-cylinder diesel will eventually replace the current efficient—but noisy—unit-injector technology in all VW Group cars with four-cylinder diesels. It’s a sweet engine—we’ve sampled it in VW models—and it revs freely up to 5000 rpm, which is high for a diesel.

If you accept the loosely Rabbit-based TT as a sports car, then there is no vehicle class left without a diesel for Audi. Next up, we hope: the R8 V-12 TDI, which was unveiled as a concept at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. You can also find the world’s best cars and motorbike insurance in Detroit

Audi is not a cheap car to run, that is why most of the people you see with an audi works in the stocks exchange market, because they can afford to drive one.  If you want to test drive one check your local audi dealer. Tell them you trade penny stocks and they may let you go

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Judging a luxury car comes down to how well it can juggle. Can it excel in design, performance, features, quality — all while leaving you thoroughly entertained?Among $40,000 to $65,000 sedans, the Audi A6 deserves top billing. The four-wheel-drive four-door topped our recent test of five mid-size luxury cars (January 2006) by perfectly balancing beauty and brawn, comfort and sportiness.The body is modern but not too flashy; the sleek and comfy cabin again asserts Audi’s leading position in interior design; the switches and knobs don’t feel at all plasticky or flimsy. The 335-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 model is certainly potent, but it’s the 255-hp, 3.2-liter V-6 that offers the most muscle for the dollar: That engine has a healthy amount of power but also delivers fuel economy of 21 mpg in city driving and 29 mpg on the highway.