EXTRA.(Briefs)

R8 gets V12 diesel

Audi is bringing an R8 that packs a turbo-charged diesel V12 to the Detroit auto show, according to published reports in Europe. The report of the R8 V12 TDI concept runs counter to widespread speculation that the R8 would receive a V10 much like the one found in its Lamborghini Gallardo cousin.

Audi's decision to slide a diesel V12 into the R8 shouldn't be too much of a surprise, since the automaker's latest performance diesel exploits the technology from its R10 prototype racer that won last year's Le Mans 24 Hours.

Expect the diesel V12 to produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque.

Vue Hybrid, Part 2

Saturn Vue buyers will be able to choose between two hybrid options late this year: the existing mild hybrid and the full two-mode hybrid. The Vue Green Line 2 Mode mates a direct-injection, 3.6-liter V6 with a front-drive transmission that houses two 55-kilowatt electric motors. The Vue 2 Mode can run using only electric motors at low speeds and in reverse. GM claims it will get 50 percent better fuel economy than its nonhybrid counterpart, plus a range of 500 miles, a 7.3-second 0-to-60-mph time and a 3500-pound towing capacity.

The current Vue Green Line hybrid is equipped with a 2.4-liter inline-four with a starter-generator that saves fuel by shutting down the engine at idle.