Audi, Porsche co-developing new turbocharged V6, V8 engines

Audi and Porsche have reportedly joined forces to co-develop a new family of V6 and V8 engines.

The modular powerplants are built using a standard 90-degree architecture, each with a common 500cc cylinder capacity, according to Autocar. The family’s standard V6 would bring a 3.0-liter displacement, while the V8 jumps to 4.0 liters.

Displacement capacity is expected to be scalable in either direction. Audi is rumored to be using the architecture for a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle V6, serving as an efficiency-focused entry-level alternative to the 2.0-liter TFSI mill used in the A4.

The new engine family is expected to arrive on the market with traditional exhaust-driven turbochargers, however the design is rumored to accommodate the shift toward electric compressors in the following years. Volkswagen Group is among several companies pushing for the new technology, which promises to all but eliminate turbo lag at low rpm.

Developed under the code-name ‘KoVoMo,’ in reference to the German words Konzern Vee Otto Motoren, the new powerplants are expected to eventually be used across nearly all of VW Group’s brands including Audi, Bentley, Porsche and VW.