Diesels in the news (credit, race car, buy, Audi)

[Franklyn]

Apparently the new VW TDI diesel has proven more popular than expected, and the initial nation-wide offering of 1300 is now being reported as "sold out". VW is scrambling to find more in their production stream in order to meet the pent-up demand. Could it have anything to do with the car averaging 59 mpg? Or its tax credit status? Probably not.

And now FoMoCo is apparently stumbling awake because today this item (http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/10/06/ap5513628.html - broken link) indicates they are now considering reversing their decision last month against rushing their Euro Ka diesel models to the US anytime soon. Can this be true? Will Ford survive? Will US customers buy diesels? Stay tuned.

[GregW]

Anyone ever sen the Audi Lemans prototype diesel race car on TV? Turbo diesel 5 litet V-12 - 500 to 600 hp depending on blower setting. this thing redefines fast diesel.

[Franklyn]

Originally Posted by GregW

Anyone ever sen the Audi Lemans prototype diesel race car on TV? Turbo diesel 5 litet V-12 - 500 to 600 hp depending on blower setting. this thing redefines fast diesel.

Yeah, and on a recent Top Gear they compared a diesel BMW with a similar gas rig and it did pretty well on their test track. Much better power curve than earlier diesels because it used two turbos, one for the lower rpms, the other for higher end rev stuff.

What I noticed last time in London was there was no diesel smell or noise from the new models. Not true of the very few old-style taxis still chugging around in the outlying burbs, though.

Cheers

[grannynancy]

I begged FORD 2 years ago to bring over some of their European turbo diesels
They said there was no market. These new diesels are another animal.