Now this is the European version, but still very impressive. Out of a small 1998 cc engine, they have produced 148 hp @ 3600 rpm and 258 lb. ft of torque @ just 1800 rpm. Meanwhile attaining fuel mileage of 60.5 mpg. Given the loss of mpg in the real world, say at 50 mpg, this is still an increase of over 100% over the standard gasoline engine.

Plus, Subaru believes more hp in the range of 161 hp is attainable without loss of reliability. I'm sure torque would increase too.

This is great news for those of us who want decent performance, great gas mileage, and not pay a surcharge for the hybrid technology.

Click for the link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=124553

 

awesome.

 

Wow a diesel as a possible "high mileage" replacement. Who'd a thunk it.

 

Hmm, interesting.

I've been thinking for a while about building a replica Porsche 550 Spyder with a Suby boxer instead of a VW engine, now I can get the great performance and even better gas mileage? Wonder how far I'd get on a tank of diesel with this engine in a 1500lb car.

Oh, I'd keep the 'Stang of course, and the diesel would help raise my HAFE (Household Average Fuel Economy) considerably.

 

I think modern diesel motors make a generally much better alternative to complex and expensive hybrid systems. They now make decent power, awesome torque and incredible fuel mileage without all the smoke, clatter and other idiosyncrasies of earlier generation diesels. Some are even starting to find their way into sporty cars -- Audi is apparently toying with putting one in their new sports car (R8?). Perhaps a diesel V8 in a Stang might not be so far fetched...

 

LOL. Everyone has been so hooked on hybrids that they forgot about diesel it seems. The VW TDI has been around for how long now?

I for one am glad that Subaru is not going with hybrid technology. These companies still haven't found a 100% efficient way to dispose of the hybrid batteries either which kind of defeats the purpose in my opinion.

 

That would be awesome. you'd prob get 100 mpg.

 

While economy may improve, the emissions issue is still a big problem. Diesel still relies on fossil fuels, it still pollutes. They spew high levels of nitrogen oxides, gases believed by some experts to be carcinogenic, as well as soot (or particulates), which contribute to the formation of smog.

Diesel doesn't cut emissions as much as hybrid technology. But then, on the other hand, hybrids use environmentally unfriendly batteries.

Even biodiesel, although it sounds great, will not work. Biodiesel needs crops, crops need nitrogen (fertilizer), nitrogen is made using natural gas. Plus the BIG problem with biodiesel is there simply isn't enough land to make soybeans, etc. You can't make biodiesel, feed people, and feed animals (the ones we eat). Corn ethanol, sugar ethanol have the same problem.

Cellulosic ethanol should be considered instead. Cellulostic ethanol is made from waste urban, agricultural, etc. Most of this is either burned off now, or tossed in landfills. It lowers greenhouse gases compared to gas engines by 85%. Corn ethanol the number is much lower around 15%. With higher efficiency standards the emissions could be even lower. There isn't a corn lobby behind it though. Celluslostic ethanol needs more funding.

 

Its true that its an issue that has to be worked out, but I don't think it necessarily defeats the purpose of a hybrid car though. Its definitely not easy to figure out whether the benefits outweigh the setbacks, especially when its so hard to predict what kind of problems are lying just around the corner. For another example, compact fluorescent bulbs vs incandescents. CFLs use about a fifth as much energy and last a lot longer, but they do contain a tiny bit of mercury. So what's more important, reducing energy useage and its associated air pollution (global warming or not) or reducing production of harmful waste? Basically, what's gonna kill us off first?! Energy consumption and hazardous waste are two completely separate issues, so its hard to weigh the energy savings of a hybrid against the waste batteries.

Either way, you're right, they've really gotta figure out how to recycle the batteries, but i don't think the development of the rest of the technology should just stagnate and wait around for that to get sorted out, in view of the urgency of reducing fuel consumption.

On a separate note, I'm living in London right now, and I can tell you the air pollution is much worse here thanks to all the diesel being burnt, you really notice it walking down the street, it gets really oppressive.

 

Very true, however I look at the new range of diesels as a better stop gap until an actual viable breakthrough is reached than other trends being looked at. Diesel emissions is one area that most of the automotive industry has not really concentrated much on until recently. Many opting to try to increase current technology trends in gasoline engines to equal diesel performance rather than to develop diesel solutions to equal to gasoline emissions. Many manufactures, foreign and domestic are debuting diesel cars within the next year or two, in several different capacities ranging from small turbo 4's, to turbo mid size (4.5L) V8's.

Fortunately at the time being there are quite a few manufacturers who are producing "clean" diesel engines touting less emissions (up to 13%) than comparable gasoline counterparts yet whopping 30-40% increase in mpg. They are very much reduced than yesteryears diesels.

At the present, for the big 3 especially, it also offers a greater impact on upcomming cafe regulation than their gasoline brethren given that the bigger V8's in trucks are their worst CAFE problem. If strides are taken in the diesel segment as have the gasoline then the diesel could very well be of great importance in the MPG struggle. I'd love to see what they can do combining the turbo diesel with hybrid tech.