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Filed under: Green, Videos, Supercars, Audi

Audi’s R8 TDI LeMans concept is a powerful, exotic, and diesel-fueled supercar. Given its one-off nature, few have experienced it firsthand. Last month we told you about Autoweek and Fourtitude’s time behind the wheel, as they drove the concept at an Audi drive event. The 500 hp V12 diesel was crippled by its modified A4 transmission and Audi’s imposed 50 mph max speed, but the smooth power of the German oil burner was still present. The car was also on hand at the New York Auto Show, where low-speed demo drives were offered among a motorcade of Q7 TDIs that acted as pace cars.

Our friends over at Winding Road also spent some time with the R8 TDI, and the online mag had a full spread dedicated to the 738 lb-ft beast. The article is an interesting read, and it also comes with video footage and an interview with the car’s technical project manager. Among the items covered in the video is a segment on how the engineers shoehorned the massive V12 into the R8’s engine bay. Naturally, there’s straight car footage, too. Hit the read link below to view the video.

[Source: Winding Road]

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Filed under: Garage, Trucks/Pickups, Videos, Ford, Driving

Autoblog drives the 2008 F-350 King Ranch Dually

It isn’t very often we get the opportunity to drive a vehicle with four wheels at the rear axle, so we were more than happy to parade around town with a completely loaded 2008 F-350 King Ranch for a week. With $4.20 per gallon diesel and an average of 11 mpg for this monster truck, it would run us about $140 just to fill the tank, so we probably wouldn’t be as interested in a long-term engagement. For those of you who use your truck to pay the bills, however, this big baby has all the power, comfort and technology you’ll ever need.

Power from the twin-turbo 6.4L Powerstroke diesel is incredible, with 350 hp and 650 pound-feet of torque, but at 231 inches from stem to stern, you need the grunt just to get going. The abundant torque helps you tow 18,000 pounds (!), and the integrated trailer brake controller helps you pull a load without an aftermarket setup.

The F-350 is a real work truck, and when you add the King Ranch package, you get amazing comfort and luxury that you would expect from a Lincoln Navigator. The leather covering the seats and touch areas feels like it comes from a high-end bomber jacket, and amenities like Audiophile sound, navigation, and moonroof give owners a little coddling during the work day. Hey, if your truck makes you money and the cash is coming in, why not drop $59,000 on something that can pay you back a little. Click on the video above to view our two-and-a-half-minute review, then click below for our high resolution gallery.

Photos Copyright (C)2008 Chris Shunk/ Weblogs, Inc.

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Filed under: Green, Ford, Toyota

Hybrid vehicles may hold most of the headlines right now, but both analysts and industry insiders agree that oil burners will comprise a far greater slice of the automotive propulsion market by 2020. BorgWarner CEO Tim Manganello told the SAE Automotive World Congress in Detroit that diesels would account for 20% of vehicles by 2020, and both Ford product chief Derrick Kuzak and Toyota engineering vice president Ed Mantey agreed with the assessment. Manganello based his prediction on powertrain trends in Europe, which already feature diesel engines in about half of its vehicles.

Hybrids were predicted to account for about 10% of the market by that time, which doesn’t quite match up with the technology’s considerable hype. We’re all for more diesel and hybrids on America’s streets, and with new oil-burners from Ford, GM, Honda and more already on the way, 20% sounds like a very attainable goal for 2020.

[Source: AutoWeek]

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Trucks/Pickups, Ford

At last week’s dealer show in Las Vegas, a picture of Ford’s upcoming 4.4-liter V8 diesel powerplant was leaked to the Internet… ouch. The new powerplant is hardly a secret (we were reporting the first hints of it in June 2006, and the legal issues surrounding the engine in June 2007), but this is the first time the public has seen a photo of the new diesel in its metallic flesh.

Designed to offer comparable acceleration to the current 5.4-liter gasoline Triton, the new engine should be rated at about 330 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy is expected to be around 20% better than the gas-fed Triton. To meet tough emission standards, a NOx after-treatment called “aqueous urea” will be injected into the hot exhaust stream. While the additive cleans up the tailpipe exhaust, it will also be another fluid the consumer will have to maintain (Ford is promising the “urea tank” will only need replenishing during oil changes). Although it doesn’t look very attractive sitting naked on a stand atop the garish hotel carpet, you had better get used to seeing this V8 around town. Ford is saying that after a debut in the F-150 midway through the 2010 model year, we can expect the engine to follow in the Expedition, Navigator, E-Series vans, and F-Series SuperDuty.

[Source: F150online via Pickuptruck.com]

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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Euro, Green, Mercedes Benz

Click above for a high-res gallery of the new M-B four-pot diesels.

With lots of AMG goodness on the road and in the pipeline, something’s got to balance out Mercedes-Benz’ carbon footprint. So M-B announced today that it’s releasing a new range of four-cylinder diesel mills that balances emissions, fuel economy and performance. The top-of-the-line 2.1-liter oilburner is producing 204 hp and 368 lb.-ft. of torque, or around 20-percent more than its predecessor, while returning better mileage and reducing emissions by over 10-percent. When fitted in the new C-class (250CDI) it’s able to make the run to 60 in 7.7 seconds while getting 46 mpg.

The other upcoming C-class models will include the 220 CDI and 200 CDI, producing 170 hp and 136 hp respectively. The boost in performance and fuel efficiency comes from the use of new twin-stage turbochargers, more efficient exhaust recirculation, intercoolers, injection systems and a revised common-rail setup.

All the details are available in Mercedes’ press release posted below the fold.

Continue reading Mercedes unveils new range of diesel four-cylinders

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Filed under: Audio, Green, Supercars, Audi

Click above for more high-res pics of the Audi R8 V12 TDI LeMans

Diesel engines may be more efficient than the gasoline-powered competition, but good old fashioned petrol power has always held a huge advantage when it comes to aural bliss. The engine audio emanating from the Audi R8 V12 TDI LeMans still struggles in comparison to the best gasoline offerings out there, but man does it sound cool. At idle the R8’s oil burning, twin-turbo V12 sounds like a Super Duty on speed, but on acceleration the 500-hp powerplant comes alive. When the TDI R8 is cruising at high speeds, its recorded sound is a lot like a speeding jet. Hit the link below to hear the R8 V12 TDI LeMans for yourself. You may never be able to buy an Audi with this most impressive engine, but at least you can hear it.

[Source: Spiegel via German Car Blog]

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