« Interlocks to Detect Drunken Drivers Still Years Off |
Main
| Oil leaps to record over $93 »
October 26, 2007
If you want more evidence of the increasing sophistication of Europe's new generation of diesel engines, check out Matt Rigby's review of the BMW 123d M Sport Coupe on autocar.co.uk.
He calls it a "hugely significant car" because of t"he 123d or, more specifically, the 201bhp twin-turbo turbodiesel under the bonnet."
"If that sounds like so much hyperbole, then consider a few key facts," he writes. "This is the most powerful four-pot turbodiesel you can buy, as well as being the only one equipped with twin turbos.
"But the killer point is that all this comes coupled with serious green credentials. So you get 295lb ft, 0-62mph in 7.0sec and a 148mph top speed at the same time as 54.7mpg and 138g/km of CO2."
By the by, I'll bet that g/km of CO2, or grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer, is a measure of pollution unknown to most of us in America.
But 138 g/km of CO2 is below the target level that the European motor industry reached with the European government in the mid-1990s to reduce average emissions from new cars.
Under that voluntary agreement, average emissions should fall to 140 g/km CO2 by 2008.
- Peter C.T. Elsworth
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth 
at 10:29 AM to BMW
, Environment
, Fuel economy
| Permalink
Thanks Peter for the info. about European diesels. We're way behind on this in the US. With that said, which turbo diesels are available here? I drive a lot (25k/year), have a family (kids and dogs) so want a passenger friendly vehicle. I know you can't recommend vehicles, I just need to know who has them here in the US. Thanks, JM
Posted by: JM Bodi on October 29, 2007 10:11 AM
Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published.
