(Trident)
Diesel supercar
British supercar maker Trident has announced it will manufacture a diesel-powered car, the Iceni Grand Tourer, that the company says will get 69 mpg and reach top speeds of 200 mph. Its 6.6-liter engine can run on diesel, biodiesel, palm oil or linseed oil, the company says. Trident is taking pre-orders for the $119,000 car, and says production will begin by the end of the year.
— NWautos staff
(General Motors)
Volt plant
General Motors will temporarily close the Detroit-area plant that makes the Chevrolet Volt this month to control inventory and prepare to make a new model. Spokesman Bill Grotz says the factory will be off-line to match demand and prepare to build the 2014 Chevrolet Impala. He wouldn't say how long. GM has sold 10,666 Volts so far this year, more than three times as many as last year.
— The Associated Press
7 Comments
By Paul on September 10, 2012 10:29 AM
For starters, this is very lazy reporting. When taking press reports from the UK, reporters should at the very least inform readers that the figures quoted are in Imperial Gallons which are 20% larger than US Gallons. So this becomes 57 MPG rather than 69.
Of course, neither figure is plausible for a car with a 6.6 liter engine - unless the tests are done while going down a steep hill.
By BIONICK on September 10, 2012 4:04 PM
Who would be dumb enough to put straight veg oil in such an expensive car?! It could work for a short while until it clogs the fuel filter and injectors but no sane person would do that. Running biodiesel at any mix level should be fine as long as the oil is changed on time.
By MarvBrown on September 11, 2012 9:53 AM
Great news about the diesel car, but why is it a sporty two door and the cost is putting it in a class where it is very unusable by the masses and only appeals to those with disposable income and no family.
My Jetta TDI use to get 47+ on the hwy and cost less than $20k (bought used) and had four doors.
By Ron on September 14, 2012 6:37 AM
Paul, good catch in the Imperial gallon point, but I think this car could easily get 57MPG, and it could again be a result of sloppy reporting. In the US, when someone says a car will get 57 MPG, it is assumed that they are talking about the standard procedure for testing auto efficiency in the US. Since this is a UK car, that assumption is probably incorrect, and the 57 MPG number may be lower if tested per US standards. However, I could see how a large displacement engine could get decent milage. Cylinders could be selectively turned off, and/or a super-overdrive gear could be used so that the massive torque of a big displacement diesel could be exploited so that when traveling at 65 MPH, the engine is doing 400 RPM or so. This can be done with a direct - injection diesel by controlling the fuel injection profile to avoid detonation and soot. This may not be so implausible. With relatively "normal" cars now costing ~ $50K, a high - milage supercar costing ~$100K could do well in the lease market. There are lots of people with low self esteem and too much money who would go for this! :)
By eric on September 14, 2012 9:08 PM
Re: Paul
Well I would go even further, it highlights the stupidity of using a medieval hodgepodge of incoherent feet and thumbs in a 96% metric world.
By Jeremy on September 17, 2012 9:07 AM
Re: Eric...it's about being an individual nation and making an identity in whatever way they want.
For example, Britain's pointless Royal Family.
By Runsonvapor on September 21, 2012 2:37 PM
Car doesn't even exist and they're stating numbers like it does.