Petrol Vs Diesel

[kinan.f]

Imagine,for a moment, that you decided to purchase a brand new car & you went to the showroom to fetch out your dream vehicle with which you'll spend a few years.
You eventually find out that the car you desire is available in 2 versions:
1-The first version is powered with the well known V8 engine with the output of 300+ bhp that makes the car capable of reaching its first 100 kmh in about 6.0-7.0 secs (presumably).
2-The second version is powered with a new Diesel unit of the following specifications:
Twin-turbo V6 3.0 litres unit with approximately the same output power(265+ bhp),the same performance figures of the V8's (The same acceleration & electronically limited top speed figures) & complies with euro IV emission standards and above all more economical than the gasoline engine.

The two versions are identical in every other aspect such as interior luxury,comfort,electronic equipments & are availalble in the same color & trim package.

[Batmobile_Turbo]

i guess i'm the first one who voted for the deisel. i would want a more fuel efficient car if it was pretty much the same as the V8. the y should do more research on deisel engines so they can replace gasoline ones and put them in sports cars maybe.

[AcuraNSX]

im a total power guy so its petrol V8 for me

[henk4]

Because of the torque and the economy diesel would be the prefered option. You could have mentioned that the specs are for Vision CLS.
It is strange that in particular in the USA big diesel engines have yet to be appreciated, as their characteristics are quite similar to the 6-7 litre V8's that were used in the majority of the big cars of the sixties and seventies, but for half the fuel consumption.

[kinan.f]

Originally posted by henk4
You could have mentioned that the specs are for Vision CLS.

Actually,I did not want to strict the thread to the CLS concept since such action will lead to a war between people who admire it & those who think otherwise & the whole idea of the thread will be missed!
Any way,according to Mercedes Benz the same Diesel engine will be available in E,S,SL,CL as standard starting autumn 2003 and since they were all commonly available in V8 engines I became curious to know what people think about Diesel powered cars being fitted to such muscular cars.

[henk4]

Originally posted by kinan.f
Actually,I did not want to strict the thread to the CLS concept since such action will lead to a war between people who admire it & those who think otherwise & the whole idea of the thread will be missed!
Any way,according to Mercedes Benz the same Diesel engine will be available in E,S,SL,CL as standard starting autumn 2003 and since they were all commonly available in V8 engines I became curious to know what people think about Diesel powered cars being fitted to such muscular cars.

OK, on the European market the answer has already been given by the consumer, judging from the share in sales of diesel versions of the A8, the 7-series and the S-class. I think the multijet V8 will also be the best selling version of the new Maserati QP. Jaguar sales would significantly increase if they would introduce a diesel in the XJ (as they will do in the S and X-type).
It is all a matter of prices, as long as petrol prices in the USA are less than a third as overhere, the ususal conservatism will rule and the US market will not be receptive for the technology of the future. Just imagine a VW V10 built into a Viper, all hell would break loose.

[piledriver]

My choice is the diesel engine...
´cos there´s so many advantages on this engines such low emissions, a cheaper fuel and almost the same performance with the new generation of engines available nowadays....
I heard about some studies that said 40% of the sells last years were diesel engines...
the laws in my country don´t allow vehicles lighter than 3500 kg to have diesel engines...
I hate this law...

[NoOne]

My choice would be for the diesel, they produce more bottom end (low RPM) torque, this results in a smoother linear powerband, most large SUV's and trucks have the option of a diesel engine but there is a significant price premium for it.

They are also known for serious longevity compared to gasoline versions probably due to slower moving internals.

If production costs could be brought down, I think diesels would gain more popularity here in North America.

Ten years ago I would have chosen the gas engine hands down, just because the diesels were rougher running, noisy and temperamental especially in colder climates. They have definately improved since then.

Later

[crisis]

Petrol anyday. Im not intersted in fuel efficiency when Im looking at my dream car. I know that diesels are becoming more "petrol like" in performance but until they can rev out to 6000 and sound like petrol motors the whole experience is missing something. They smell too. Rotaries leave me cold as well mainly because of their sound.

[fpv_gtho]

diesels are getting pretty good, but id still take petrol over diesel. the experts here reckon if australia had the concentration of diesels that europe had, we'd be in a haze of pollution like that of Los Angeles, even the better diesels

[henk4]

Originally posted by fpv_gtho
diesels are getting pretty good, but id still take petrol over diesel. the experts here reckon if australia had the concentration of diesels that europe had, we'd be in a haze of pollution like that of Los Angeles, even the better diesels

I live in a very populated area of the world, (only Bangladesh has more people per square mile). Might be time for the Australian experts to have look overhere, where almost 50% of the cars is diesel engined. I am wondering what you consider to be the "better diesels".

[fpv_gtho]

i consider the better diesels, the ones coming from european manufacturers that are clean burning, low emission and trying to get rid of the idea that all diesels are greasy, they stink, pollute the world and oly belong in a truck. when i said experts say that if australia had the concentration of diesels that europe had, wed be in a haze of pollution like los angeles, the experts went on to say that the extra UV rays that australia experiences compared to that of europe means that australia wouldnt benefit from cleaner burning diesels, but ive yet to figure out how they came to that conclusion. its similar to how colours in the sunlight look different in the northern hemisphere to what they look in the southern hemisphere i guess

[henk4]

Well this really sounds strange. It means that the hole in the ozon layer would make diesel engines much more polluting than petrol engines? Never heard of that, but of course we do not have this hole problem. Are you sure that the ''expert"did take modern diesels into account?
I myself have a modern 2 litre diesel engine, that with some changes to the motormanegement produces 135 BHP and a healthy 300 NM of torque. Normal mileage (in kilometers) 16-18 km per litre. 20 is also possible without being a turtle on the road.

[fpv_gtho]

it doesnt matter how clean they make diesels run, its their emission characteristics that do it. the info that told me all that was out of the latest wheels magazine. someone wrote in saying that they were appalled at the limited range of engines in australian cars compared to that of european cars. the guy went on to sya he didnt understand why manufacturers were still developing petrol engines when diesel engines have proven themselves as good performance wise as petrol engines, have lower consumption and usually more torque at lower rpm's, over a broader range. i guess it was the editor of the magazine that replied to the letter, saying that a mass shift to diesels in australia would mean health costs would need to be increased, as australias UV intensive environment wouldnt mix with the highly photo-reactive emissions of diesels

[henk4]

Originally posted by crisis
Petrol anyday. Im not intersted in fuel efficiency when Im looking at my dream car. I know that diesels are becoming more "petrol like" in performance but until they can rev out to 6000 and sound like petrol motors the whole experience is missing something. They smell too. Rotaries leave me cold as well mainly because of their sound.

Just wanted to ask: What is the most modern diesel you driven or have been driven in? The elegance of the diesel engine is that they don't need to run to 6000 revs to get the best out of it. The experience is that out of nowhere you instantly develop tons of torque, without having to wake up your neigbour due to overevving your engine. Furthermore I have to explicitly tell my first time passengers that they are in a diesel car, and they normally have difficulties in believing that.