if americans like torque, why not buy diesel engined cars?

[henk4]

Do Diesels also use Variable valve timing?

no, not in my car at least (2.2 liter DOHC)...

[Ferrer]

no, not in my car at least (2.2 liter DOHC)...

Well your car's engine is hardly cutting edge now...

[henk4]

Well your car's engine is hardly cutting edge now...

true, it is a five year old design at least..and actually the very first with a particulate filter..

[kigango123]

Because the mental picture of dirty, smelly, polluting dump trucks and late-70's diesels are stuck in the buying public's mind.

Add to that Kalifornia's Nazi-like CARB, and the 4 other states (and 5 others considering adopting it), and you have cars that could potentially not be sold in 1/5 of the states. Mainly the ones where the most cars are sold.

Let me ask a straight forward question, and i hope that none of you will look at me badly,
what is up with carlifornia and car regulations, i had even heard about it in africa, their own laws in racing, their own emissions stardard and now they hate the hummer so much that you cannot be elected gorvener if you have one,and the horific stories of people and their cars being broken into by the police just for having a "non-compliant" part in them
to tell you the truth now that i am modifying my car, i do not plan to drive into carlifornia, id rather take the bus.

[Waugh-terfall]

No, my complaint was to clean up the lorries. Some of them are in such a bad state of repair. Their emissions are horrible. They hog the road and stink it up too while they're at it. I'm perfectly fine with diesels. I like them. The old ones really suck at the emission and they're not exactly efficient. If you cleaned them up (as in get rid of them and get newer tractor trailers that are more efficient), it could give a better image in the long run. I can imagine a street smelling like french fries. Good stuff there.

Oooh, right, yeah, HAHA, I'd go for the unused oil...

This is somewhat due to gearing.

Yeis!

You've been watching too much Fifth Gear

I have, haven't I... Good ol' Jonny and his hair...

[kingofthering]

Let me ask a straight forward question, and i hope that none of you will look at me badly,
what is up with carlifornia and car regulations, i had even heard about it in africa, their own laws in racing, their own emissions stardard and now they hate the hummer so much that you cannot be elected gorvener if you have one,and the horific stories of people and their cars being broken into by the police just for having a "non-compliant" part in them
to tell you the truth now that i am modifying my car, i do not plan to drive into carlifornia, id rather take the bus.

Well, as a native San Franciscan, we (the state) think we are the savior of the Earth, that we must spend taxpayer dollars debating over the official wine or how we can jack up the taxes on the middle class to pay for worthless aid programs. Plus we look at cars as evil, satanic vehicles. We will protest and destroy and blah blah blah to save the goddamn Earth.... wow that felt good.
As for the non-compliant part thing, I have never heard of that happening.

[Quiggs]

California has pollution problems. Among other things.

They can impound your car if they find non-CARB approved/exempt parts, or if it's too low, or if you don't have DOT-approved lighting. (Boy, I'd be in trouble.)

[The_Canuck]

California has pollution problems. Among other things.

They can impound your car if they find non-CARB approved/exempt parts, or if it's too low, or if you don't have DOT-approved lighting. (Boy, I'd be in trouble.)

You should take your muffler and catalytic converter off and drive over there just to spite them!

[Quiggs]

They couldn't touch me. I have out of state registration.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

They couldn't touch me. I have out of state registration.

Diplomacy for the win

[Juggs]

theres no diesel cars that make the kind of torque we're lookin for. i would love to have a diesel car tho. i'd especially love to have a diesel truck

[NSXType-R]

theres no diesel cars that make the kind of torque we're lookin for. i would love to have a diesel car tho. i'd especially love to have a diesel truck

How much torque could you actually want? A diesel approximately produces twice the torque of an engine that is equivalent to it in displacement. (Ok, I was generalizing, but you get the point)

A Honda doesn't have much torque but it's still enough to get around town. A diesel would be more than enough.

[The_Canuck]

They couldn't touch me. I have out of state registration.

+ they can't catch you if you have a 1.8T,

[mattmacklind]

Well, it seems to me that those in the US that really like the characteristics diesels have are not hesitant to buy one. People I know who really, I mean really use a truck for work or play have diesels or talk about wanting one if they could afford it because there is a bit of a premium on them. As far as regular cars go, they never gained enough of a footing here and those that did sell back in the day, at least other than Benz's, didn't fair so well. I'm thinking specifically of Peugots, GM's botched attempt, and the diesel VW's.

When I recently looked at Jetta's, the TDi, and these were 06 models, had a premium of around 8K over a gasser, and the TDI doesn't carry all kinds of other mad options along with it, you're really paying for the diesel. So, if you're driving a diesel VW at least you must really want a diesel. I can't think of anyone else really in the diesel game for passenger cars in the US right now.

[SlickHolden]

When diesel brings in power and torque in a perfect package with hot sound i'll buy one.
But i like too be able too rev a big and pull with a mix of torque and power.
I probably wouldn't buy a diesel on sound and price right now.
Wouldn't mind a 300kw 700Nm diesel plant but

But i was just driving Holdens new Calais V6 5 speed auto.
Got some great fuel figures out of that car... 195kw 345Nm running on 91 unleaded fuel. Average fuel used was 9.1l/100... Best of 8.3l/100.. Large car 1700kg with 4 and boot full i was pretty happy with that.. And it will buzz too 100kp/h in under 8 seconds.