Direct-injection, turbo'd motors to reproduce like bunnies
According to the folks at BorgWarner, the number of turbocharged, direct-injection engines will increase four-fold by 2011. In 2006, approximately 500,000 vehicles were equipped with the technological duo, and based on their market projections, over two million such engines will be on the road in the next four years. A good chunk of this expansion will occur in Europe, however, Japan, China and those of us in North America stand to benefit from the highly efficient, power-producing setup.
The report also goes on to say that the variable turbine geometry employed in the new Porsche 911 Turbo, and developed by BorgWarner, will come down in cost, allowing the cash-strapped among us to ditch our wastegate, all the while gaining power throughout the RPM range.
[Source: SEMA/BorgWarner via Jalopnik]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ben 8:24AM (3/24/2007)
Why is the US always the last to reap the benefits of new, efficient automotive technology? Big oil wouldn't have anything to do with it, would it?
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Thomas 8:57AM (3/24/2007)
Ben... I think it is the "more is better" philosophy that is to blame; "efficiency" just is "manly" enough. American auto buyers would rather have those extra cylinders (and pounds) regaurdless of what the dyno reads!
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Dr. Greenthumb 9:15AM (3/24/2007)
Thomas, I think you are wrong on this one. The driving dynamics of the US and the driving dynamics of the Europeans dictate what they prefer to drive.
Look at Austrailia, big country, vast open spaces and great distances between cities. Look at what they prefer in a car, much closer to what we have here than the Europeans or the Japanese. It's simply an issue of scale.
I just went from a 4 cyl car to a high output 6. Based on engine alone, is still peed off about throwing any money at that 4cyl car. 4 cylinder sells to the under 25 crowd here, and then they grow up and eventually buy a 6 or 8 cylinder car.
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jrm1493 9:32AM (3/24/2007)
I think another big part of it is emissions. We have the strictest in the world by far (which i why we don't get many turbos or diesels), and it will take a few years before these engines are easily able to meet our rules.
I think the sky redline has a one of these already, though, so I guess that may not be the entire issue.
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Dr. Greenthumb 9:37AM (3/24/2007)
Ben: I actually answered your post first, guess it got lost in the mail.
On the issue of efficient engine technology, It is not very smart for the domestics to spend what the Europeans spend on 4 cylinder engines. This really is not a 4 cylinder market. Cars at the lower end of the food chain will have 4 cyl engines. The vast majority of Americans don't buy in that segment. In Europe they do.
That said, GM did bring to market the very first domestic direct injection turbo motor to this market. Solstice GXP. If GM didn't the Opel and Vauxhall brands in Europe to recoup the cost of developing that engine (they share variants of said engine), they would never recover their investment.
GM will sell ten times more CTSs with the di-inj V6 than Solstice/Sun combined will of the 4 cyl. version.
In Europe that number will be reversed. More 4s than 6s.
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Greek Boy 9:43AM (3/24/2007)
I don't trust the small parts needed to operate a variable vain TC. I would much rather have dual turbo.
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Dr. Greenthumb 9:58AM (3/24/2007)
Question: If a specific model were to offer a turbo 4 and a V6 as engine options, and the respective output of the engines fall within the 3 - 5 percent range. Which motor would you choose?
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Ben 10:07AM (3/24/2007)
Well, I suppose timing is everything. With gas prices threatening $3.00/gallon, this kind of power/economy ratio would likely have a wider appeal than before.
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3rdgear=heaven 10:16AM (3/24/2007)
All of your comments above about the American market may be true. In my personal experience, however, I've been extremely happy with my 4cyl DISI Turbo. I'm the happy owner of a giggle-inducing Mazdaspeed3. In the months I spent searching for a car I considered many lackluster 6cyl cars, but fell in love with the MS3 once my foot touched the accelerator. I would definately consider another turbo'd 4 for my next car (assuming I ever get out of the Mazda that is).
Cheers.
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the friendly grizzly 10:45AM (3/24/2007)
I think another thing is the dirty little secret that many 4s give about the same mileage as a good V6. When I still drove a sedan, I asked some of my cow-orkers about the mileage they were getting in their various cars like Camrys, Accords, Altimas and some of the four cylinder domestics.
Most were getting 28 to 30 on over-the-road highway trips in realistic driving situations. Not bad, especially compared to the past.
Meantime, the 3.3l V6 in my Intrepid was returning about the same mileage. Less noise, smoother, and it worked well with its four-speed automatic. Fine. I had to buy an extra two spark plugs every 50K miles, but aside from that, no difference in operating costs.
There are some very impressive 4-cylinder engines out there, sure. But, I keep a vehicle for a long time. I'd rather have the relative simplicity of a V6 with an extra few hundred ccs displacement, than all manner of whirly-bits and turbochargers, all of which are cost centers. If the fuel mileage is going to be close, it is, to me at least, a no-brainer.
As for fuel mileage itself, the progress since I started driving has been nothing short of amazing. That Intrepid I had, as big as it was, yielded fuel mileage far superior to the Volvo I had in college with its 1600cc four.
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Michael Karesh 11:29AM (3/24/2007)
A few months ago Automobile Magazine gave stability control its "Technology of the Year" award. I love ESP, but shouldn't it have received this award five or more years ago? Some cars offered ESP in the late 1990s, and downmarket it was an option on the Ford Focus as early as 2001MY.
So I suggested that the award ought to have gone to direct injection:
http://www.truedelta.com/blog/?p=9
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Dr. Greenthumb 11:42AM (3/24/2007)
Okay folks: I don't want to hear that stupid argument about big inefficient V8s anymore. Here are side by side of the numbers between a MS-3 and a Z06
138cu. inches vs. 427cu.inches.
7008cc vs. 2261cc
263hp vs. 505hp appearantly lowballed.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
MazdaSpeed 3
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 138 cu in, 2261cc
Power (SAE net): 263 bhp @ 5500 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 280 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 20/28 mpg
----------------------------------------------------
The new Corvette Z06 arrived as a 2006 model in the third quarter of 2005. It has a 7.0 L (7,008 cc/427.6 in³) version of the Small-Block engine codenamed LS7.the Z06 achieves 16/26 mpg (city/highway), Officially certified output is 505 hp (376 kW), however it is believed GM underrated the figure. Dave Hill, the chief engineer for the C6 Corvette, says that it is a much further departure from the standard Corvettes and more like the C6-R that GM is building for the American Le Mans Series.
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nagmashot 12:03PM (3/24/2007)
#3
yeah because the Aussis love big US style car 3/4 of the Holden line up are rebadged europen Opels...
Holden Tigra (orgianl Opel Tigra)
Holden Astra (orginal Opel Astra)
Holden Viva (Italian design)
Holden UTE/Crewmen/HSV (still use the old Opel Omega B chassie)
Holden Combo (orginal Opel Combo)
Holden VXR (orginal Opel Astra OPC)
etc.
The most popular car in Aussi is the Toyota Camry, because of the exploded gas prices the hatchback class is extremly growing in Aussi and according to autogreenblog you see toady Golf at every corner...and VW made a giant selling jump into the top10 brands in Aussi. All large models like the Ford Falcon, Holden Commedore (the last generation Comodore was a rebaged Opel Omega B!) drop in selling number.
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Howard Kerr 12:08PM (3/24/2007)
I don't know how many vehicles are sold every year, worldwide, but going from 500,000 to 2 million...WORLDWIDE sure seems like a drop in the bucket to me.
As far as efficiency goes, there are 4 cylinder engines that do get mediocre gas mileage and some 6 cylinder engines that will put a 4 cylinder to shame. BUT I still think (as others here have said) Americans will continue to buy a 6 cylinder or even an 8 cylinder powered vehicle because of the stigmas attached to 4 cylinder cars. That is...A.) so and so couldn't afford a REAL engine to power their new car or B.) buzzy little 4 cylinder cars are the "choice" of annoying young men....much as noisy V8s were in the '50s and '60s.
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nagmashot 12:25PM (3/24/2007)
#12
Chrysler 300C Hemi
5.7l V8
340hp
525Nm at 4000rpm
average 12.3l/100km = 18mpg US
CO2 291g/km
service all 7,500miles
0-100km/h(62mph) 6.8s
Vmax 250km/h (155mph)
Chrysler 300C 3.0 CRD (only avaible in Europe)
3.0l V6 Turbo diesel (Mercedes)
218hp
510Nm from 1600rpm > 4000rpm
average 8.1l/100km 30mpg US
CO2 201g/km
service all 15,000miles
0-100km/h(62mph) 7.6s
topspeed 230km/h (143mph)
the 300C is popular in Germany (most sold import in that class!)...70% buy it as 300C 3.0 CRD!
What is the smarter car?
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Dr. Greenthumb 12:41PM (3/24/2007)
Michael K. The Technology of the Decade Award should have gone to GPS systens. No innovation in the last 5 years or so, has contributed more to saving fuel (and possibly lives)than GPS systems. Yes I know that GPS does not actually improve the car's fuel economy, but by eliminating millions of unintended (folks getting lost) miles per day.
People getting lost, missing an exit or a turn adds up to billions of gallons (world wide) of wasted fuel daily.
Didn't realise how much wasteful driving one does until I bought a GARMIN. Will never own another car without one.
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Barney 1:49PM (3/24/2007)
All depends on the price of fuel. Canadians have more of a tendency to buy economical engines then Americans but travel further distances. With fuel costing well over a $1 per litre at present, the demand for these cars will be even more. Unfortunatly Canadas small population (consumer base) relies more on the American market place. Even though some car manufacturers will provide Canadians with more efficient vehicles, many don't find the market big enough. It is odd that Toyota sells a lot of their smaller cars in Canada but will not provide the V6 in the new Tundra.
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ruggels 2:19PM (3/24/2007)
"Why is the US always the last to reap the benefits of new, efficient automotive technology?"
who cares? i just bought two 2.0T FSI equipped cars from VAG, why bother waiting?
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Nr9 3:02PM (3/24/2007)
obviously its because europe and japan has displacement taxes and the US doesn't
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chewy 6:37PM (3/24/2007)
Technology pioneered by Audi with its R8 at Le Mans. Then came the 2.0 TFSI. Then came everyone else. (BMW, Mazda, Pontiac)
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