Autoblog

Click above for a photo gallery of the Jeep J8

Unless you're a foreign military, government, or humanitarian organization, you're not getting your hands on the Jeep J8, a vehicle we think a number of Jeepers would be all over in about two seconds if it were to be offered in neighborhood dealerships. Available as a two-door pickup (above) or a four-door (like the civilian Wrangler Unlimited), the J8 goes on sale this month and was officially revealed at Euro Camp Jeep '08 in Germany.

Power comes from a 150-horse turbodiesel with 295 lb-ft of torque, with that juice going to all four wheels via a five-speed auto and Jeep's Command-Trac 4WD. The J8's built to be a workhorse, with a Dana 60 rear, leaf springs in back, upgraded brakes, and a revamped intake that lets it ford 30 inches of water and handle a sandstorm lasting up to five hours. Its max payload is 2,750 pounds, and it has a towing capacity of over 7,700 pounds. Because the J8's duties will vary depending upon who's placing the order, a variety of cargo and seating configurations are offered, as is left- or right-hand-drive. All this, and no, you can't order one. Yes, that sucks.


[Source: Chrysler]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the new M-B four-pot diesels.

With lots of AMG goodness on the road and in the pipeline, something's got to balance out Mercedes-Benz' carbon footprint. So M-B announced today that it's releasing a new range of four-cylinder diesel mills that balances emissions, fuel economy and performance. The top-of-the-line 2.1-liter oilburner is producing 204 hp and 368 lb.-ft. of torque, or around 20-percent more than its predecessor, while returning better mileage and reducing emissions by over 10-percent. When fitted in the new C-class (250CDI) it's able to make the run to 60 in 7.7 seconds while getting 46 mpg.

The other upcoming C-class models will include the 220 CDI and 200 CDI, producing 170 hp and 136 hp respectively. The boost in performance and fuel efficiency comes from the use of new twin-stage turbochargers, more efficient exhaust recirculation, intercoolers, injection systems and a revised common-rail setup.

All the details are available in Mercedes' press release posted below the fold.

click above image to view high-res angles of GM's new 2.9L turbodiesel V6

General Motors has used the occasion of the 2007 Geneva Motor Show to announce a new powertrain for the European market. The 2.9L V6 turbocharged diesel engine will make its production debut in 2009 beneath the bonnet of the Cadillac CTS where it will produce 250 horsepower and a stout 406 ft-lbs. of torque, though GM hasn't released any fuel economy figures for the sedan just yet. The 2.9L diesel will be very versatile, able to be mounted in a longitudinal or tranverse layout in rear-wheel, front-wheel or all-wheel drive platforms. The motor features some high tech hardware to meet future emissions standards including advanced engine management software, piezo injectors, a variable geometry turbo and exhaust-gas aftertreatment technology to cut down on the nitrous oxide emissions.

GM says the new turbodiesel will be sold "mainly" in Europe, which we suppose leaves the door open for seeing this engine in the States one day, though likely not in the near future.

[Source: GM]

Click image for a high-resolution photo gallery

We don't know when the Q7 V12 TDI might go on sale anywhere in the world, but Audi has stated that Americans can expect to see the Q7 with a 233 HP V6 turbodiesel sometime in mid-2008, with "other models" following afterwards.

The vehicle will be legal for sale in all 50 states due to its use of Bluetec emissions control technology, and specifically the selective catalyst reduction (SCR) system that employs AdBlue urea to control oxides of nitrogen. There are no solid numbers yet on fuel economy, but Audi claims a 20-25% improvement over standard gasoline engines. The automaker also claims that such an engine will perhaps not be as affected by the newly revised EPA fuel economy test procedure.

No word yet on pricing, and with all the factors potentially at play, we're not willing to even wager a guess at this point.



For our comprehensive listing of everything from Detroit, click here.

click above image to view 35 high-resolution images

Audi refers to its new V12 TDI turbodiesel as "majestic", but somehow, that word fails to adequately describe the company's latest oilburner. Grammy-winning singer Seal was on hand to belt out his hit "Crazy", and that term more accurately describes a 6L diesel that makes 500 HP and 737 lb-ft of the twisty stuff (that latter number is maintained in the useful range of 1800- 3000 RPM). This is accomplished via a pair of variable-vane turbochargers that apply 1.6 bar (24 PSI) of squeeze to the intercooled intake charge, and a direct injection system which employs piezoelectric injectors to spray fuel - including multiple pre- and post-combustion events - at a mind-boggling 2000 bar (30,000 PSI). A compression ratio of 16:1 and heavy use of exhaust gas circulation also help keep down the emissions, which meet the 2010 Euro-5 standard.

All that power is fed to an all-wheel-drive system that maintains a 40:60 front-rear balance to maintain what Audi refers to as "slightly tail-heavy, sporty handling characteristics. To slow nearly three tons of mass moving at superlegal velocities, a set of monstrous disc brakes are fitted (the diameter is unspecified, but the fronts appear to be somewhere north of 15"). The concept also carries an interior trimmed in impractical white leather and light-colored carbon fiber.

No word as to when it might be produced, which is just as well since we won't be able to afford it.

The press release is posted after the jump, and we've placed photos (live and stock) here.



For our comprehensive listing of everything from Detroit, click here.

Matt Davis, the European Editor over at Winding Road, was able to get the low down on BMW's strategy to offer diesels here in the Land of the Brave.

During an event to give U.S. journos a taste of Bimmer's 335d Touring, equipped with a 3-liter bi-turbo diesel, the folks at Winding Road opined the fact that North American consumers would never be able to enjoy a BMW diesel stateside. That may all change when BMW announces their plans for diesels in the U.S., in addition to debuting the hydrogen-powered 7-series and new X5, at the L.A. Auto Show later this month. The soon-to-be-released oil burner in question is the 535d, which currently meets all manner of state and federal acronymed organizations, however, when 2009 rolls along and California enacts a 30-percent reduction in emissions, BMW will have to bust hump to make their diesels as clean as can be.

This move is due in no small part to their cross-town rival, Mercedes-Benz, beginning to offer the Bluetec line of diesels on U.S. soil and Audi's plans on introducing a new TDI engine at the Detroit Auto Show (sorry, NAIAS). However, just like MB, BMW will have to offer some form of urea injection, beyond what it currently employs.

[Source: Winding Road]

The Texas State Fair was the location of another big truck announcement last week when Dodge announced its new Cummins turbo-diesel engine for the 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500. Enlarged to 6.7 liters from 5.9 through increases in both bore and stroke, the new inline-six turbodiesel now boasts 350 horsepower and 650 ft-lbs. of torque, all while meeting stricter diesel emissions standards for 2007. The engine also features an optional exhaust brake function that improves braking under heavy towing situations, a common feature of big rigs and large motor coaches.

The new power ratings makes the 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel competitive with new powerplants from both Ford and General Motors, each of which has also announced new or substantially upgraded diesel motors for 2007 and beyond.

Follow the jump to see how each automaker's new diesel compares with the others.

[Source: Dodge]

The design of the horizontally-opposed engine has a myriad of benefits. One of the most common is its compact design, which allows the center of gravity to be lower in the host vehicle. Additionally, since the boxer's pistons cancel out much of the vibration, the rotational balance is second to none. Both of these advantages will lend themselves to the advent of the first boxer diesel, which will find a home within a variety of Subaru models in Europe and possible even here in the States.

Hiroyuki Ikeda, Subaru Europe's President, announced at the Paris Motor Show that the development of the H4 turbo-diesel boxer is almost complete. The design, pictured above, reveals two interesting tidbits: first, the turbo, which is traditionally housed towards the passenger side firewall on most Subarus, will be moved south of the crankshaft to retain the boxer's low center of gravity. Second, the new DOHC diesel will be outfitted with a timing chain, currently only seen on Subaru's H6 engines, and will be the first H4 so equipped.

If one of Subie's diesels does make it to this continent, expect it to reside under the hood of the new Forester.

[Source: GizMag via Straightline]

JCB's Dieselmax land speed record vehicle has recently passed the 200 MPH mark in testing, which is a major step towards beating the current diesel record of 235 MPH.

While each of the vehicle's two 5.0L turbodiesel powerplants were recently certified at 750 HP during dyno testing (neatly matching the engineering estimates), they were dialed back to a mere 600 HP for the purpose of these trial runs. When the vehicle finally unleashes all 1500 HP - expected to happen later this month at the Bonneville salt flats - it's estimated that it will exceed the 300 MPH mark. When producing maximum power, the two production-based engines consume a stunning 3.3 tons of air per hour.

The plan is to make the record runs using low-sulfur pump fuel, and the vehicle will also employ particle traps to keep the exhaust smoke-free. LSR veteran Andy Green will be manning the Dieselmax; his job qualifications include the current world land speed record run of over 763 MPH in 1997.

[Sources: JCB, Diesel Forecast]

Cummins Inc. has inked a deal with an unnamed automaker to supply high-performance light-duty diesel engines to be used in various truck and SUV applications. These engines will be a new foray into the mass market for the diesel engine manufacturer, which is best known for powering big rigs across the U.S.

Cummins says the project resulted from a 9-year partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to develop high-performance, fuel-efficient, clean diesel engines that provide an average fuel savings of 30 percent over comparable gas engines. Cummins has not yet picked a site to construct a manufacturing facility for the engines, but does have a short list.

While the automaker in question prefers to remain anonymous for competitive reasons, our sources tell us that it's likely DaimlerChrysler. DCX would make sense considering Cummins already supplies Dodge Ram heavy-duty pickups with its 5.9-liter HO turbo diesel. Our sources also say that the engines, which will use a V layout and not be inline, will go into the Dodge Ram 1500 and Durango.

Thanks to John and Mike for the tip!

[Source: Cummins]