xcel
03-27-2006, 03:27 PM
Audi R10 race victory puts Diesel on the map. (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060327/AUTO02/603270397/1148/AUTO01)
John McCormick – Detroit News – Auto Insider – 3/27/2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Dusk_Panned_Shot_of_Audi_R10_2.jpg
The cause of diesel powertrains, seen by certain automakers and suppliers as a strong alternative to hybrids in the U.S., just received a significant boost.
Last weekend at the 12 hours of Sebring endurance race, Audi successfully debuted a new sports car powered by a V-12, twin-turbo diesel engine. After this Florida win -- the first ever for a diesel-powered race car -- Audi will take its R10 TDI to France to the famous 24 hours of LeMans endurance event in June.
Over recent years the German luxury car automaker already had established a dominant record at LeMans and other tracks with its gasoline fuelled endurance racers. Now, Audi has switched powertrains, in a daring move that emphasizes just how seriously this leading German luxury automaker and its parent Volkswagen believe in the future of diesel.
Audi is not alone in this belief. Fellow German luxury brands, BMW and Mercedes are major diesel proponents in Europe. And, Mercedes is planning a concerted marketing and product offensive with new clean diesel technology, dubbed Bluetec, in the U.S. BMW, however, is not pushing U.S, diesel applications as yet.
Success in racing is only part of the diesel marketing formula aimed at U.S. consumers. But, it is an important element because many Americans still cling to long-outdated views that diesels are by nature slow, dirty and unreliable.
Audi's victory against powerful gasoline-engine rivals in a grueling endurance race should help dispel the slow and unreliable misconceptions.
In fact, U.S. luxury car buyers might be interested to know that the majority of their peers in Europe choose diesel over gasoline for their high speed continent crossing chariots. And for this wealthy European audience, the lower fuel price advantage enjoyed by diesel over gasoline - the reason usually advanced for diesel"s success over there - has not been the driving factor. In reality, diesels are favored by European luxury car buyers because they are equal or superior to gasoline drivetrains in terms of performance, refinement and drivability, and as a side benefit will go further on a tank of fuel.
As for the dirty part, the new high-tech emissions controls, such as Bluetec’s urea systems and advanced particulate traps made by suppliers such as Bosch are expected to meet the requirements of the all-important California smog rules for 2007 (albeit at significant cost).
At Sebring, the diesel fuel used by Audi’s R10 was an exceptional 'clean’ blend formulated by Shell, which meant the car circulated the race track smoke and odor free.
In terms of production cars, there are interesting parallel pro and con arguments between diesel and full hybrid vehicles. Both types carry significant purchase cost penalties for buyers versus conventional gasoline vehicles. The diesel does not have the advantage of being able to run partially in zero emission electric mode (although hybrid diesel concepts already exist), but on the other hand it is more efficient than a hybrid in highway driving and therefore the overall CO2 emissions are a lot closer than might be expected.
A great deal of education about the benefits of diesel engines remains to be done if the American public at large is ever to catch on, but unusual moves like Audi’s racing diesel program may start to move the needle.
John McCormick is a columnist for Autos Insider and can be reached at john.mccormick@detnews.com
John McCormick – Detroit News – Auto Insider – 3/27/2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Dusk_Panned_Shot_of_Audi_R10_2.jpg
The cause of diesel powertrains, seen by certain automakers and suppliers as a strong alternative to hybrids in the U.S., just received a significant boost.
Last weekend at the 12 hours of Sebring endurance race, Audi successfully debuted a new sports car powered by a V-12, twin-turbo diesel engine. After this Florida win -- the first ever for a diesel-powered race car -- Audi will take its R10 TDI to France to the famous 24 hours of LeMans endurance event in June.
Over recent years the German luxury car automaker already had established a dominant record at LeMans and other tracks with its gasoline fuelled endurance racers. Now, Audi has switched powertrains, in a daring move that emphasizes just how seriously this leading German luxury automaker and its parent Volkswagen believe in the future of diesel.
Audi is not alone in this belief. Fellow German luxury brands, BMW and Mercedes are major diesel proponents in Europe. And, Mercedes is planning a concerted marketing and product offensive with new clean diesel technology, dubbed Bluetec, in the U.S. BMW, however, is not pushing U.S, diesel applications as yet.
Success in racing is only part of the diesel marketing formula aimed at U.S. consumers. But, it is an important element because many Americans still cling to long-outdated views that diesels are by nature slow, dirty and unreliable.
Audi's victory against powerful gasoline-engine rivals in a grueling endurance race should help dispel the slow and unreliable misconceptions.
In fact, U.S. luxury car buyers might be interested to know that the majority of their peers in Europe choose diesel over gasoline for their high speed continent crossing chariots. And for this wealthy European audience, the lower fuel price advantage enjoyed by diesel over gasoline - the reason usually advanced for diesel"s success over there - has not been the driving factor. In reality, diesels are favored by European luxury car buyers because they are equal or superior to gasoline drivetrains in terms of performance, refinement and drivability, and as a side benefit will go further on a tank of fuel.
As for the dirty part, the new high-tech emissions controls, such as Bluetec’s urea systems and advanced particulate traps made by suppliers such as Bosch are expected to meet the requirements of the all-important California smog rules for 2007 (albeit at significant cost).
At Sebring, the diesel fuel used by Audi’s R10 was an exceptional 'clean’ blend formulated by Shell, which meant the car circulated the race track smoke and odor free.
In terms of production cars, there are interesting parallel pro and con arguments between diesel and full hybrid vehicles. Both types carry significant purchase cost penalties for buyers versus conventional gasoline vehicles. The diesel does not have the advantage of being able to run partially in zero emission electric mode (although hybrid diesel concepts already exist), but on the other hand it is more efficient than a hybrid in highway driving and therefore the overall CO2 emissions are a lot closer than might be expected.
A great deal of education about the benefits of diesel engines remains to be done if the American public at large is ever to catch on, but unusual moves like Audi’s racing diesel program may start to move the needle.
John McCormick is a columnist for Autos Insider and can be reached at john.mccormick@detnews.com