Subaru STI: Is Diesel the Intersection of Power and Fuel Economy?
We all know that fast cars are fun and fuel-sipping cars are environmentally responsible, but is there a middle ground?
Short of expensive electric sports cars like the Tesla Roadster, there may be a solution to be found in diesel. Not only can diesel cars be fueled with waste vegetable oil, biodiesel, or some mixture of these fuels, but diesel engines produce a lot of torque and get better fuel economy than their gasoline-powered brethren.
Autoexpress reports that the Impreza lineup will soon feature a 2.0L diesel engine sporting 148 bhp - but that engine could easily be tuned up to 180bhp for use in a sportier WRX model. This model could go 0-60 in under 7 seconds and wouldn’t top out until a respectable 140 mph.
Certainly impressive, but what we really care about is the fact that this engine could achieve up to 45mpg and reduce CO2 emissions 40% compared to the gasoline-powered STI.
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Source: Autoexpress
steps to understand diesel:
1. throw the retarded number called “horsepower” into the ocean.
2. foot lbs is the worker.All Engines.
3. they have yet in the history of public automotives let one diesel get the gears and driveline it deserved. All diesels for cars have been grotesquely un-engineered gas engines with the wrong tranny, cooling, intakes, fuel scenarios and even heating/cooling. Ridiculous.
Subaru is aware of it..I hope they get it right. A boxer, for a small diesel, is a very very strong design for the torque diesels like to give, and disperse the imperfections of every combustion cycle due to being sideways pistoned.Add a turbo, much NEEDED in the little diesel, and I guess i will even be competitive, as long as the gearing is good and precise for the diesel they created.
This could be a winner of truth, more than a brand name. (much like subarus crazy years with the greatest design of the gas boxer: three main bearings).
Agree throw HP out the window. Its such a variable term that means little in terms of car performance.
Couple a turbo AND a supercharger and you get the same effects of a turbo at low revolutions.
this article has nothing to do with the STI, a max of 180 hp and 0-60 time just under 7 seconds cannot compete with 300hp and 5.2 seconds the STI currently puts out. although deisel may work for the economy version, it will be a long time before it can compete with any real sports car.
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I drive a VW Jetta TDI, and get 45 mpg and am very happy with the power. The turbo diesel is a very smart computer-controlled engine. It’s still a little noisier than a gas engine, but that’s a small compromise considering the benefits.
“they have yet in the history of public automotives let one diesel get the gears and driveline it deserved. All diesels for cars have been grotesquely un-engineered gas engines with the wrong tranny, cooling, intakes, fuel scenarios and even heating/cooling. Ridiculous.”
Are you sure? I don’t like Mercedes Benzes because of it’s continuing expensive electrical/electronic problems since the late 80s, but they make solid engines/transmissions and the two Million Mile Cars in the world (original engines, not rebuilt) are Mercedes Benz Diesels automobiles.
Europe has all kinds of performance diesel. I loved my slightly modified 1.9L VW TDI. 280 lbs/ft of torque, gave most V6s and small V8s a run for the money especially if there was a hill involved. It could be pushed to 135 mph but after 100 mph it accelerated slowly, it really needed that Euro 6th gear. It still managed to return a regualar 42mph and 650+ miles per tank.
Subaru…BRING IT ON!!! I’ld love it in 5 door sedan or the Outback!
This is a really good thing ! I agree ^ Foot lbs of TQ are best for sure, We sell tons of aftermarket subaru performance parts for subarus, and alot of ppl coming to our site look forward for a turbo diesel STI model
Yea - diesel is actually very popular in Europe and some Asian countries. It’s surprising that it’s been largely eliminated in the US. People have many misconceptions about diesel (going back several decades) which simply aren’t true anymore. In fact, with advancements in technology, diesel cars actually are more environmentally friendly than gasoline-run cars! There’s some food for thought for ya…
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I think it’s a terrible idea and this world is teh fail with the way we are thinking nowadays. If people don’t stop stabbing each other in the backs, 2047 will be the end for it all.