Ultra effecient combustion cars, under 1.5 litre, thoughts, pics, comments, designs, concepts Options

[pete-stevers]

Given todays economic climate, possible scaricity of fuel, and of course just the raw challenge of building a car with high mpg,
we should have a thread on cars of this nature, in production,prototypes,homebuilts, concepts and pictures.
( I wish i had the time and energy to build a car with a sub 1 litre engine, and maybe one day i will)

but lets keep it to combustion power, for now

[veltror]

Diesels are vastly popular in most of Europe in large part due to the fuel taxes; diesel fuel is taxed much less heavily than gasoline. In the UK, where the two are taxed a closer amount, gasoline cars are still more popular.


--DD

Statistics etc, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif) Diesel is taxed HIGHER then petrol but the overall % of Diesel cars is higher then you may think, coupled with the fact that resale prices are better of a diesel.

In 2008 44% of all cars sold in the UK were Diesel and in 2009 42%. If you then look into the breakdown across segments the results are even more eye-opening.

Upper medium class 3-series, Audi A4 etc Diesel sales are 70.6%
Executive class 5-series Audi A6 Diesel sales are 77.8%
Luxury class S-class, Audi A8 etc Diesel sales are 54%
MPV class 59%
4x4 SUV class 82.6%


Since it makes little sense to have a small diesel car since by nature thay are runabouts etc Diesel is the way to go. As far as comments about accidents of small cars vs large cars it is not as cut and dried as people make out. It is all in the design and engineering, many large Chineese cars have abysmal accident results, in this case size does not matter.

If ppl want to drive huge cars etc which have crap economy then fine, their choice, however I object to the eco-Nazis telling me that electric is the answer it is not.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)
The Toyota Pious (not a spelling error) is outdriven, out handled, out economised by a VW Polo Bluemotion, and that is before you have to factor in the cost of disposing of the batteries.

So what do I drive? A Passat 170 TDI, the other half a petrol Tiguan 1.4TSI.
If I had the space i would have and drive a 1958 Plymouth Fury or a huge finned Caddy from 1959.

R