OT: how far we've come?, 35 years of non-progress Options

[lapuwali]

Hybrids are the buzzword now, and people marvel at how the latest Civic hybrid gets 50mpg.

Autoweek had a short article on the early Civics, which got 55mpg with a carb. 1.2L, 50hp, 1500lbs. Sure, they were slow, but they were described as still being fun to drive. The way most people drive modern Civics, I doubt they'd notice if they suddenly only had 50hp.

(yes, I know emissions are much better, it's quieter, it crashes better, yada, yada...)

[byndbad914]

Wow - there were actually 2 Escort diesels built (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif) I was rofl when I saw the comment where people would run up to him at the truck stop pumps - I had exactly the same thing a solid 1 outta 3 times at the pump.

Secondly, I agree with lapuwali on the emissions. Euro standards are getting brutal for diesels, and US standards are getting brutally tight as well. I have done some stuff with a company working on diesel truck solutions to lower emissions and I think they are really onto something so may go to work for them.

Not totally convinced on the biodiesel stuff either. Low sulfur is good and with the particulate filter technology already out there (for soot) and precombustion technology coming like the company I am working with (already have a 1.8L diesel car engine with nearly zero emissions in prototype testing without any need for filters - but focusing on truck engines now since that is the US market now) I think diesels would be very viable solutions. Buses in CA are under strict guidelines already and hell, you hardly see any smoke at all in controlled buses and way less smell to the exhaust if fitted with the right filters.

Filters hinder power (i.e. catallytic converters) whereas the precombustion stuff can actually increase power, so that is why I am so interested in them.

I will take the heavier car with all the safety features myself. 85% of the people behind the wheel are f'ing CLUELESS and I figure I need all the help I can get (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif) I just wish Americans (generally speaking of course) weren't so fickle about diesels... they are way more efficient by design than gas (which is why they get better mileage) and if anywhere near the effort had been put into diesel emissions as has been gas emissions, you could probably plumb the exhaust right into the car and not die (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)