[alfa] Wow, how come?

[C M Smith <cmsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Diesel cars aren't wildly popular in North America? The engineering grounds 
for preferring turbo diesels seem overwhelming.

For the record, my 3200lb SAAB 9000 Aero (built in 1997 and with 100,000 
miles on it) will "do" 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds, is reputed to top out in 
excess of 150 mph and will return 30 plus mpg routinely. You can also carry 
a refrigerator in the back if you are so minded ( a SAAB digest poster 
claims to have done this and I have carried quite large objects including a 
harp in mine). You do not attract much attention from the authorities, 
presumably because the darned thing looks so plain jane it couldn't 
possibly be that quick. However, where it really shines is transition from 
part throttle to full throttle acceleration in high gears. The sucker is 
flat out amazing from 60 - 100 mph.

My main point is that with the same development money and engineering the 
gasoline engine is still better for passenger car use. It is preferred by 
most drivers, all other things being equal.

Many thanks to the poster who posted the link to biofuels. I had assumed 
that corn would be the source, tho I realize that is used for ethanol and I 
belive it is not energy efficient to use corn to make ethanol to replace 
petroleum fuels. Now bacteria ranches would be more interesting, just not 
in my backyard please.

Cheers
 and sorry about stimulating such wide ranging, interesting, and 
controversial debate... uh huh.
Michael Smith
White 1991 164L
Original owner
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided