Diesel Power Grand Cherokee
Did we not promise you in the last issue via a big, fat rumor that Jeep would be offering a diesel in the Grand Cherokee? It's true, the '07 1/2-Grand will sport a 3.0L V-6. The turbo common rail will make 218 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque at 1,600-2,500 rpm. The German-bred, Mercedes-Benz-based CRD will feature some advanced technology-at least for DaimlerChrysler. This will include higher fuel pressure (24,000 psi) and advanced aftertreatment systems. Other hyped designs include an aluminum crankcase with gray-iron cylinder liners, four-valve engineering with two camshafts per cylinder bank, a turbocharger with an electrically adjustable turbine, peak combustion pressure of up to 2,600 psi, and a quick-start glow system. New Piezo injectors were developed just for this engine.
Breaking the Diesel Land-Speed Record?
The goal is simple: Break the land-speed record for diesels. Oh, sure...simple. Although the key ingredient would be to first hire the fastest man on earth to do the job. Didn't know there was one? That would be Wing Commander Andy Green, who set the first supersonic world land-speed record at 763.035 mph in 1997. This time around, he'll be piloting the H1 JCB Dieselmax, developed by JCB Group, a 60-year-old manufacturer of construction equipment and the corporate brains behind the mission to break the diesel record. The current record is 235.756 mph, nailed in 1973, so as you would guess, the JCB adrenaline junkies are aiming high-and we don't mean 236. The magic number is 300 mph. The H1 project will have two JCB444 diesel engines making 750 hp-each. The record-breaking attempt will happen in August at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
CAR Huntin'
We love an excuse to watch TV, and with what seems like 80 percent of the channels now airing some kind of an automotive show, we're about ready to quit our jobs and claim couch potato on the rsum. MTV has made it even tougher to leave the sofa by creating a new show called Fast Incorporated. The show will focus on car hunters who track down all sorts of hard-to-find trucks, bikes, and cars for their clients. What's cool is that these aren't actors-this is more of a reality show (we know, it's a phrase that now causes hives) because these guys actually are car hunters in real life. Check out MTV on Mondays at 10:30 p.m.
Ford's New Diesel V-8
First, some back story: In 2003, Ford launched the Dagenham Diesel Centre in the United Kingdom. As you can assume from the name, its existence is for all that is diesel engineering and manufacturing. There are about 2,350 engineers and production operators working there, and they expect to produce 700,000 engines in this year alone. It's the source for half of Ford's diesel-engine requirements worldwide. And did we mention it's a germaphobe's dirty dream? A clean production environment is an obsession there, so air is filtered in to minimize dust particles for working in this high-tech atmosphere. Cut to today: They have built a brand-new 3.6L twin-turbo diesel V-8. Which vehicles will be getting the new engine will be announced later this year. A larger (4.4L) version could be used in the F-150.
Hybrid-Electric Humvee Prototype
The Army is experimenting with an electric-diesel hybrid Humvee, putting it through exercises such as using its electrical system to power battalion tactical operations and running for six miles on silent-mode battery power. It's being developed by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center in Warren, Michigan. While one of the prototypes was being assessed, another went on the show circuit, including being displayed at an annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army in Washington
The Humvee has a 2.2L diesel engine matched to a 75 kW brushless DC generator, as well as an auxiliary power distribution system for export of 10 kW of clean power. While the hybrid is slightly heavier than a regular Humvee, testing did reveal a few more important issues, such as that it can't ford deep water because the batteries are low on the frame and that the throttle sometimes sticks at 25 mph. As of this moment, there are no production plans for the hybrid.
"This makes us weep with pleasure."
- AB Volvo Chief Executive Leif Johansson,according to the Associated Foreign Press, over the development of a hybrid diesel-electric engine for trucks and buses, likely due for production by 2009.