Imagine a world where it's hard to find a gas vehicle on a dealer lot (no, we're not talking about moving to Europe). If certain vehicles were equipped with diesel engines instead of gassers, it could cause an avalanche of support and diesel domination of the auto-buying public. OK, so it's a long shot, but here are 10 vehicles that would turn the tide toward diesel engines.
Audi R8 6.0L Twin-Turbo V-12 TDIWhile there's no doubt the new mid-engine audi r8 supercar is already a head-turner that can hang with ferrari or Porsche, we think it would be a lot better with a diesel. Right now, the $110K-plus aluminum sled comes with 420 hp from a mid-engine mounted direct-injection gasoline v-8. Compare that to the massive output of the Le Mans-tested Audi 6.0L v-12 twin-turbo diesel that makes 500 hp (and that's when it's loaded with civilian computer programs). Sure, that's just 80 hp more than the gasser, but the tDI engine sends 232 percent more torque through the all-wheel-drive system (738 lb-ft compared to just 317 lb-ft with gas). Our friends at Motor trend tested the gas Audi and coaxed it from 0 to 60 mph in only 4.1 seconds and covered the standing 1/4-mile in just 12.6 seconds (more than half a second quicker than the non-turbo Porsche 911). Just try to imagine how much faster it would be with an "extra" 421 lb-ft of torque, and you can see why we get excited just thinking about it. Audi has hinted that the v-12 tDI engine will first come to the u.S. inside a sporty version of the Q7 Suv, and although we love ridiculously fast trucks, the R8 can pull 0.95 G on the skidpad and come to a stop from 60 mph in just 111.5 feet. those are supercar numbers that an Suv will likely never achieve, so we think the R8, with it's magnetic suspension, Quattro all-wheel-drive, and optional paddle-shifting transmission is truly in need of a screaming turbodiesel under the glass behind the driver.
Mitsubishi Evolution XCummins 4.2L V-6Since it looks like the subaru wrx may get a diesel option, we have to focus attention on its archrival: the Mitsubishi Evolution x. Mitsubishi and Chrysler have worked together in the past, so maybe the 4.2L Cummins v-6 could find its way into the rallyinspired Evo. the diesel actually creates less horsepower than the turbo-four gasser, but the Cummins makes 420 lb-ft of torque (120 lb-ft more than the Evo) and peaks from 1,700 rpm to 3,200 rpm instead of needing to scream to 4,400 rpm like the 2.0L gas engine. now, feed that torque through possibly the fastest-acting paddle-shifted transmission in the world (the "twin Clutch SSt" 6-speed), a variable center differential, and two torsen differentials, and you'll have a rally car that is competitive on the track and at the dealership.
Dodge Viper ACRCummins 6.7L I-6 BluetecThis one sounds ridiculous because it is, but it's hard to resist the idea of an American musclecar that could best the 1,001 hp mark set by the bugatti veyron supercar. Imagine a redesigned ISb engine block made from compacted graphite iron (CGI) that's stronger, weighs about 20 percent less, and is designed to fit in the space now occupied by a gas v-10. As long as we're shooting to upstage the 1.4-million dollar veyron, how about stealing the bugatti idea of a "top Speed Key" that unlocks the engine programming and allows it to reach 253.8 mph. Instead, the viper could have adjustable programming that let's the driver choose settings that range from bluetec-clean (with active urea-sprayers and diesel particulate filters) and various other mileage and power modes all the way up to a 1,002hp program that's "for off-road use only."