After opening remarks from diesel hot rodding legend Gale Banks, attention turned to the race course laid out though the parking lots of the Rio Hotel and a generous selection of Euro-diesel gems from Bosch’s fleet.
Attendees were treated to some of the finest examples of diesel engineering currently prowling the streets of Europe, including a Honda Accord i-CDTi and i-CDTi CR-V, Chrysler 300, BMW 535d M Sport, Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel, and a Mercedes-Benz E320.
Two of the newest and smallest additions to Bosch’s fleet proved to be the hits of the evening, with the MINI Cooper D and BMW 123d M Sport hot hatchbacks especially well suited to the tight curves of the Rio track.
For those that had never driven a modern clean diesel vehicle, the event was an eye opener, with each vehicle delivering exceptional performance and economy in their respective classes.
For attendees that missed the event … there’s always next year …
I hounded my friend Chris Pirillo while he was on the air last week until he picked up my call. My persistence was worth it, as the controversy over my article on Chrysler’s 35 MPG diesels created quite a stir in the chat room. Chris posted a video of the segment on YouTube, for all to enjoy.
One of the keys to restarting the American economy is staring us in the face. While our future hinges on the rapid adoption of fuel-efficient vehicles, our government stands in the way of a rapid free market solution.
35 MPG can be an immediate reality, with one domestic manufacturer, if the United States government would only allow it to happen. Our elected representatives need to be aware of the facts and make the appropriate decisions.
Chrysler is uniquely positioned among the Big Three US automakers. Unlike Ford and General Motors, Chrysler is already building a slew of high-MPG diesel-powered vehicles right here in the United States.
Amazing as it may seem in these difficult times, Chrysler is not allowed to sell those cars domestically, due to recently tightened emissions regulations. With the exception of the domestically-available Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel, all of Chrysler’s North American manufactured high-MPG diesel-equipped vehicles are being shipped abroad.
Each and every one of Chrysler’s European models is available with a diesel engine, with the exception of the Dodge Viper. In fact, a diesel engine can be found under the hood of more than 50% of the vehicles that Chrysler sells in Europe.
All-in-all, a dozen Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep diesel-engined models are currently available outside of the United States, but are not sold domestically.
Here’s the eye-opener … half of those models currently achieve 35 miles per gallon combined.
That’s 35 MPG … right now.
And what’s even more crazy? All of these 35 MPG cars and SUVs are built in North American plants by North American workers … American citizens cannot buy and drive the fuel-efficient cars they build.
The thriftiest of the bunch delivers nearly 50 MPG on the highway … and it’s no dog off the line, turning in 0-62 mile per hour (MPH) times under nine seconds. The fastest in the pack delivers 7.6 second 0-62 times and 35.6 MPG on the highway.
Needless to say, these are wonderful world-class cars, a world apart from your Uncle’s noisy, slow, smelly 80’s-era diesel.
The mid-size Sebring has been a fixture in the Chrysler lineup since 1995. Over the run, four-cylinder engine variations of the Sebring have been known to deliver good gas mileage ratings, flirting with a highway range of 30 miles per gallon (MPG). The 2008 Sebring is available as a four-door sedan or two-door convertible. When fitted with the four-cylinder engine, the Sebring convertible is one of the most fuel-efficient ragtops on the market. If fuel-efficient top-down driving’s not your thing, you may be interested to know that the four-door sedan can be equipped with all-wheel-drive (AWD).
The domestic 2008 Chrysler Sebring can be fitted with one of three engines:
2.4 liter DOHC four-cylinder engine, producing 173 horsepower (HP) and 166 foot pounds of torque
2.7 liter DOHC six-cylinder engine, producing 189 HP and 191 foot pounds of torque
3.5 liter high output SOHC V-6 engine with the AutoStick six-speed automatic transmission and duel exhaust, producing 235 HP and 232 foot pounds of torque
Internationally, the Sebring can be ordered with a 2.0 liter Volkswagen common rail turbodiesel producing 138 HP and 229 foot pounds of torque, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. With the turbodiesel and six-speed manual, the European Sebring produces a 0-62 mile per hour time of 12 seconds flat, with 34.4 urban / 55.4 extra urban miles per British gallon … that equates to roughly 28.6 city / 46.1 highway here in the States.
The Chrysler Town and Country minivan first hit the street in 1990, as an upmarket cousin to the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. The Town and Country hauls the family in style and achieves highway gas mileage in the low- to mid-twenties for most models (the exception being the E85 fueled vehicles). The luxury minivan has enjoyed sustained popularity throughout its run and was redesigned in 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2008.
2008 Chrysler Town and Country minivans can be equipped with one of three V-6 engines, depending on the model.
Town and Country LX models are fitted with a 3.3 liter V-6 producing 175 horsepower (HP) and 205 foot pounds of torque.
Town and Country Touring models are equipped with a 3.8 liter V-6 delivering 197 HP and 230 foot pounds of torque.
Town and Country Limited models feature a 4.0 liter V-6 pumping out a generous 253 HP and 262 foot pounds of torque.
Chrysler is uniquely positioned among the Big Three US automakers. Unlike Ford and General Motors, Chrysler is already building a slew of high-MPG diesel-powered vehicles right here in the United States. 
The thriftiest of the bunch delivers nearly 50 MPG on the highway … and it’s no dog off the line, turning in 0-62 mile per hour (MPH) times under nine seconds. The fastest in the pack delivers 7.6 second 0-62 times and 35.6 MPG on the highway. 
