The awesomeness that is the turbo diesel-powered Neander monster-cycle has now received the regulatory blessings of the proper authorities in the Bundesrepublik Deutschland and is finally heading for production this fall. If you'll notice in the photo above, the beast-in-question is completely surrounded by Polizei and yet none are reaching for handcuffs, tickets books or other constabulary paraphernalia. Ok, that one guy on the left looks like he's unsnapping his holster but we have it on good authority that he was merely reaching for a stick of gum.

According to the folks at Neander, zealous officials from the TÜV pored over every mechanical and structural detail, from the never-before-seen fork design to the physics-defying wheelbase before giving it their seal of approval and bowing down in awe. Despite all this, company chairman of the board, Lutz W. Lester, put his own backside on the line and drove the machine with counter-rotating crankshafts for as many kilometers as was necessary to ensure the handling and comfort was at the top-notch level it needed to be at. It was.

[Source: Neander]

Click on the image for high-res shots of this diesel 1967 Mercury Cougar

Much of the vegetable oil and biodiesel movement centers around the classic Mercedes-Benz inline six cylinder engine, but fine examples of the genre are getting tougher to find. As is always the case with older machines, time and driving in general take their toll on the bodies and chassis of our favorite classics. But, these old Mercedes lumps can be rebuilt to fine running order. Wondering what to do with that good-running or rebuilt turbodiesel engine? How about dropping it into the engine bay of some classic Detroit iron? Many of these older American vehicles were built with engine-bays capable of accepting everything from a straight-six to a huge big block V8 engine. If that sounds like too much trouble, perhaps you should take a look at an example that's already been converted. Right now on Craigslist in L.A. is a cherry 1967 Mercury Cougar with a Mercedes OM617 cast iron turbodiesel engine from a Mercedes-Benz 300SD. Mated to a four-speed manual tranny, we'd imagine that many trouble-free miles of burbling diesel goodness are in store for this particular gem. Thanks for the tip, Geeky1!


[Source: Craigslist]

Here is a story from Wheels in Canada where two people, a father and his 14-year-old daughter drove from one end of Canada to the other, specifically from Halifax to Vancouver. No big deal, right? Wrong... they did it using only 89 gallons of diesel fuel. The vehicle used to generate this low fuel consumption was a last-generation Smart. You may be aware that we will be getting the newest version of the vehicle soon in the U.S. Unfortunately, we won't be getting the diesel version which was used in this trip. If you want it here, make sure to mention that when you pick up your new Smart. Anyway, click for more on this story, and pay special attention to all of the questions that the driver got from other drivers. As you can imagine, some concerns were present when it came to crossing the Rockies in a vehicle with all of 40 horsepower at its disposal, but it did just fine. Remember, despite lower horsepower figures, a diesel engine makes very good torque, the twisting power of the engine.

My favorite quote: "Too bad I was still getting looks from other drivers as if my fly was undone. And like the reaction from our construction friend Jason, we weren't quite sure if our Smart was generating responses of envy, ridicule or ignorance."

[Source: Wheels via Treehugger]

Simple, clever, fun. That's the philosophy behind the vehicle you see pictured above, the Loremo (pronounced lo-ray-mo which is short for Low Resistance Mobile). Of course, there's nothing simple about designing and building a car, but there has certainly been a large need for cleverness to meet our current standard of "fun".

Don't let the picture fool you. There's nothing really new here, aside from the impressive 50g/km CO2 figure. This car achieves its high level of fuel efficiency by taking current fuel-saving methods to a level almost beyond reason. A main part of this is weight saving. Every part of the car has been stripped down to its 'bare essentials', including the interior, chassis, wheels and tires, and engine (though oddly enough, it still possesses a navigation system). The designers have optimized its drag coefficient all the way to the width of the tires - wider tire = more friction. This is a good thing, since engine options are either a 2-cylinder 20hp turbodiesel, or a 3-cylinder 50hp turbodiesel. The former will get you to sixty miles per hour in a blistering 20 seconds, while the latter will get you there in 9. Fuel efficiency, however, is very impressive - 1.5L per 100 km (translated 188 mpg). Not too shabby.

The coupe is labeled as a 2+2 because the trunk boot is 'ergonomically shaped' so that two children can fit "comfortably" facing rearward - given, of course, that they don't get car sick. One enters the car by opening the front or rear 'gate' (see gallery). The front lifts the entire nose section from the A-pillar forward, taking the steering wheel with it. According to the website, it's as easy as getting in a bathtub. Uh-huh.

It'll be a while before we can test that out. Production versions of the Loremo won't be available until 2009. Weighing in at just over 990 lbs. to just under 1040 lbs., it might be fun to drive - but is it worth the pain to one's cornea? I mean, I like the headlights and taillights, and even the Tesla-esque nose, but really. The profile doesn't look as though it has evolved past the early sixties. Retro isn't that much back in.

Maybe if I saw one in person... nah.

Click on above image to see complete high resolution gallery.

Australia's best selling small car over AUD$40,000 (US$31,440), the BMW 1 Series, is getting some upgrades; refreshed exterior and interior styling, increases in power and reductions in fuel consumption, plus a new generation four-cylinder diesel engine. Due to go on sale mid-year, the new diesel in the 1 Series is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder second generation common-rail turbodiesel which features a host of performance improvements and fuel consumption reductions.

The new 120d develops a maximum output of 125 kW / 167 hp, an increase of 10 kW / 13 hp over the former engine. Peak torque is up by 24 Nm / 17 ft-lbs to 340 Nm / 250 ft-lbs and the new BMW 120d accelerates from zero to 100 km/h / 62 mph in just 7.8 seconds (previous model: 8.5 seconds).

Despite the performance gains, combined fuel consumption for the new 120d is down to 6.1 litres/100 kilometres (previously 6.6 l/100km). The optional six-speed automatic transmission (standard on the 120d) comes with new converter technology featuring an integrated torsion damper reducing energy losses and ensuring even shorter reaction and gearshift times.

Check out the four 1,280 pixel-wide, high resolution pics suitable for personal use as desktop wallpaper in our gallery.








Complete press release after the jump.

Related:

• Piezo injection technology breaks into top engine list
• Trickle-down tech: Non-hybrid BMW 5 Series to feature regenerative braking
• Step right up! How automakers have placed their bets on future powertrain technologies

[Source: BMW]