High-Performance Diesels, an Oxymoron No More
Introduced on Wednesday: 2009 BMW 335d sedan
Is it real? Oh, yes, even if an diesel is still considered by a certain slice of American car buyers as having all the sporting panache of driving a forklift.
What they said: "Thanks to BMW's BluePerformance diesel technology, the 335d sedan offers an unparalleled blend of performance and efficiency," BMW's press materials said. Along with the similarly powered X5 xDrive35d, "no other diesels in the U.S. will perform like this pair of BMW Advanced Diesel models."
What they didn't say: This award-winning engine is almost too frisky for its own good. It makes so much torque, BMW couldn't find a manual transmission strong enough for it. So a 6-speed automatic is the only gearbox available.
What makes it tick? A 3-liter in-line 6, with two turbochargers (and urea injection, making the 335d emissions-legal in all 50 states). The turbos are sequential, a small unit kicking in immediately and a larger one coming on-line as the r.p.m. builds. The output is "only" 265 horsepower, but the torque rating is a wrenching 425 pound-feet. This translates to 6-second-flat zero-to-60 times and a 135 mile an hour top speed - and 36-m.p.g. highway fuel economy.
How much, how soon? Oy! Though BMW diesels add as little as $1,500 to the price of its models in Europe (where they constitute two-thirds of BMW's sales), the company has decided to try and balance its books with a premium of nearly $4,000 stateside. When the first models start appearing in showrooms in late December, they'll have a starting price of at least $44,725.
How's it look? Like any other 3 Series sedan, which by the way, start at approximately $11,000 less.
Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/automobiles/autoshow/bmw-335d.html?em
Is it real? Oh, yes, even if an diesel is still considered by a certain slice of American car buyers as having all the sporting panache of driving a forklift.
What they said: "Thanks to BMW's BluePerformance diesel technology, the 335d sedan offers an unparalleled blend of performance and efficiency," BMW's press materials said. Along with the similarly powered X5 xDrive35d, "no other diesels in the U.S. will perform like this pair of BMW Advanced Diesel models."
What they didn't say: This award-winning engine is almost too frisky for its own good. It makes so much torque, BMW couldn't find a manual transmission strong enough for it. So a 6-speed automatic is the only gearbox available.
What makes it tick? A 3-liter in-line 6, with two turbochargers (and urea injection, making the 335d emissions-legal in all 50 states). The turbos are sequential, a small unit kicking in immediately and a larger one coming on-line as the r.p.m. builds. The output is "only" 265 horsepower, but the torque rating is a wrenching 425 pound-feet. This translates to 6-second-flat zero-to-60 times and a 135 mile an hour top speed - and 36-m.p.g. highway fuel economy.
How much, how soon? Oy! Though BMW diesels add as little as $1,500 to the price of its models in Europe (where they constitute two-thirds of BMW's sales), the company has decided to try and balance its books with a premium of nearly $4,000 stateside. When the first models start appearing in showrooms in late December, they'll have a starting price of at least $44,725.
How's it look? Like any other 3 Series sedan, which by the way, start at approximately $11,000 less.
Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/automobiles/autoshow/bmw-335d.html?em
posted by Topsandseats.com at
11:06 PM
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