Twice as Fast and Twice as Powerful as an F1 Car
Will diesel power eventually rival hybrids as an alternative powertrain choice for North American environmentally
aware drivers? Fans of diesel engines have often wondered why the technology doesn't already, especially when considering it's not just an alternative to gasoline in Europe, but on equal footing, even attracting performance car owners.
Of course, new hybrids, such as the extremely powerful Lexus GS 450h are attracting performance-oriented drivers too. Like hybrids, diesel engines deliver greater torque from lower down in their rev range than gasoline equivalents, on average, which translates into superior off-the-line acceleration, and, proven by the latest 12 Hours of Sebring and the TDI-powered Audi R10 that won it, can even dominate on the racetrack.
The next
application of diesel power, at least after that same Audi R10 TDI takes on the sports car elite at Le Mans this June, involves JCB, a construction equipment manufacturer in England, which will attempt to break the diesel land speed record later this summer, on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. A diesel-powered land speed record? Put away any thoughts you have about heavy-duty Cummins-powered pickup trucks, powerful but not particularly sporting, and replace them with a long, lean rocket-like fuselage with wheels capable of topping 300 mph (483 km/h).
JCB will power its jet fighter-like supercar with two of the world's most powerful diesel engines,
at 4.4-litres apiece. Derived from the industrial equipment manufacturer's popular backhoe loader, these rugged engines boast some 150-horsepower per litre.
Dubbed Dieselmax, the car will be piloted by RAF flyer Andy Green, who drove the ThrustSSC across the Black Rock Desert on October 15, 1997 to set the first-ever supersonic world land speed record at 763.035 mph (1,227.986 km/h) - yes, it's in good hands.
And what's the time to beat for diesel powered vehicles? Believe it or not, Virgil W. Snyder's record of 235.756 mph (379.412 km/h), also set at the Bonneville Salt Flats, has held since August 25, 1973. Considering the advancements made in diesel technology over the last few years, let alone the past three decades, JCB's 29 foot-long (8.8 m) Dieselmax, powered by twin 750 horsepower two-stage turbocharged
JCB444 diesel engines coupled to synchronized six-speed automatic transmissions, should have no problem walking away with the title, and resultantly setting a rather difficult mark for any future rival to beat.
The car's initial testing, with Green at the wheel, will be held at the Wittering Royal Air Force station, close to Peterborough, England. Dieselmax will hit the Salt Flats in Bonneville for Speed Week, which runs from August 12 through 18, the week after which it will make its first attempt at breaking the old record. Odds on it will do just that.
For more information see JCB's dedicated Dieselmax website at www.jcbdieselmax.com, and be sure to check out the photo gallery attached to this story.
Will diesel power eventually rival hybrids as an alternative powertrain choice for North American environmentally
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| Doesn't look like your garden variety diesel, does it? (Photo: JCB) |
Of course, new hybrids, such as the extremely powerful Lexus GS 450h are attracting performance-oriented drivers too. Like hybrids, diesel engines deliver greater torque from lower down in their rev range than gasoline equivalents, on average, which translates into superior off-the-line acceleration, and, proven by the latest 12 Hours of Sebring and the TDI-powered Audi R10 that won it, can even dominate on the racetrack.
The next
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| Audi's new R10 prototype racer is diesel-powered, and already a race winner on its first outing. (Photo: Audi Canada) |
JCB will power its jet fighter-like supercar with two of the world's most powerful diesel engines,
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| The Dieselmax's twin 4.4-litre diesels boast some 150-hp per litre. (Photo: JCB) |
Dubbed Dieselmax, the car will be piloted by RAF flyer Andy Green, who drove the ThrustSSC across the Black Rock Desert on October 15, 1997 to set the first-ever supersonic world land speed record at 763.035 mph (1,227.986 km/h) - yes, it's in good hands.
And what's the time to beat for diesel powered vehicles? Believe it or not, Virgil W. Snyder's record of 235.756 mph (379.412 km/h), also set at the Bonneville Salt Flats, has held since August 25, 1973. Considering the advancements made in diesel technology over the last few years, let alone the past three decades, JCB's 29 foot-long (8.8 m) Dieselmax, powered by twin 750 horsepower two-stage turbocharged
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| World land speed record holder and RAF pilot Andy Green has the right credentials to set a new diesel land speed record. (Photo: JCB) |
The car's initial testing, with Green at the wheel, will be held at the Wittering Royal Air Force station, close to Peterborough, England. Dieselmax will hit the Salt Flats in Bonneville for Speed Week, which runs from August 12 through 18, the week after which it will make its first attempt at breaking the old record. Odds on it will do just that.
For more information see JCB's dedicated Dieselmax website at www.jcbdieselmax.com, and be sure to check out the photo gallery attached to this story.
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