Posted on 12/18/2004 3:09:08 AM PST by Champs elysees
The biggest reason why CARB won't certify diesel engines for automobiles is the fact that US produced diesel fuels have high levels of sulfur compounds, which can cause serious corrosion of engine parts (as BMW found out much to its horror with the 4.0-liter V-8 engine when it was first sold in the USA in the middle 1990's; BMW had to redesign the engine with iron-alloy piston liners to correct the problem). This corrosion will quickly damage the common-rail pressurized direct fuel injection system and combination catalytic converter/diesel particulate trap found on European-market diesel engines.
However, with the EPA mandate of no more than 15 parts per million of sulfur compounds in motor fuels starting September 2006, this will allow CARB to finally certify diesel engines for automobiles, since there will be no more worries about the fuel damaging the fuel-delivery and emission control systems. This will make it possible for Mercedes-Benz to certify 50-state legal turbodiesel engines, and that could mean we may see turbodiesel engines on the next-generation S-Class due in about 18 months for the US market.
By the way, you might see more French-designed cars back in the US market, thanks to Renault being the majority owner of Nissan. Already, the next-generation Nissan Sentra due Fall 2005 will use a lot of components from the Renault Megané sold in Europe; and we may just see these cars in the US market badged as Nissans and using Nissan-designed engines:
Renault Modus:
Renault Scenic:
The Modus and Scenic should easily pass NHTSA safety tests, since both vehicles were designed to get very high ratings on the very stringent European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP) safety tests, tests which as just as tough as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests done here in the USA.
Now, I used to drive a Peugot pickup truck (Peugot 504?) in Argentina that was a 5-speed with on-th-column (in the tree) gear shifting. That was a blast to drive.
There are a lot of Nissans around here.
cheese-eating surrender monkeys ? and Napoleon, Lafayette, Louis 14,The millions of deaths in trenches during WV1... You are a stupid person and Your remark is also stupid as that : Burger-eating Aggressive monkeys.. You are just a little xenophobe.
We are burger-eating aggressive monkeys!!!
Yes, the french are cheese-eating surrender monkeys. I'll give a brief recap of their adventures in the 20th century:
From just before world war one: "Le kepi, c'est la france." The french knew they were going to be in a war with the germans, but their egos wouldn't let them manufacture and wear dark or camoflage uniforms. They went up in front of german machine guns wearing bright red cloth hats. Germans, Americans and British refresh the gene pool in france, 1914-1918.
1940 - germans back again, french surrender in under two weeks. Hitler strollin' through paris. Germans, Americans and British refresh the gene pool in france, 1940-1945
1954 - french got sick in southeast asia - they had to leave - they caught the dien bien flu.
2004 to current - french getting their asses kicked by a bunch of natives in the Ivory Coast.
Who knows what will be in store for france in 2005? Could be anything, but we know it will end in a french surrender.
The french have a choice for a new national language - english or arabic.
***"There are a lot of Nissans around here"***
That's like saying a Volvo is a Ford and a Jeep is a Mercedes.
I wouldn't disagree with that statement.
What nationality would you assign to respectively a Nissan, Mercedes, BMW, Ford, Toyota, and Honda?
Additional relevant info: Nissan Titan, Mercedes M class, BMW made in South Carolina, Ford made in Ontario, Toyota Camry made in Kentucky and Honda Accord made in Ohio.
That's a no-brainer. Japan, Germany, Germany, USA, Japan, and Japan respectively. It's where they are designed and engineered that makes a difference - the cultural influences that subtly affect the process. Where a car is bolted together makes little difference. Whether to attach a part with four bolts or five does. It's not like cars are hand-crafted anymore - it's largely automated whichever country of assembly you're talking about
Champs elysees, Are you part of the French government PR campaign?
This is the second French press release you posted as news today.
Ummmm. No! (former Peugeot 404 owner)
Airbus. Doesn't the tail fall off if the pilot uses it?
More likely he's had the "pleasure" of owning a french car, and the ability to compare it to a real car. Like maybe a Yugo or Trabbie?
Me? I've owned a Peugeot 404, and a Renault R-12 wagon. No-one was ever able to get the R-12 to decide which of the two idle speeds to settle on.
We do think alike. My first thought was maybe it's a good time to short Ford's stock if they're partnering with the French.
My very first thought, too.
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