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Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished.....
If you want ON or OFF the DIESEL ”KnOcK” LIST just FReepmail me.....
This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days.....
Posted on 09/07/2010 5:23:23 AM PDT by Red Badger
Craig Henderson of Bellingham, Washington, drove his custom-built Avion automobile from the US-Canada border to the US-Mexico border on a single tank of diesel fuel.
Akron-based Goodyear and Henderson report that the journey extended over 1400 miles, that Henderson managed to get 119.1 miles per gallon, and that his Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tires played a significant role in his achievement. He used only 12.4 gallons of fuel on the trip from Blaine, Washington, on the Canadian border, to the Mexican border near Chula Vista, California. Henderson made stops for overnight lodging but did not refuel.
The lightweight, aerodynamic Avion has been around since 1984 and has set records in the past. The Avion uses an 800 cc diesel engine. Henderson built the original Avion with co-designer Bill Green; it has never been mass produced.
Henderson said, "The Avion has achieved 113 miles per gallon at 55-60 miles per hour in testing. For this journey, we averaged around 55 miles per hour and contended with regular traffic volumes. The Goodyear Fuel Max tires help provide the fuel savings we wanted, and with the confidence of knowing we will have excellent wet and dry traction."
Goodyear brand manager Razvan Bosomoiu points out that the Fuel Max tire is available in sizes that fit 80% of cars on the road today. Goodyear estimates that these tires deliver 4% fuel economy to buyers, saving 2,600 miles worth of fuel per set of tires.
Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished.....
If you want ON or OFF the DIESEL ”KnOcK” LIST just FReepmail me.....
This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days.....
Beautiful diesel...............
I’d hit it
Heck, everyone knows it is all a down hill coast.
the car only costs 40 million dollars.
That's good enough for me!
Not a lot of reviews but the UTQG rating of 580 to 620 means these tires are hard as rock.
Don’t want the 55mph limit.
Don’t want the road noise likely with high pressure, low resistance tires.
Any word on those tires and the idea of wet traction?
Dig the John Deere roadster.
We've come a long way to get to this level of technology...............
You can plow the back forty in 6.049.....................
One review claimed their efficiency to be worse than Michelins.
There's also the question of various federal mandates and whether or not anything meeting those mandates could be as light as one of these testframe cars.
The tire promises a 4% increase in mileage, not much really for cars getting 20 to 30 miles per gallon. I can over inflate my own tires and get the same result.
Sounds like somebody’s done the homework on the tires...
It’s where the rubber meets the road..........
Add me to you ping list- Thanks
Is that a Lotus super 7 or a Morgan Plus 8? (I think Lotus)
119 MPG is awesome and nothing to sneeze at, but the article leaves a lot of questions.
It says they tested the car at 55-60 MPH and he ‘averaged’ 55 MPH on the trip. Does that mean total time (Stops included) or that he ran the car at 55 MPH even though the speed limit is 70? If so, what mileage does the car get at ACTUAL highway speeds? Can it even go that fast?
Allthe reviews of the Goodyear fuel max say they are basically “concrete” tires. If so, how does this car ride? Are you so beat up it is not worth it in any sense of the road? How much tire noise is there inside the car?
The Mileage is great, but if the car is overly underperforming and uncomfortable what’s the point in even owning one. (And yes I know this is a homemade test vehicle and not an actual production vehicle.)
I think it is pretty cool. It did not use any govt money as far as I can tell.
The Mobile economy run of the 60”s could get over 1300 MPG. My 79 Monza got 35 MPG and I did not do anything to it. I had a super tuned 58 chevy truck that I got 24 mpg uphill in the mountains once. I am not really impressed by all this progress.
A few years ago I was driving to church one evening in January and saw a Class C camper coming towards me as a strong cross-wind hit us both. We were fine in our minivan, but the camper lurched to the right, jumped a ditch, and was plowing through a muddy cornfield as we passed. Somehow the guy kept control, and hopefully was able to keep going until he could turn back onto the road before sinking into the mud. Winds like that are common even here in Illinois.
I think it’s a John Deere..........
We purchased these tires in May of this year. There is no difference in gas mileage.
No way a Morgan.
Either a Lotus OR a Canterham 7.
Vrooooooom!
For truly jaw dropping fuel economy get a converted motorcycle that uses a diesel engine, not a moped but a full sized cruiser or touring bike with a modernized high output diesel.
One problem is, for the last several years, they've been making cars heavier. The Honda Civic, which once went for around 1800 pounds now weighs 2600 or so, almost that of a Ford Maverick. My 1983 Ford Ranger tipped the scales at around 3000 pounds. Today's Ranger is heavier, and can't touch the 30 mpg that I got out of that 4-speed 4-banger. In fact, if you opt for 4WD, you cannot unlock the front hubs so you're not only carrying 300 extra pounds, but even in 2-wd, you're turning the entire front drivetrain even if it is de-clutched inside the transfer case.
Sort of both:
Brunton Auto - Stalker - USA Made 7 Inspired Replicas
The Brunton Super Stalker is the highest performing 7 type car in the world with ... street and track machine, a kit car replica inspired by the Lotus 7. ...
www.bruntonauto.com/ - Cached - Similar
Right!
It is probably a Lotus 7 clone, Caterham or other kit maker.
The colors are close to the Lotus team colors, from back in the days when you could tell the nationality of a Formula 1 car by the major color and the specfic team/manufacturer by the stripe(s) color.
Green - England/UK (British Racing Green) The yellow stripe was for Lotus
Blue - France
Red - Italy
Silver - Germany
White/Blue stripes - USA
This long before the proliferation of sponsor decals, let alone vinyl graphics, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_auto_racing_colors
“Regular Joes” built this? It looks fast but doesn’t sound like it really is. The important thing is—how many cup holders does it have?
Specs and inside pics:
Nothing runs like a deer(e) and nothing smells like a john.:-)
Why would they do that?
My ‘04 Honda Accord sedan (4-cyl) weighs in around 3,400 lbs, which I consider pretty heavy, probably comparable to some pretty large full-size cars of 30 years ago. The new Camaro comes in close to 4,000 lbs, even in V6 form, which is totally ridiculous for something that supposed to be sporty - it’s a big reason that its performance is not as impressive as it could be.
Thanks for the info!
Nothing on how it does 0 to 60...but I only looked at it quick...gotta run to a meeting.
Are these guys gonna manufacture these? I’m not clear who Avion is.
Government-mandated crash standards. And, greedy trial lawyers looking to turn a fast buck.
“Why would they do that?”
Airbags, side impact protection, higher crash ratings generally, larger more powerful engine (with a larger transmission), bigger wheels and tires, more luxuries inside. Some of it was driven by government mandates, and some it is things that the buying public demanded. 20 years ago you could sell an 80 HP economy car. Today nobody wants one, it seems. When gas prices got really high a couple of years ago, there was a resurgence in interest in little econobox type cars. Anyone remember the tiny 3-cylinder Suzuki Swift/Pontiac Firefly/Geo Metro - particularly the original one. Small, cheap, and easy on gas, but gutless. The first car I drove as a teenager, a Nissan Micra, weighed about 2,300 lbs, with a fire-breathing 57 HP 1,280 cc engine. Top speed was about 85 or 90 mph, but around town, with a 5-speed manual, it was reasonably sprightly.
One article I read said that this is the diesel engine they used:
http://www.dieselpowermag.com/news/1001dp_799cc_cdi_three_cylinder_diesel_engine/index.html
“In our testing the car we were able to achieve 80 mpg At 70 mph and an astonishing 114 mpg at 55 mph driving from Eugene OR. To Portland OR.”
I run my tires a few pounds over what is called for in the owners manual, but you need to be careful. Too much pressure and you distort the tire footprint, sacrificing braking and handling. It’s amazing how small the footprint of a tire is under normal circumstances, compared with what we ask of it regarding weight, acceleration, handling and braking.
My nephew has a '94. A few years ago I drove it all over PA and nearly dropped my teeth when I gassed up the first time (Lancaster to Williamsport) - 30 mpg!
Sure, but that's North to South, so it's all downhill...
Lotus 7.
He should drive I-10, L.A. to Jacksonville.......................
Just found out that BMW is gonna be offering a 5 series diesel here starting next summer.From what I’ve read it’s likely to be EPA rated at about 38 mpg (highway) which is 2 mpg better than my current diesel.As soon as it comes out I’m gonna order one.The new 5 series is a really beautiful car and with all that torque and 44 mpg highway (I get 42 mpg now) it will truly be my dream car.
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