Posted on 09/25/2015 6:47:20 AM PDT by Red Badger
In the wake of the VW diesel scandal, German magazine Autobild found the Euro-market BMW X3 xDrive 20d also exceeds emissions limits by a significant amount.
Volkswagen's unfolding diesel emissions crisis may prove to involve other automakers as well: German magazine Autobild reports that a German-market, diesel-powered BMW X3 xDrive 20d put out 11 times the legal limit of pollution in a test commissioned by the magazine. (Update below)
Automotive News, which translated the Autobild report, explains that the BMW was tested by the International Council on Clean Transportation, the same group whose findings led U.S. regulators to investigate Volkswagen's U.S. diesel models.
Over at Jalopnik, Máté Petrány reports that the Euro-spec X3 tested by the magazine put out 11.88 times the Euro 6 limit for NOx emissions—slightly worse than a U.S.-spec Passat TDI tested by the magazine, but almost half of the emissions produced by a U.S.-spec Jetta TDI and a Euro-spec Audi A8 3.0 TDI included in the test.
BMW denied the report, saying in a statement that "there is no function to recognize emissions testing cycles at BMW. All emissions systems remain active outside the testing cycle." BMW shares dropped nearly 10 percent in European trading as a result of the report.
In the wake of the ongoing diesel emissions crisis, the European Union urged all 28 member-countries to open investigations into real-world vehicle emissions. The German transport ministry vowed to conduct spot-checks on Volkswagens and other manufacturers alike, Bloomberg Business reports.
Meanwhile at Volkswagen, the resignation of CEO Martin Winterkorn seems to be only the first executive-level departure: Bloomberg reports that Audi development chief Ulrich Hackenberg and Porsche development head Wolfgang Hatz will leave the company. The VW Group will announce Winterkorn's replacement tomorrow.
Update: BMW contacted R&T with a statement of clarification from Autobild on how it obtained the reportest test results. "The emission values of a BMW X3 xdrive 20d sent to AUTO BILD by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) had been supplied to ICCT by British test institute Emissions Analytics," the statement reads in part. "The values mentioned in the document were only generated in a single, one hour-long road test. Auto BILD has no access to the details of this test trail, which might explain the discrepancies to the test cycle NEDC.
"In light of the VW emission scandal, AUTO BILD deems it of utmost importance to emphasize that the communicated emission value of the tested BMW X3 is by no means proof of manipulation or the existence of a defeat device as found in the vehicles of VW [. . .] AUTO BILD never intended to accuse BMW of manipulating emission levels."
Who did the computer programming?........................Oh, some guy named ‘Fritz’ from Wolfsburg...................
Yes I saw that. When the EPA rules that owners of VW diesels will have to scrap their cars or pay a hugh carbon tax you would be a fool to buy one even if it has a guarantee. VW may be killed as a company from this. In any case seriously wounded. Volvo doesn’t have the depth of VW and was almost finished a few years ago.
Heard a similar story from a former neighbor from the UK who had worked on BMWs there..................
IMHO, the last good BMW was the 2002Tii with a stick...
How about Land Rovers?
One of my biggest mistakes in life was buying a normal 2002 instead of the Tii.
Still, with a few mods, that was a pretty quick car.
Has anyone had the stones to publicly state that perhaps the problem is the EPA standards, not the vehicles’ performance?
Nah, all liberals know that the laws of physics are easily adjusted with the proper regulations.
See post #6.................
OOPS!..See post #11.................
They think that way. Such militant ignorance is hard to deal with. I once got into a "discussion" with some lame brain here on FR who was convinced that there were such things as 100mpg carburetors. When I told him that the laws of thermodynamics precluded the existence of something like that he said well that's just your opinion, and insisted that his opinion was a good as mine - mainly because he didn't have a clue about energy and the first and second laws. Well it wasn't my opinion it was the first and second law, and his ideas were just flat out wrong, but he was too set in his ideas to admit that someone else might know more about than he did. I gave up.
So, if BMW is off the table, what does your mechanic friend suggest people buy?
However, now that Volvo is part of the Geely Automotive Group from China, they finally have the money to develop really advanced engine technologies. Their new highly-advanced turbodiesel engine is because the Geely money made it possible to finish development of that engine.
But..if you want to still "eat your heart out" read the 1972 Car & Driver review/road test of the 2002Tii
It would be hard to find anyone who actually had experience with a 100 mpg carburetor. But on the whole I agree. I don’t argue with creationists, bushbots (they’ve kind of gone away) and other similar types that show up here.
Sadly, this may not be satire.
And even worse, by waiting a bit too long, I got hit with a 15% price increase, so I ended up paying more for a regular 1973 2002 than what the tii cost in 1972.
Sure did have fun with that car though!
How bad can they really be?
I'd sure like to know what "pollutant" they are exceeding by 11x.
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