Jalopnik: flex-fuel

80 MPG 400 HP '87 Mustang X Prize Contestant Heading To SEMA

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:30:00 EDT

When Doug Pelmear and his notchback Ford Mustang nearly broke the internet with his claims of some magical engine tinkering returning 110 MPGe (80 MPG) — while making 400 HP — we were skeptical to say the least. That "MPGe" figure is there because the car runs on ethanol, so the extra "e" on the end signifies the energy equivalent to a gallon of regular gasoline. Now Pelmear is taking the 110 MPG Mustang on a cross-country road trip to prove the skeptics (us) wrong, ending at this years SEMA show where he probably won't be popping the hood so everyone can poke around. The car is being entered in the Progressive Automotive X Prize contest as well, where it will compete against others with the goal of 100 MPG in a four-passenger car. We're going to continue waiting, edible hat in hand, for scientific measurements to back up his claims. [WNWO, via MustangRevolution]

What Bentley Believes: 17-Page CO2 Manifesto Has Been Read

Matthew DeBord — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:45:00 EDT

Bentley is refreshing. Their ultra-luxe, mega-horsepower sleds, favored rides of autocrats, royalty and rap tycoons, are such a specialized product that the Craftsmen of Crewe can pretty much reduce their whole climate-change/fuel-scarcity strategy to a question of customer relations. I promised I'd read the white paper on global warming etc. the company handed out at their New York Auto Show press conference yesterday—also available on Bentley's website—and now I have. Dry? To be sure. Wonky? Yep. But on the heels of the company's announcement at the Geneva Motor Show that it's going to seriously cut CO2 output by 2012, worth checking out.

Some of the highlights:

Life Is Better With Wheels: "It is...clear that mobility is becoming a fundamental component in perceptions of today's quality of life."

Bentleys Are Irrational: "As a luxury performance brand, the reasons for purchasing a Bentley are based on a more emotional than rational need for transportation."

Emergency!: "As this document makes clear, the world is facing a potential crisis over climate change and access to energy."

Upshot is that Bentley is putting its money, it heaping piles of money, behind FlexFuel. But not really first generation biofuels, which because they are derived from crops that people need for food has caused, as the report points out, riots. They are basically endorsing second-generation biofuels, made from ~~heaps of decomposing filth~~ waste products. Later, the situation will get completely kick-ass, when we brew up all our biofuels from farmed ocean algae, and also drive FlexFuel Bentleys in a future in which their is no sickness or war and we all live to be 317.

But you know what? We approve of this high-ground-taking on Bentley's part. Leadership! Even if they persistently remind us that emissions generated by Bentleys amount to the equivalent of "two cans of Cola in an Olympic sized swimming pool"—in other words, not very dang much, when compared to other carmakers. Of course, that's a bit of a bogus claim when you consider that Bentley might not even exist were it not for the global auto industry.

SEMA 2007: 500 HP E85-Powered '34 Chevy Coupe

Ray Wert — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:15:00 EDT

1934 Chevy Coupe. 2.0-liter Ecotec engine running on E85. 500 HP. Need we say more? Actually, yes, we probably should, but with all of the GM SEMA nonsense running up in this here site all morning, frankly we're just getting sick of it. We mean fercrissakes, SEMA hasn't even started yet. Whatever. Full release after the jump. We're going to go find a hole to crawl in out here in Vegas.

FLEXFUEL CHEVY HOT ROD DEMONSTRATES VINTAGE STYLE AND MODERN ALTERNATIVE-FUEL PERFORMANCE
With a 500-horsepower engine, a channeled body and a chopped top, GM's custom street rod looks right at home on the salt flats of Bonneville. But instead of a traditional gasoline V-8, this '34 Chevy replica rod sports a turbocharged 2.0L Ecotec engine that runs on E85 ethanol. Appropriately, it has been dubbed the FlexFuel Chevy Hot Rod.

"Since the 1930's, hot rods have embodied American ingenuity, aesthetic flair and the quest for performance," said Bryan Nesbitt, vice-president of General Motors North American Design. "The ethanol Hot Rod is a modern statement that today's hot rodder can address energy concerns about the consumption of petroleum without sacrificing performance or style."

The car's low-slung stance and stripped-down essence suggests track cars and speed racers of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Open hood sides reveal the high-powered Ecotec engine, which has been pumped up with the help of GM Performance Parts' Stage III performance kit and a larger turbo. The higher octane of E85 enabled engineers to tune the engine for more power. It is backed by a GM Powertrain 5L40 five-speed automatic transmission.

"The engine was built using the basic recipe that is available in the Ecotec performance book available from GM Performance Parts," said Al Oppenheiser, GM Performance Division director of concept and vehicle integration. "Also, the E85 conversion is based on a kit that GM is exploring for regular production engines."

True hot rod aesthetic

Like hot rods built for the last 60 years, the FlexFuel Hot Rod is built from an assemblage of factory and aftermarket parts. The frame and body are based on the 1934 Chevy, but both were fabricated by the craftsmen at the GM Performance Division (GMPD). The body has been sectioned and channeled to give the car its true hot rod aesthetic, while the frame is a one-off piece designed, engineered and built by GMPD. The slanted grille - with a unique chrome mesh pattern - and hood are integrated for a smoother look, which includes a sun visor characteristic of period hot rod racers.

Like any good rod worth its salt, there are no fenders or running boards; the 10-inch headlamps are mounted to the core support. The front suspension is all custom-built, complete with period-perfect lightening holes drilled in it.

A sturdy 8-3/8-inch Winters Quick-change rearend is suspended by a parallel four-link suspension. It is filled with 5.20 gears, which are used to generate brisk acceleration with 35-inch-tall, racing-type Excelsior rear tires and 29-inch-tall front tires. The tires are mounted on custom 18-inch front and 20-inch rear "kidney bean"-style wheels from Budnik.

Steering comes from a custom-fabricated linkage that is connected to a reversed Corvair steering box. The linkage is mounted to the outside of the frame rail.

Hand-crafted cabin

Inside, the FlexFuel Hot Rod maintains its racing-inspired minimalist theme, but with contemporary feel. Hand-formed sheet metal and earth-friendly materials were used to trim the cabin, as well as the racing-style aluminum seats. The dashboard was hand-finished, too, and filled with traditional-looking Stewart-Warner gauges.

One of the interior's central points of interest is the racing-style driveshaft tube, which covers the custom driveshaft. It is a prominent fixture in the cabin because the body has been lowered around the chassis to achieve the streamlined appearance that was characteristic of old-school hot rods.

Road ready

More than just a conceptualized vision of an alternative-fuel street rod, the FlexFuel Hot Rod is a driver that GM Performance Division will press into service for a number of road events and tests.

"This thing is going to rack up a lot of miles," said Oppenheiser. "With the FlexFuel conversion, it can run purely on E85, gasoline or any combination of the two. That means it can be refueled anywhere the road takes it."
# # #

Lotus Engineering to Help Obvio Build Tribrid Sports Car

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 06:45:00 EST

Brazil's Obvio is reportedly working on new "tribrid" cars. They're called that because they'll try anything for fuel — gasoline, bioethanol, natural gas, electricity, rainwater, caipirinhas, a thong-powered windup propeller, and large hats outfitted with exotic fruits. Of course, only variations of the first four will likely power on the lightweight, mid-engined sports cars — dubbed 828 and 012 — which will be created in partnership with Lotus Engineering. They'll probably cost upward of $50,000 if they come to the states, as the company's CEO once said is a possibility. If they do make it stateside, we'll, of course, have to substitute rum for Cacha a in the caipirinhas. – Mike Spinelli

Obvio! Selects Lotus Engineering to Develop Tri-Fuel Cars [Green Car Congress]

Obvio.US: Brazilian Flexfuel, Electric Cars Coming to the States

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 17:28:44 EDT

Flexfuel and electric-car aficinados (and Kermit the Frog impersonators) in the US will soon have their pick of Brazilian-built Obvio! cars. Word came down yesterday that California's Zap will distribute the green (literally) pod vehicles in North America. According to Green Car Congress, Zap has pre-purchased 50,000 of the cars, which it plans to import and sell. The first models, which will reportedly go into production in 2007, will run on flexfuel (gas/ethanol/caipirinhas), but Obvio!'s president says all-electric models will follow, likely in the range of $50,000, later on.

OBVIO! to Introduce Electric Cars to North America (updated) [Green Car Congress]

Make E85 At Home, In A Still

David Thomas — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 15:14:04 EDT

How hard-up are ethanol buyers? Pretty hard up it seems. A Tennessee company, too many jokes, is selling make-your-own-ethanol kits. They're called stills kids. You know, what they made moonshine in! This is completely nuts. Originally conceived for emergencies like hurricanes, the stills are one way to stick it to the man, the oil man.

People making ethanol at home for their cars [Channel 3 WCAX, Vermont]

Related:
GM And Ford: Lead On You Leaders Of Flex Fuel [internal]

GM And Ford: Lead On You Leaders Of Flex Fuel

Ray Wert — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 09:00:00 EDT

They've gotta be doing something right — first Toyota jumped on the flex fuel bandwagon started by the General and FoMoCo. Well, let's drop another onto that list as Chrysler, the third amigo of the big three, is now agreeing to expand it's lineup of ethanol-fuel burning models with two Jeeps offering flex-fuel engines. We almost want to make some kind of corn-y crack about how the child will lead them. But we're above that. Aren't we?

Chrysler to expand ethanol lineup [Freep]

Related:
Toyota Thinks Yellow, Goes Green [internal]

Our Fast is Only a Little Gassy

Ray Wert — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:05:37 EST

We often hear voices inside of our heads. Our little VDub gremlin is already well known for the following nuggets of wisdom:

• "Down, Down!"
• "My Fast likes to keep things light!"
• "My Fast thinks delivery is for the weak!"

Well, he's been adding a few new ones to the list:

• "Flex-Fuel! Flex-Fuel!"
• "My Fast doesn't like global warming!"
• "My Fast slugs down Capirinhas and yells Portuguese curses at passersby!"

Volkswagen to stop making gas-only cars in Brazil [Automotive News]

Saab's BioPower Concept to Debut in Los Angeles

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 09:31:51 EST

American corn growers, and the lobbyists who butter their interests, will be pleased Saab will showcase its US-focused ethanol-powered concept engine at the Los Angeles auto show this week. This 9-5 Aero BioPower is propelled by a 310hp/325 lb.-ft, 2.3-liter turbo fueled by E85 — an 85% Ethanol 15% flex fuel supported by Saab parent GM. The US concept is considerably more powerful than Saab's BioPower 9-5 sold in Sweden, which tops out at 180hp, (that model accounts for for 70 percent of 9-5 sales in that country), making a possible corn-fueled run across Iowa a matter of hours, not weeks.

More at MPH