We've known about the new Subaru diesel for some time now, but we haven't had a real good walkthrough of this first-to-market boxer turbodiesel. You know, the whole shebang — specs, dimensions, power, transmissions, tricks. It's high time we rectified that. Luckily, TechOn did a sit-down with the chief engineers of the program a little while ago and got the whole kit, caboodle and whatever else goes along with it. What we came away with — other than a severe case of information overload — is that this clever little 2.0-liter horizontally-opposed four cylinder has some serious tricks up it bores.

Though perhaps a small note in the story, the engine is over 2.4 inches shorter front to back than Subarus 2.0-liter four cylinder gasoline EJ20. That's impressive considering the new block is stronger and up to 10 kg lighter than it's inline competitors.

Subie's also shifted to a fracture split bearing for the crank end of the connecting rods. What does that mean? Well, the connecting rod is forged as one unit, complete with holes at the crank bore and wrist pin ends. Machining operations clean up the surfaces and create the threaded holes for the bearing cap bolts, then the rod is scored along the split plane of the crank end bearing with a high powered laser. An expanding mandrel is then inserted and breaks the end of the rod in a controlled manner inline with that laser etching. The rough surface remains and acts to positively locate the connecting rod cap in space without any fancy machining.

Fuel is delivered through a positively massive high pressure fuel rail operating at around 26,000 PSI. The actual injection is handled by Denso developed units and are based on solenoid technology. Subaru has indicated the next generation may utilize Piezo injectors, and thus operate at even higher pressures for the next level of emissions regulations. For a little fresh air to go with that fuel, the turbo is a variable nozzle geometry unit mounted close to the manifold to reduce turbo lag and can spin all the way up to 190,000 RPM. There was a bunch of other stuff having to do with emissions and all that good stuff, but thats boring, so go read that yourself if you like.

Interestingly, the engine is only currently planned with a 5 speed manual — with taller gears due to the high torque available. Speaking of power, lets remember this thing is planned currently to put out 147 HP at 3600 RPM and 258 lb.ft. at 1800 RPM. We're not what you'd call experts, but thats a pretty healthy bite of grunt down low. With the inherently smooth operation of the boxer design, and the apparently compact and relatively lightweight design, this seems like a winner without consequence. Though it's widely anticipated this engine will eventually make from Europe to the US, nothing has been confirmed yet, but we can only hope. [TechOn]

You know, getting 72 mpg in our nice 2007 Honda Civic diesel was fun and all, but somehow this appeals to us a lot more. There's at least one of us that grew up with this sport of kings as regular Friday night entertainment. Modified trucks with solid suspensions, fat tires, oversized injectors, bus turbos, eight or nine hundred pound feet of torque. Sometimes we wish there was a word for Tim Allen's little man bark, but there just isn't. There's nothing quite so American as hearing a turbo spool up in the distance and then that screaming Cummins shakes your chest as it passes by on its way to a full pull. We need a cold Pabst and a long mullet.

We'll admit it, we've been teases this week. Two forbidden diesels and nary a whisper of fuel economy. Well, today you get the goods. We aren't going to give you the standard "this is what we got in the city and this is what we got on the highway" spiel, because you can find that anywhere. Officially, the Civic does about 41/56, Q7 does 19/21. Booorrr-ing. What we're going to do is hypermile these cars. Although, much like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, we're not sure you can handle the truth. To be perfectly honest, we were shocked ourselves. Shocked and giddy, like a bunch of little girls splashing around in a pool of glistening diesel. Before you click through and watch the video, we need to lay down some facts. What we did can be repeated by anyone. There were no tricks, no cheats. Hell, we didn't even make that much of an effort. The footage you're about to enjoy isn't necessarily exciting, but from an engineering standpoint, it's smack-you-in-the-mouth amazing.

Stop! Stop the video right now. I know it's tempting to run it, but we need to tell you exactly what we did first, by the numbers, so you can fully grasp the dramatic results. On the way to and from the Chicago Auto Show—overlooking the comedic jackassery Ray provided—our mission was to see how high we could push the mileage on these cars while driving them in the manner of a your average skinflint consumer. We hacked nothing off the cars to reduce weight, and we added no special taping or streamlining to enhance the aerodynamics. In fact, we really didn't do nuthin' to enhance the mileage capabilities of these rides. As for go juice, the newly de rigeur low-sulfer diesel fuel, as sanctioned by the EPA, was used in all tests. Same stuff you get when you pull up to the pump.

The 2007 Honda Civic 2.2 i-CTDi was tested under what we considered a "normal use" situation, one occupant (myself), with a weekend suitcase and a computer bag. The 2007 Audi Q7 4.2 TDI was tested with myself as the driver and the same cargo setup, but with the addition of our esteemed videographer, Mr. Mark Arnold, and his gear. Again, we recognize we didn't subject these vehicles to precisely the same conditions, but to conditions we consider the average load for each.

The route to Chicago we chose testing the Civic was notably unexciting. We set aside a roughly 105 mile path between the easternmost convenience plaza after the I-69, Toll Road 80/90 interchange, and the Portage convenience plaza. For reasons of personal incompetence, the eastbound return trip occurred between the same Portage convenience plaza and the first northbound I-69 exit after the the 80/90 to I-69 interchange. The only techniques in play where a judicious use of the gas pedal, coasting (for the manual-transmissioned Civic), and drafting behind semis, which was done at a safe but useful two-to-three car lengths. Jalopnik and Gawker Media in no way endorse tailgating semis, so copy this experiment at your own risk.

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Yes, we know, 72.4 mpg is batshit cazy, but settle down, 'cause you haven't heard the Q7 numbers. Would you believe that a power plant capable of 550 lb.ft. of torque and a 6.4s 0-62 mph time, lugging around 5100 lbs and two svelte bloggers, returned 33.2 mpg? What was that about not handling the truth? Below are the conditions and calculations:

We are aware the gallons of fuel on the video for the Civic doesn't match with the calculation above, but we gave it a second squeeze and the final result was what you see. We have the goddamn receipts, skeptics. Soooo, the upshot? Here we have two stock vehicles you can't get in the US, delivering what everybody in their right mind would call impossible mileage, with little effort under less than ideal conditions. What does that mean to us? Well, it means all that bellyaching from automakers about unachievable CAFE targets and the less competitive, unsafe vehicles that would come from high targets is total, unadulterated bull-pucky. The solution to this pressing mileage-target legislation is an absolute no-brainer: Drop a diesel in everybody's lap and call it a day. 35 mpg from a passenger car should be child's play, if done right. This test only confirms—and frankly stokes—our burning desire for good, fun-to-drive, economical diesels on American roads. So where are they? They're elsewhere in the world. But here in the land of freedom and opportunity, the righteous and patriotic boosters of decent mileage numbers are forced to make do with runty gas-burners and do-gooder hybrids that don't exactly reward on the performance front. The times, they gotta change, and there's no reason they can't change like, um, right now.

Video production and voice over credit to Mark Arnold

While the 2007 Audi Q7 4.2 TDI admittedly lived at the higher end of the impossible-to-get-in- the-US diesel market, todays review subject is a far more attainable unattainable. The 2007 Honda Civic 2.2 i-CTDi doesn't just have a power train we all lust after—it's a platform we don't see in the domestic market. We're going try to limit direct comparison against our domestic version and consider this car on its own merits. Those merits will have to stand up at the premium compact price-point, though, since if the U.S. market did get this car, it would certainly be planted firmly in that segment.

The Euro spec Honda Civic 5 door we got looks like nothing on the road. Slightly alien, a little bizarre, suspiciously exciting, it's a mix and match of gentle curves and ridiculous angles that all work together to form something that really stands out. Park this at your local Wally World and you're not going to have a hard time finding it. We got comments after pulling into a Taco Bell at two in the morning. Not that the swoopy shape doesn't have it's drawbacks. The giant C-pillars take some getting used to, and while they aren't as bad as the black holes on the Toyota FJ Cruiser, it's advisable to get used to looking twice. The steep, sloping A-pillars do their part to block vision at intersections, but they don't present to much opportunity for trouble. What we don't like at all is the spoiler bump in the rear hatch. It would block headlights at dusk and at night, and it also imposes a claustrophobic feeling when checking the rear view. That said, it's not too hard to adjust to it.

The rest of the interior is a home run. The seats offer reasonable bolster, but are covered in a nice, grippy sort of perforated micofiber. They're adjustable up and down to accommodate drivers of all sizes. The tilting and telescoping steering wheel allows the instrumentation to comfortably accessed. The shifter is very similar to the uniball design Volvo introduced in the S60 a couple of years ago, but it fits nicely with the decor. We're truly smitten with the gauge cluster, however. The layout is shared with the U.S.-version Civic, featuring analog informational gauges down low and a redundant digital speedometer at the base of the windshield. What's different here is the gauges: They're a softly lit, dramatic blue concentric set with a small, square digital LED readout in the center. Not only is it gorgeous, it works great in operation. One unfortunate bauble is the gimmicky start button, which needs to be pushed, in addition to turning the key in the ignition, which is annoying in operation. We want to do one or the other, not both. Back seat? Comfortable, folds really flat for huge pass through storage. Nothing more to say there.

All right already, on to the driving. We want this engine. It does it all: delivers great mileage, supplies torque out the wazoo, has really fun engine response, and boasts a turbo whistle, to boot. At idle, the engine is a bit clattery—moreso than we would expect from a Euro offering—but once you tap the pedal things smooth out. It's a very Honda-like two engines in one: If you treat it gently, the 2.2L 138hp diesel is tame enough for Grandma; but step on it and the rush of torque is smooth and delightful. Redline comes quick at 4,500 rpm, but shifting the six speed manual keeps things in a glorious meaty chunk of 251 lb.ft. of torque. Putting the power to the pavement overwhelms the traction control and you find yourself reaching for the defeat button. Steering feedback is a couple ticks tighter then the U.S. Civic, and cornering is adequate, but the tires give up earlier than the suspension does. Road feel is perfectly acceptable, serving up a comfortable ride, not too harsh, not too soft. Sort of the Goldilocks of suspensions.

This Civic puts a whole new spin on a car we've routinely panned as boring and pedestrian in the U.S. The rare combination of unique styling, magical engine, and very nicely put-together interior has us pining for the car even more now that we've driven it. Despite the flaws, this is a really fun car which spits in the face of the diesel stereotype while embracing its most valuable asset: incredible mileage. Just how good was the mileage? You'll have to come back and find out tomorrow.

Photography by Chris Doane

326 horsepower, 550 lb.ft. or torque, 0-62 mph in 6.4 seconds, top speed of 146 mph, acres of leather, panoramic sunroof, auto-manual six speed, multi-setting air suspension, power everything, parking assist... the Audi Q7 4.2 TDI practically bribes its occupants into loving it. It's hard to provide an objective review of a car which seems to do everything better than any other car in its class. Spending time with the Q7 oil burner, you get the distinct feeling we are getting the shaft with the gasoline versions.

Power. Absolute and unadulterated power. It extends into every facet of the vehicle; every button, every bolt, every joint and stitch. That sums up the character and content of the Audi Q7 4.2 TDI. It's almost like a throne from which one can exact his will upon the unknowing driving populace. The SUV is so infused with an unrelenting testosterone flush it's nearly impossible to avoid being consumed by its spell. You cannot drive this Q7 without driving it like you own the road.

Unending, unquestioned, at-the-ready torque. Ask and the twin turbocharged 4.2L V8 delivers in spades. With 550 lb.ft. of torque flowing through a well programmed automatic transmission, acceleration is sure, effortless, and intoxicating. Turbo lag is limited; each turbo dedicates its compression to its own bank of cylinders. The first half inch of pedal tip-in oddly provides little or no response, but beyond that, a crush of power is at your beck and call. If you didn't know you were driving a diesel, you would swear a well tuned gasoline V8 or even V10 was planted under the hood as the exhaust note is pure symphony.

With all that stump-pulling power, the all-wheel-drive system in concert with traction control provides sure footing in most driving situations. We will admit that at times the TC was a bit overzealous on icy grades, leaving us spinning tires where a lesser car would have done the job without hesitation. Granted we didn't change any of the settings, but still an annoyance. On the road, the system provides sure handling, especially when the lowest setting on the air suspension is selected. While it's certainly not carlike in its handling, it exhibited behavior much closer to a sedan then an SUV. Steering feedback is direct and precise with the smooth character we've come to expect of Audi's sedans.

When it comes to the interior, there's little to complain about. Coming from owning an A4 as I do, the Q7 is a comfortable and familiar place. Audi maintains the dramatic red lighting of the past and extends it into the intuitive and fairly easy to use screen. A click and rotate knob provides interaction for most car functions, while secondary knobs do the work for heating systems and the radio volume. Unfortunately, our unit was outfitted with a European nav system, so it was rendered useless—unless we were aiming for Bratislava. An odd feature is the keyless start function. While Audi maintains it's trademark switchblade key fob, you have the option of using it in the ignition switch, or leaving it in your pocket and hitting the "Engine Start" button. The panoramic sunroof is a welcomed option and provides a light and airy cabin, even though everything is swaddled in three shades of pitch black leather. Shift into reverse and the rearview camera displays what's behind you as well as a constantly updated vehicle path on the main screen. While skeptics of such fancy wizardry, this feature in conjunction with perimeter proximity sensors helped us get into parallel spots we would have normally passed on.

Our conclusion is going to look familiar. The 2007 Audi Q7 4.2 TDI does nothing poorly. In fact, we'd go so far as to say it does everything well. We'd go even further and say it excels at a great many things. A bit smitten? Perhaps. But it's been a lot of cars and an even longer line of SUVs since we've enjoyed a motoring experience as much as our time with the diesel Q7.

Photography by Chis Doane

In the wake of the diesel tide that was the Detroit Auto Show, we decided to hoodwink talk our friends at Honeywell into providing us with some of the most forbidden fruits of the Euro-spec diesel world. As a result we've been living and commuting with the not-for-the-USA 2007 Honda Civic i-CTDi and the 2007 Audi Q7 4.2 TDI for the last week. Over the next three days we'll be laying out our reviews of these cars and of how they fit the driving habits of the average American consumer. We'll be reviewing them separately today and tomorrow, with something special planned for Friday so sit back and enjoy the oil burning ride.

Does your BLUETEC E-Class Benz not give you quite the power you were hoping for? Does 400 lb.-ft. of torque leave you cold inside? BRABUS, tuner of all things Mercedes, might have an answer to your uniquely affluent problems. A new upgrade from BRABUS boosts power by 47 horsepower and about 50 lb.-ft. of torque, to 258 and 450, respectively. Besides a lot of power for just over $2,500 (body kit extra), the new modification also meets EURO V emissions standards and is backed by a three year/62,000 mile warranty. The company also offers an E 320 BLUETEC kit for oil-burning yanks. Pics and press release below the jump.

Clean Power with EURO V:
BRABUS PowerXtra D6 BLUE Power Kit for the E 300 BLUETEC
A powerful engine and exemplary environmental friendliness are not mutually exclusive: The motor engineers of BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, Internet www.brabus.com) have developed the BRABUS PowerXtra D6 BLUE performance kit for the new Mercedes E 300 BLUETEC. It boosts power output of the cleanest diesel car on the market by 47 hp / 35 kW. The new BRABUS tuning technology makes BRABUS the first automobile tuner to meet ultra-stringent EURO V exhaust limits which won't go into effect until 2011. The Mercedes E 300 BLUETEC with BRABUS PowerXtra D6 BLUE tuning stayed below permissible exhaust limits of EURO V by up to 65 percent.

Powerful and clean tuning for diesel engines is a long BRABUS tradition. The BRABUS E V8 Diesel from 2001 was the first diesel car ever to be equipped with a particulate filter. It met today's EURO IV emission limits even long before they became law.

Using state-of-the-art test-bench technology in the company-own R&D center the BRABUS development team has developed a special auxiliary module for the electronic engine management system of the E 300 BLUETEC. BRABUS mapping is specifically calibrated to the environmentally friendly BLUETEC concept that features an oxidation catalyst, particulate filter and BLUETEC SCR catalyst.

After the conversion operation, which any authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer can perform, the engine produces 258 hp (255 hp SAE net) / 190 kW at 3,700 rpm. The engine's torque grows by a healthy amount as well: Between 1,600 and 2,400 rpm the torque curve reaches a new high of 610 Nm (450 lb-ft), up from standard 540 Nm (398 lb-ft). Thus powered the BRABUS-tuned car sprints from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 6.8 seconds and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

In everyday driving the 3-liter V6 engine with BRABUS D6 BLUE kit harmonizes perfectly with the seven-speed automatic gearbox. The engine delivers excellent performance with even further improved pulling power from low engine speeds, which benefits overall fuel economy. Despite the improved performance fuel consumption remains on the low level of the production car.

The BRABUS PowerXtra D6 BLUE power kit for the E 300 BLUETEC is available for 1,790 Euros MSRP. Like all BRABUS components the kit is backed by the one-of-a-kind BRABUS Tuning Warranty® of three years, up to 100,000 kilometers or 62,000 miles (see BRABUS warranty conditions as of November 2006). BRABUS also offers a power kit for the E320 BLUETEC model available in the USA and Canada.

An efficient complement to the BRABUS D6 BLUE power kit is the BRABUS sport exhaust system with four polished tailpipes. The fully stainless-steel exhaust system lends the common-rail diesel engine a throatier exhaust note and optimizes power yield.

To add sporty emphasis to the elegant lines of the W 211-series E-Class the BRABUS designers have developed a sporty aerodynamic-enhancement kit, manufactured from Pur-R-Rim in OEM quality.

BRABUS one-piece and multi-piece light-alloy wheels for the E 300 BLUETEC are available in four different designs and in sizes ranging from 8.5Jx17 to 10.5Jx20. The optimal tires in any size come from technology partners Pirelli and YOKOHAMA, up to the largest possible tire sizes for the E-Class, size 245/30 ZR 20 in front and 295/25 ZR 20 on the rear axle.

Also available for the E-Class sedan are custom-tailored BRABUS suspension solutions such as lowering modules, sporty yet comfortable complete suspensions, a special control module for the optional air suspension, and sport stabilizers that reduce body roll during cornering.

BRABUS high-performance brake systems for the Mercedes E-Class are available in three different versions.

Another BRABUS specialty is the creation of luxurious customized interiors. The range of products includes stainless-steel scuff plates with illuminated BRABUS logo, various types of ergonomically shaped sport steering wheels, and even an exclusive BRABUS interior crafted from a combination of especially soft yet durable BRABUS Mastik leather and Alcantara.

[Source: BRABUS]

It's not often a design comes along and truly thinks outside of the box. What would you say to a GM developed, 4.5L V8 turbo diesel putting down 310 horsepower and 520 lb.ft. of torque in the footprint of a small block 350? What if we told you that same engine has common rail injection, a variable geometry turbo, no intake manifolds, and the exhaust ports on the valley side? Crazy! Yes - crazy good.

How can you not be utterly blown away with the brilliance of pushing charged air directly into the valve covers and skipping the lower intake manifold baloney? And come on, piping the exhaust gas directly to the center to meet up with the turbo makes us question other engine designers. To top it off, this is just the stuff we know about, GM is sitting on other details until the patents are through. We're taking this standout engine design as a sign of awesome diesely goodness to come. Say it together now - 2010 Pontiac G8 Ute turbo diesel. [via SAE.org]

We've been seeing the properly named and for Europe only (for now) Jeep Cherokee running around metro Detroit for a couple of months in various stages of undress. Yesterday the stars aligned and we chased this totally naked Bosch test mule up I75 to a Meijer parking lot, where, after a few glamour shots, our phone battery crapped out. Weak. In any case Jeep fans, prepare for the gnashing of teeth and the rending of flesh, because this was a six speed, turbodiesel rocking the D's highways and byways. That's just rubbing salt in the wound. Far be it for us lowly bloggers to question the wisdom of the newly reminted Chrysler, but it seems that the off roading community would plotz for an oil burning Cherokee with a six speed manual cog swapper, but what do we know. Check that gallery for some exciting chase shots.

From a distant galaxy of single overhead cam engines comes the Mitsubishi Astron series. The mighty Astron began life in 1972, and is still ticking away under the hoods of everything from Mitsubishi Starions to the panoply of Chrysler K-Car variants. In the beginning, the Flying Sikh himself pummeled an Astron equipped original Lancer to numerous rally victories. Patented silent shaft technology canceled out harmonics as the engine grew in displacement from 1.8 to 2.6 liters of four pot fury. The last production car to pack the Astron was either the the 1991 Pajero or the 1990 Starion, but only if not counting the diesel version of the Astron - which motored on with turbo until 1993 amid Galants. 21 years of Astron! In sourcing a new cylinder head sans jet valves for one of the two 2.6L G54B turbo variants of the Astron in our garage we learned that the 'ol G54B aspirated on propane with propane accessories serves in many forklifts to this day. The odd marriage of Mopar, Mitsubishi, and K-Car station wagons also led to some innovative badging - as seen in the bonus pic after the jump. [Mitsubishi Astron]

Wandering around what we seem to remember as the basement of the Frankfurt Auto Show revealed this Mercedes C111 Rekordwagen. The five-cylinder diesel propelled this C111-IID research vehicle to an average speed of 252 km/hr at the test track at Nardo, Italy. The crew set a total of 16 world records in the process. The first versions of the C111 test platform were powered by a wankel engine, which Mercedes engineers ultimately determined to be too inefficient by design. They opted instead for the precision of a turbodiesel.

The third in the trilogy of 2008 Cooper Clubman models, the Mini Cooper Clubman D is the oil-burner revealed at the Frankfurt Auto Show. This Clubman's got a four-cylinder, common-rail turbodiesel, with max torque equaling that of the Cooper S's 177 lb-ft, 110 hp at 4,000 rpm and a top speed of 120 mph. But the real story here's the fuel economy, which BMW says will be a sippy-cup-like 57 miles per the UK's larger Imperial gallons. All the hot shots are below.

Honda informs us the company will maintain a clear focus on innovation, environmental responsibility, safety, and building machines that are fun to drive. Along with the hydrogen fuel cell FCX, the company plans to push ahead with an i-dtec turbodiesel. The engine requires no urea system to meet emissions standards thanks to superior catalytic converter design. A European version of Accord in will pack the new diesel in 2008, with Japan and the US models being considered for the near future. Honda President and CEO Takeo Fukui then introduced the Accord Tourer Concept, told us the sedan version is coming to Geneva in 2008, and to have a good time at the show. Asimo was taking a break.

The ketchup-obsessed Finns over at World Car Fans report the coming of a newer and slightly larger Volkswagen transporter. The Caddy Maxi lands in between the T5 and the standard Caddy, with choice of 1.9L and 2.0L diesel TDI or 100hp gasoline engine. The Caddy Maxi will house seven passengers, all their luggage, and comes complete with stoic yet personable doorman, as shown here. [Volkswagen Caddy Maxi via World Car Fans]