Originally posted by More&Faster
how someone talks is in no way an indication of their intelligence, let alone a way to judge them. you, sir, are in all probablility, a racist bigot. dont worry, your not alone, there are lots of them in cleveland, and all over the world. :fawk: as far as me not knowing anything about diesels, well im no expert, but im 19 and i drove a diesel for two straight years, swapped engines in diesels, and my mom now owns a vw tdi. i could go down the list and explain to you exactly how a diesel engine differs from a gas one, and i could tell you all of the advantages and disadvantages of them. so ya i think im a little more informed about diesels than the average honda enthusiast. excuse me for trying to share some information. i just think that diesels are often times overlooked by americans. you are the misinformed one here. :madfawk:
We all agree that you have a point here. Diesels are useful for several reasons - they are cheap to maintain, great fuel efficiency, they tend to last longer than conventional gasoline engines (lower compression and more detergents in the fuel), and can produce immense torque from small displacement.
But, for whoever originally said it can compete with the Integra GS-R needs to be shot. They are by no means made for performance. They cannot stand to be revved due to their relatively long bore. As a performance engine, diesels will never make the cut.
Diesels have a purpose here in the US. They are for those select customers who can sacrafice performance for the name of practicality (it is common among VW owners because the base 2.0 liter I-4 engine is similar in performance and the diesel isn't a lot more as an option).
They're good in trucks for under water offroading (if a snorkel is provided). They can produce large amounts of torque and can withstand long durations of abuse (if made properly).
In Europe, they're favored due to their gas mileage, simply because of petroleum prices over there. Diesel is much easier to find at their pumps as opposed to ours.
As for future technology in the US, it's likely not going to be used to make cutting edge advancements. They have become significantly cleaner over the years, but a low emissions small displacement three or four cylinder engine with an integrated motor assist churning out anywhere from 15HP-30HP seems like the way of the future. Even the newest gasoline engines are very close to zero emissions.
Electric cars will not happen. It would require immense power to recharge them (imagine millions of cars recharging in California daily...a state already plagued by brownouts). Their range is limited and their acceleration is terrible. Plus recharge times are lengthy, and their batteries are ridiculously expensive to replace.
I think I've summed it up. Enough said. :fawk: