Quote:
Originally Posted by needforspeed
I don't think that's entirely the reason.
The more relevant issue is the state of tune of the engine. The 320d needs a turbo to produce any decent level of power.
It's engine is pretty much the most powerful 2.0l diesel engine available today (only the latest leon TDI has more poke).
Diesels generally have more torque than similarly sized petrol engines, but the 320d also has more HP than the 320i.
The 320i's 2.0 litre engine generates 150 hp, so it's hardly the most powerful of it's type (for instance the engine in the civic type R generates 198hp).
So the 320i is slower because it's engine is simply not as powerful.
|
True, The tuning of the 320i will be for more refined drivability than the Civic-R and so is most likely giving up power for torque and so flexibility. Through engine tuning alone they could make the 320i as fast as the 320d, but it would be a rev happy engine and be at the expense of flexibility and maybe even durability. I'll bet a 320i powered by the WTCC engine would be a fair bit faster for a few hundred miles.
If the 320i were to be have a light pressure turbo it could then be as fast as the diesel and maintain the bottom end drivability. Basically the diesel is not fighting fair as the extra air that the turbo crams in allows it to make more power, given the same advantage (or taking the turbo off the diesel) the petrol would again have the performance advantage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by needforspeed
In contrast the 335i does actually generate more HP than the 335d. However, there is so little in it I am not sure either car is definitively faster.
|
Exactly, given the same set of rules the engines produce similar results on tarmac, with the petrol perhaps holding a very slight performance advantage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by needforspeed
Diesel is the sensible choice that's clear enough. What I was pointing out is that many diesel drivers seem to feel the need to defend their choice, which is odd given that it is clearly quite a smart one.
|
Yeah, I think there is still something of a stigma attached to driving a diesel that a lot of people think they have to justify. I never thought I would drive a diesel when I started driving, but the drive and the figures just made too much sense. It'll probably be another generation before the stigma of the tractor engine is properly overturned. We're just ahead of our time for now.
