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Post #1 Fri, Nov 3, 1:21 PM |
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Aych Es Vee
Supercar Messiah - 36559
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http://www.carpoint.com.au/car-review/2146928.aspx
>> An Italian turbodiesel for VE?
Holden is making no secret about examining a diesel option for Commodore. The one sticking point, Holden insiders say, is the availability of suitable modern turbodiesel from within GM's 'network'.
"We don't have anything firm on the plate," a Holden spokesperson told CarPoint Confidential. "GM has both small and large capacity diesels available but the missing part of the equation has been in the middle
Were looking all around the world," he said.
Development is reported progressing apace on new GM V6 and V8 turbodiesels in the USA. Aimed at the next generation of US-market pickups and SUVs, the engines are all-alloy OHC designs with a projected displacement (per cylinder) of around 560cc.
Simple maths will tell you that yields a V8 of approx 4.5-litre and V6 of 3.4. Sounds about right, eh? Maybe, but not so fast
The issue is not only when the engines might become available, but whether they will have the refinement to suit a passenger car.
We'd still like to bet that the GM powertrain engineers are aiming for Euro V compliance and best-practice refinement, but can Holden afford to take the punt?
So where else can the company look? Initial rumours had the VE running around with a five-cylinder 2.4-litre Fiat-sourced powerplant. That seems no longer to be a likely production solution -- not enough oomph in real or marketing terms.
There is another state-of-the-art turbodiesel Italian engine that could fit the bill nicely, however
Enter turbodiesel specialist VM Motori. Founded in 1947, the company specialises in design and production of diesel engines for both automotive and industrial use (it also has a respected marine division).
Over the years, VM Motori -- which is based just north of Modena (the home of Ferrari) -- has supplied powerplants to Chrysler, Ford, Alfa Romeo, Rover, Land Rover and, wait for it, General Motors.
VM Motoris latest automotive engine is a 3.0-litre 24-valve DOHC 60-degree V6 -- an ideal size and configuration for the VE platform. Dubbed the RA 630 DOHC, the common-rail engine is Euro V compliant and is available in a range of outputs. Top of the tree is a variable geometry turbo-equipped beauty that pumps out 184kW at 4000rpm and a stonking 500Nm at 1800rpm. Now, we're talking!
To quote the company's website: "Matching refinement with power with ultra low emissions, the 3.0L 24 v has to be the ultimate in diesel engines. This engine is particularly flexible in its design and can be tailored to meet each individual customer's requirements, be it for a low rev, high torque workhorse for a commercial vehicle or a refined, high-speed engine for a luxury car."
Dimensionally there seems little issue with getting the RA 630 to fit. The only sticking point may be weight. At 240kg it's no lightweight -- by way of comparison Mercedes-Benz's 72-degree 3.0 V6 weighs in at 215kg. Holden's 195kW Alloytec V6 is around 175kg and the current L98 6.0-litre V8 fitted to the Commodore is just 4kg more (179kg).
Hmmm... On second thoughts, nothing a decent suspension retune can't fix...
LOS LOCOS KICK YOUR ASS, LOS LOCOS KICK YOUR FACE, LOS LOCOS KICK YOUR BALLS INTO OUTER SPAAAAAAAACE!
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Post #2 Sat, Nov 4, 1:18 AM |
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Tickford Tickla
BRIAN LAKE - 23447
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any engine that aims to cater to so many needs i think in the end never fully really hits the target with what a specific customer wants.
i think gm would be better off building one in house or outsourcing to a company to design something specifically for a midsize sedan.
i just hope ford is in the process of developing a diesel for the upcomming 08 falcon/territory.
jaguar ttv6 ftw!!111
She looks pretty beat, but she has awesome hair so I totally would
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Post #3 Mon, Nov 6, 11:09 PM |
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Aych Es Vee
Supercar Messiah - 36559
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1 photos available - click to enlarge
Words - Gautam Sharma
A high-tech diesel-powered VE Commodore will arrive in Holden showrooms within 12 months
This engine is one of the silver bullets that Holden hopes will help guarantee the long-term viability of its VE Commodore line-up in an environment where the small- and medium-car classes are steadily eating into its market segment.
The state-of-the-art 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 matches -- at least on paper -- the credentials of any similar-sized oil burner being offered by the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
Featuring a double-overhead-cam, four-valve-per-cylinder layout and common-rail injection, the VM Motori-built RA 630 powerplant ekes out an impressive 184kW at 4000rpm and a rippling 500Nm at 1800rpm, according to the manufacturer's figures.
By comparison, BMW's 3.0-litre diesel puts out 160kW/480Nm, Mercedes-Benz's 3.0 V6 offers 165kW/510Nm, while Audi's similarly sized unit has 165kW/450Nm.
Apart from its formidable power and torque outputs, which eclipse those of the base-model Commodore's 3.6-litre petrol V6, the VM Motori diesel unit also promises ultra-frugal fuel consumption.
It's no secret that Holden has been evaluating diesel powerplants for some time now.
Twelve months ago, Holden boss Denny Mooney revealed to CarPoint at the Sydney motor show: "We have a (diesel Commodore) prototype running around, but there are a lot of barriers to diesel right now.
"Not every service station has diesel fuel. And there's the stigma associated with the smell. You know, if you get diesel fuel on you it's like a cologne, it stays on you.
"So you've got to overcome that stigma that a lot of consumers have on their mind -- that they're dirty, smelly... which they aren't. Modern diesels are very clean, as most of us know, but the public doesn't necessarily see it that way."
However, the state of play has altered markedly over the past 12 months, to the extent that several manufacturers -- including Alfa Romeo, BMW, Jaguar and Mazda -- have been virtually tripping over themselves in their rush to fast track diesel variants of their offerings to the market.
Holden has already dipped its toe into the water with the recently launched Astra CDTi, and well-placed sources suggest a diesel Commodore will be in showrooms by October next year.
The addition of a diesel variant is seen as a must in a changing automotive landscape where the large-car segment can no longer take it as a given that even hitherto loyal fleet buyers will flock to it.
Soaring fuel prices and rapidly evolving small/medium cars have made a big impact on the large-car segment, as reflected by the sales figures. Even an ageing Toyota Corolla has been selling at the rate of nearly 4000 units per month so far this year (compared with about 4600 per month for the formerly all-conquering Commodore).
This clearly means Holden and Ford need to get smarter with the way they position their large cars, and that's exactly what they are doing.
Having a state-of-the-art diesel Commodore variant is seen as an imperative within Holden, and the VM Motori powerplant certainly appears to fit the bill -- if the raw figures are anything to go by.
The Italian-based (but owned by Penske and DaimlerChrysler) diesel engine specialist claims its 3.0-litre engine "is particularly flexible in its design and can be tailored to... a low-rev, high-torque workhorse for a commercial vehicle or a refined, high-speed engine for a luxury car."
VM Motori also claims that the engine's packaging means that it can be fitted into "surprisingly tight" engine bays.
Stay tuned�the diesel Commodore might shape as the most enticing variant yet. Who wouldn't like V8 torque coupled with four-cylinder economy?
Who is VM Motori?
VM Motori S.p.A. is an Italian diesel engine manufacturing company founded by two entrepreneurs, Vancini and Martelli -- hence the �VM'. In 1947, the company produced the first Italian diesel engine, air-cooled and with direct injection.
Over the next four decades, the company supplied diesel engines to various carmakers, before being bought out in 1995 by Detroit Diesel Corp. There was change again in 2000 with the purchase of Detroit Diesel by DaimlerChrysler AG.
In 2003 USA's Penske Corporation purchased a 51 per cent stake, and today the company is co-owned by Penske and DaimlerChrysler (49 per cent stake), and produces diesel engines for a variety of carmakers, including Hyundai and Chrysler/Jeep.
VM Motori RA 630 turbo-diesel V6 specifications
Displacement: 2987cc
Configuration: DOHC 60-degree V6
Injection: Common rail CP3
Max power: 184kW/4000 rpm
Torque: 500Nm/1800 rpm
Weight: 240kg
Emissions: EURO V
LOS LOCOS KICK YOUR ASS, LOS LOCOS KICK YOUR FACE, LOS LOCOS KICK YOUR BALLS INTO OUTER SPAAAAAAAACE!
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Post #4 Wed, Nov 8, 11:34 PM |
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silverster
Senior Member - 168
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well good on holden to bring on the diesel... but the current Astra CDTi is not helping them in sense of business decisions.
I AM WHO I AM!
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Posted: Today |
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Superbot
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Posted: Today |
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Superbot
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