BenK wrote:
bmanning wrote:
snip...
455ft/lb out of 3L is VERY impressive.
GM's 8.1L big-block V8 puts out around that amount.
While not apples-to-apples, still pretty amazing that a 3L motor can put out the same torque as an 8.1L motor.
What many 'newbie' folks to boy racer stuff forget or do not know
that force feeding a small ICE (internal combustion engine) makes it
perform like a larger displacement ICE that is not forced fed (naturally
aspired)
That that 3L V6 with a turbo...it depends on the controls (old days
waste gate, but today computer controlled vanes inside the turbo) might
allow 15PSI over atmosphere...meaning that 3L V6 now ingests big block
amounts of air and fuel, which is both why it has such high output
and low MPG when on the turbo
At about 15PSI...that 3L is being forced to ingest about twice that
amount of air...so really performing like a naturally aspired 6L
Key is it's longevity and the jury is still out for me
Its the same basic engine design used in Europe for years, in commercial light trucks and Sprinter vans (same with the 7spd trans). My friend has an older ML320 with 350k miles+ on original motor, so I expect this to last 10-15 years easy. MB diesels have a rep for being bulletproof in general. I guess the question is, why haven't domestic car makers caught up? Jeep is putting a similar 3L TDI in the new Grand Cherokee (sourced from Fiat). Both can get 30mpg+ on the highway (I'm getting 28 now in my break-in period). I'm sure it drops in half with a heavy trailer though...
