CinciTDI DieselGeek Panzer Skidplate
Posted By RichC on July 26, 2006
I’m posting this particular Volkswagen TDI “How To” video clip here before I send it to Jim at DieselGeek or post to the CinciTDI website in hopes to have a couple extra eyeballs checking it out. I’m not all that concerned about filmmaking criticism (my ego can’t take that), but I want to make sure that the H.264 Quicktime plugin runs on a variety of systems. The compression and streaming of the H.264 video gives slightly better quality than previous video clips, but also requires a little computer processor power to uncompress. (slower machines might look choppy???) Let me know if there is a problem … otherwise I’ll post it over at the CinciTDI video pages on Friday and send Jim a copy. Thanks.
eFlybook
Don’t get too worried that I’m switching automotive brand loyalty just yet, but with Honda eventually entering the US diesel game I’m going to be taking a close look. (within 3 years we’ve been told) A recent article in the 
the Civic and the CR-V. John Watts, manager of Honda’s US product planning, suggested that “That 2.2 could probably crank out about 200 horsepower and about 220 [pounds-feet of] torque at little rpm, vehicles like the Pilot [SUV] and Odyssey [minivan] are too big for a four-cylinder.”
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m happy Honda is considering importing the clean 2.2 liter diesel showing some pretty impressive performance over in Europe, but actually a vehicle like the Pilot and the Odyssey currently operate pretty well on a gasoline engine delivering 244 horsepower and 244 lb.-ft of torque. My thought is that a 2.2 liter diesel at 200 horsepower isn’t necessarily all that far off considering that Volkswagen’s Jetta, New Beetle, Golf and even the Passat operate with 4 cylinder diesels that develop only about 100 HP. (hey … its a diesel and low rpm torque is the key)
Although I am a VW TDI ‘diesel’ owner, I do keep my eye on the hybrid world too. This weekend in Madison Wisconsin the 
thinking that it would focus a bit more on a variety of alternatives … it did sort of, but for the most part was disappointing. There were two brief mentions of biodiesel at about the 25 minute and 36 minute marks and considerable conversation about ethanol. (not all that informative or complete in my opinion) The GE plant video segment on wind turbines was interesting as was the debate on what we should be doing to reduce our addiction. The conclusion that conservation techniques could really make a difference in the US demand was good as was the debate about producing more domestic petroleum. I don’t recall any concern for environment but all guests seem to agree that depending on middle east oil was not healthy for America.
Correction: On 
