a new tdi engine? excellent!!

[Erdrick]

Well, take this for what it is worth. I know that I just about flipped out after reading it.

http://www.thetorquereport.com/2007/07/the_new_vw_diesel_powered_jett.html

I was ecstatic when I first skimmed through the article, but upon second reading I had a bit of doubt. I mean, the engine is only 100cc bigger than the previous 1.9 TDi. Yet it produces 50 more horsepower and about 100 more torque? Hmm... sounds too good to be true. Especially when you read the part that it does all of this while getting 60mpg on the highway.

However, if VW DOES pull this off, I may end up purchasing my first new car come 2008.

I can't wait for new developments on this!!

[JanGeo]

Looks like they did a lot of downsizing on the body and a really major taper in the rear to reduce aero drag. That alone can help the mileage a lot and the diesel is a turbo so NO SURPRISE!

[Maillemann]

Nice to see, but nothing new or surprising. They're just putting to market what dubbers have been doing for years. A stock 1.9 TDI (90 HP) is pretty easily uprated to ~140 HP with chips and nozzles, with no displacement increase or bigger turbo, etc. If used conservatively, all that extra power can still net you 60+ MPG and there are several who have proven that.

The same 90 HP engines we got here in the US, for example, were sold in Europe at 110 HP, because they got different nozzles, which, in fact, give better economy as well (as I know from personal experience). So, a decade plus down the road I would HOPE that stock specs would at least meet what the backyard mechanic can achieve for under a thousand dollars ($200-300 for nozzles, $300-600 in tuning, plus misc. expenses).

Of course, when you start going for bigger gains like this, it's best to uprate the clutch, suspension, brakes, exhaust, etc., etc., and that all takes money too, but speaking in terms of simply getting the power out of the same volume and maintaining economy - not a problem.

[Erdrick]

Maillemann: You bring up some good points. People have been tuning their TDis for a long time and getting great results. They have been doing this while keeping their fuel economy stable.

However, the modding of a TDi can have some pretty bad consequences. There is a thread over on www.tdiclub.com that was recently started, where the OP got a HORRIBLE oil analysis while using a good Elf oil over aa standard 10k oil change interval. Why? Many people are pointing to his mods to car as being the culprit. Modding the car changes what the engineers had in mind for the car. The balance is ruined. Problems can come up. Then there is the whole subject of emissions. Whether they get worse or stay the same is up for debate. I have not seen much done in this area.

On the other hand, the NEW 2008 TDi engine is constantly referred to as a "clean diesel." It DOES have great emissions. Again, I haven't seen final figures on it, but there is no doubt that it performs better than an old modified TDi. I mean, it will be sold in all 50 states, so that right there tells you that it is clean!

So, in the end, the 2008 definitely does outperform a modified TDi. It goes way beyond what tuners have been able to do with their older cars. I am not attacking engine modders, as they definitely have come up with some impressive results over the years. They just can't compare to paid engineers who design cars for a living. That is what I want to say in a nutshell.

I can't wait to see how the 2008 2.0 TDi Jetta turns out. Should be great!