Are Large Capacity Petrols A Dying Breed

[developer]

Now, before you V8 boys attempt to sniff out something in my thread that's not there, let me tell you I scan the trade most weeks, looking at S212 E63's and waiting until the time/spec is right for me.

However, there are 3.0 twin turbo diesels producing in excess of 300bhp now and (being advertised at least) as doing 5.1 to 62mph with the usual low/mid shove associated with powerful oil burners.

Being a smaller capacity they are cheaper to insure, and obviously much more economical, which is important to many.

As I biker I really appreciate the joys of a high revving petrol engine and 300bhp isn't 550 bhp, however, the performance gap is closing,

What do the panel think?

 

[renault12ts]

Well...hybrids won Le Mans...so maybe diesels' days are numbered too.

 

[developer]

Well...hybrids won Le Mans...so maybe diesels' days are numbered too.

Maybe, but I suspect that (unfortunately) the large petrols will be first.

 

[WDB124066]

No.

Specialist cars | Trade Me Motors | Trade Me

 

[developer]

I'm loving that a 6R4 made a couple of miles away from me ended up in Zoo Nealand.

 

[WDB124066]

I'm loving the 37 Ford Roadster with lift-off roof.

Oh and that the BDA Escorts are finally getting the recognition they deserve as a knarly little superstar!

 

[sinewave]

It's getting there unless big V8's can improve their economy!

New Audi A6 Estate Bi-Turbo Diesel for instance!

The 313 bhp 3.0-litre V6's twin turbos working sequentially to provide a seamless swell of power, the A6 feels even quicker than 5.3 sec sprint to 60mph in day-to-day open-road driving.
Complete that with 479lb ft of torque! (more than a Ferrari 599 GTO!)

 

[grober]

I fear this "downsizing" is a growing trend. Mercedes new C class 180 Blue EFFICIENCY Petrol is now 1,595 cc!! Ford seem very proud of their 3 cylinder 1.0 litre EcoBoost engined FOCUS but clever though this wringing more power and torque out of ever diminishing cc's one has to wonder about the ultimate longevity of such highly stressed engines.

 

[developer]

It's getting there unless big V8's can improve their economy!

New Audi A6 Estate Bi-Turbo Diesel for instance!

The 313 bhp 3.0-litre V6's twin turbos working sequentially to provide a seamless swell of power, the A6 feels even quicker than 5.3 sec sprint to 60mph in day-to-day open-road driving.
Complete that with 479lb ft of torque! (more than a Ferrari 599 GTO!)

Hello J,

It's this engine I was referring to at #1, after seeing an Audi ad claiming 5.1 to 62mph in an A6, an E Class sized car .

 

[sinewave]

Hi John,

Yes, tiz quite an engine by all accounts, I LIKE!

I reckon it won't be too long before MB tickle their 3 litre unit again as already it's getting left behind by BMW and Audi!

Day to day I don't thing the latest Oil burners can be beaten.

AMG V8's will decline to pure Petrol Head weekenders or Track Day Queens!

 

[developer]

Hi John,

Yes, tiz quite an engine by all accounts, I LIKE!

I reckon it won't be too long before MB tickle their 3 litre unit again as already it's getting left behind by BMW and Audi!

Day to day I don't thing the latest Oil burners can be beaten.

AMG V8's will decline to pure Petrol Head weekenders or Track Day Queens!

Roll on the t/t 3.0 MB CDI engine

 

[wilsodg]

There's something between an petrol 63 and a 3litre diesel.. it's a 5 litre petrol.

Having purchased the 350 diesel (and fitted D6S) it still feels lacking at times compared to my old 430 - to the extent that if I had my time again, I'd buy the E500. It's not to say that the 350 sucks, but it also isn't really close to a V8 to drive. The economy from the diesel is better than the petrol, but not that much if driven relatively hard. If you really want economy then buy a small diesel -and on that point, I guess large capacity petrols are no more a dying breed than large capacity diesels!

 

[markjay]

As the Americans say... There's no replacement for bigger displacement.

I suspect that high-performance and race cars will continue to be Petrol in the mainstream. Diesel and Hybrid will professionally win races but they are still the odd one out rather than the norm.

 

[mct_cars]

The main thing big V8's had over anything else was a massive wad of torque from tick over to the red line - 5000 rev's worth of meaty acceleration.

The new twin turbo units seem to have finally ovecome this shortcoming in smaller capacity petrols, and 7 and 8 speed gearboxes in diesels mean that the narrower torque band gets more usable - twin turbos help widen the band also.

Still, hard to beat the noise of a big old fashioned V8 burble.

 

[Simon_M]

The cylinder deactivation may give them a few more years but they are only going one way - part of the reason I thought I should have one while I still can. There will always be a small number of V8/V12 models, but it is the same as the big V10/V12 diesels - they are dwindling in numbers only to be replaced by cleaner, more efficient V6 engines. Who wouldn't have a V6 that is cleaner, more efficient and produces the same power as a V8/V10?

Didn't the old F1 Turbo engines used to be small capacity? 1.5 litre or something?

 

[TDE1]

Still, hard to beat the noise of a big old fashioned V8 burble.

Could not agree more. It's a sound that money can buy, thank goodness, and long may it continue.

Tried so hard not to attach a cheapo link, and failed (sorry Dev125 )

Mercedes C63 AMG V8 Sound C 63 Klang Beschleunigung Fahrt Vorbeifahrt Acceleration geil Testfahrt - YouTube

 

[wilsodg]

Hmm.. I just checked and I see MB no longer list a 500 option for the E-class. Phased out already? Shame.

No doubt they'll say they did not sell enough - and that is certainly true since my dealer 'sold' me a diesel after I went in to buy a petrol!

 

[A210AMG]

^ There was one for sale not long ago with a huge spec for £30K I'm guessing you may have enjoyed the sound / performance and at least it would cancel out the sound of you crying at depreciation...


Yep I think in 5yr time we will be looking at smaller engines all round with turbos / twin turbos or a mixture of hybrids etc.

Lots of cars already seem to have 'on paper' engines that seem too small, yet the performace / mpg is very good?

cost of fuel and emmisions seem to play a huge part of this.

 

[developer]

Could not agree more. It's a sound that money can buy, thank goodness, and long may it continue.

Tried so hard not to attach a cheapo link, and failed (sorry Dev125 )

Mercedes C63 AMG V8 Sound C 63 Klang Beschleunigung Fahrt Vorbeifahrt Acceleration geil Testfahrt - YouTube

I love everything V8 - I just don't want to spend all my hard earned only to find out that the diesels are about to better the petrols in everything (except sound of course ).

 

[grober]

From about a ten year period 1977- 1988 there were 2 F1 engine options roughly 3 litre naturally aspirated or 1.5 litre turbocharged. Eventually the turbocharged cars dominated the formula till they were banned in 1989 irrc. They produced phenomenal power rumoured to be up up to about 1,500 hp in qualifying altho how long they would last at that would be questionable.