Driving Volkswagen's fuel sipping sports car
Automobile magazine took Volkswagen's EcoRacer for a spin on the Pau Arnos circuit in the south of France. The EcoRacer demonstrates how car enthusiasts could have their cake and eat it too. Normally, sports cars are not diesel powered, and don't get 80 mpg, but the EcoRacer proves the combination can be a lot of fun. The engine showcases an upcoming common rail diesel engine due in 2007, with a displacement of 1.5-liters. The four-cylinder engine is turbocharged and features direct-injection and develops 134 hp and a maximum torque of 184 lb-ft, which should serve up plenty of excitement in an 1874-pound machine. While the car has some problems, Automobile seems to have fallen for the EcoRacer, and urges Volkswagen to find a way to put it in production. It will be interesting to see how this engine performs in a more mainstream vehicle. [Source: Automobile Magazine]
