Frankfurt Preview: Mercedes-Benz F700 concept with DiesOtto engine
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Mercedes announced about a month ago that they would be showing off their new DiesOtto engine in a new concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show. As a refresher, the DiesOtto (Diesel + Otto cycles) is an HCCI/spark ignition combination engine. It's basically the same as the GM HCCI prototype we drove in an Opel Vectra and Saturn Aura recently. The 1.8L four cylinder engine has an output of 238hp and 295ft-lb and is rated at 44.4 mpg (US) in the F700.
The F700 that contains this very efficient new engine is a full size luxury sedan of which we have our first tease in the photo above. From what can be seen in the photo it looks like the F700 has a long hood/short rear deck profile, an odd choice for a car with such a small engine. Regardless we'll probably see elements of this design in future Mercedes models, perhaps the new E-Class next year?
Gallery: 2007 Mercedes F700 concept
[Source: Mercedes-Benz]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Snark 8:09AM (9/07/2007)
I just had evil, evil thoughts about what might happen if you applied the DiesOtto concept to a really small engine - a sub-1.0L twin-cylinder with a small turbocharger, say? I bet you could crank out 120-130 hp and get 65-75mpg without breaking a sweat. It'd make a great EV range extender.
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Don 2:41PM (9/07/2007)
That's simply amazing.
But would anyone buy an S-Class with a 1.8-litre anything?
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rgseidl 5:24PM (9/08/2007)
@ Snark -
check out the 900cc turbocharged parallel twin in the Fiat Aria concept that will be unveiled at the IAA in Frankfurt. Rated at 105hp and gets 69gCO2/km or ~2.9L/100km in the NEDC. That works out to around 67MPG (EPA new) if you assume the NEDC is ~22% more lenient than the updated US test procedures.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09/04/frankfurt-preview-fiat-panda-aria-with-multiair-engine/
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/09/fiat-panda-aria.html
@ Don -
Remember, luxury is the new speed and, efficiency is the new luxury!
A high-efficiency drivetrain is a major premium feature. Marketing execs and customers are still struggling with that notion because you cannot see fuel efficiency or experience it viscerally like acceleration. For the most part, it can only be perceived intellectually.
Fortunately, S-Class buyers love gadgets and anything that bestows status/bragging rights. The DiesOtto is rated at 238hp, which is admittedly at the lower end of MB's current engine options for the S-Class. But: rumor has it the F700 is close to last year's four-seater convertible cencept (Ocean Drive), a car you would use to cruise down the beach promenade to see and be seen. You don't need oodles of horsepower to make a big impression in that context, you just need to be perceived as both rich and part of the social avant-garde. Right now, that means going green, so you can actually brag about how *small* your engine is.
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James 10:55AM (10/07/2007)
I am thinking of getting one I found this article at www.mercedestuningmag.com that gives a lot of details about this model .
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