smart cdi clinches MPG Marathon with 80.61 mpg, driver shows how [w/VIDEO]
The 2009 edition of the ALD World MPG Marathon was held a couple weeks ago and this year's winner gained a result unseen in the contest's seven-year history: 80.61 mpg U.S. (96.81 mpg UK). Mick Linford was the man behind the wheel for the 360-mile contest and wrung the result from a smart cdi. Officially rated at 71.28 mpg U.S. ( 85.6 mpg UK) combined, the mileage master managed to make a 13 percent increase with the machine. The two-seat oil burner, which just became available in the UK this year, makes 45 brake horsepower from its three-cylinder common-rail engine but, perhaps more importantly, emits a mere 88 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Unfortunately, like so many other fuel-frugal cars, the smart cdi is unavailable in the U.S.
This was not Mr. Linford's first time to pilot the smart. He was also the driver during a somewhat controversial one-tank journey from London to Edinburgh. It all makes us wonder if Mick isn't something of a company man (not that there's anything wrong with that) seeing that his video showing us 10 ways to achieve these kind of results, and which awaits you after the jump, seems to have been slickly produced by the manufacturer.
[Source: smart UK]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike!!ekiM 1:33PM (10/17/2009)
Excellent video.
80 MPG US?
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Domenick Yoney 12:44AM (10/18/2009)
Yes, in U.S. gallons. It's 96.81 in Imperial gallons.
Alex M 7:32PM (10/17/2009)
If you really want something close in the US, the last generation cdi made it up here to Canada. You could probably import it.
Reply
3n1gma 10:37PM (10/17/2009)
Why the hell don't we get 70mpg cars in the US what the funk!!
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danielmccarte 12:04AM (10/18/2009)
If we got the CDI over here, the US would mandate more emissions contols for the diesel causing even less horsepower. With that less around horsepower, the CDI would barely go anywhere. Plus, the diesels cost a bit more than the 1.0L, so not many people would buy it. The gas mileage would not compensate for the initial cost of a CDI over the regular 1.0L gas engine.
----Just guessing. Not 100% sure, so please don't rip me a new one if I am wrong.
locoyocal 8:54AM (10/18/2009)
terriorist organizations like iihs.