Powerboat P1

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New design for the E-Class proves to be a world beater

BTN Turbo 2008 In 1907, the first intercontinental car race took place, from Beijing to Paris. It was won by Prince Scipione Borghese driving a 40 hp Itala, taking 62 days including a catalogue detour to St Petersburg to attend a ball!

99 years later, the Mercedes-Benz E-class Experience retraced the route in reverse, running 30 new generation E320 CDI series production turbo diesel models and three E320 BLUETEC models. The route crossed nine countries and six time zones, with climatic changes along the way. Starting in Paris, the main stops were at St Petersburg in Russia; Yekaterinburg in Siberia and Almaty in Kazakhstan, before picking up the legendary Silk Road across China to Beijing. The vehicles each covered 13,600 km (that’s a total of more than 450,000 km) in just 26 days.

A total of 330 drivers took part, comprising Mercedes-Benz customers, journalists, taxi drivers and celebrities. The objective was to demonstrate the comfort, reliability and fuel efficiency of the E-class and to celebrate the start of local production in Beijing.

Mercedes-Benz claims that the E320 BLUETEC has the cleanest diesel engine in the world and consumes 20 to 40% less fuel than comparable petrol-engined vehicles. It has been launched in the USA and should reach European showrooms in 2008.

The BTN Turbo catalogue has continually been an industry leader with its easy to use, wide- ranging information that enables users to It’s official - driving makes us miserable recognise the turbocharger they need, quickly and accurately. In fact, we have always seen MSN Cars, one of the UK’s leading motoring websites, has released new research that the fact that other companies have tried to shows over half of motorists (57%) find driving around the UK a ‘miserable experience’. imitate our catalogue as a form of flattery. It surveyed 2,200 UK motorists to discover their motoring pet hates.

The 2008 catalogue from BTN Turbo will be Top of the list for making the blood boil is bad driving by others. 29% said that other another major step forward. It will, of course, drivers’ inadequate and reckless road skills are the most irritating factor in driving. contain a comprehensive listing of the Speed cameras were the second most unpopular bugbear, followed by congestion, the turbochargers that we supply, both as brand price of fuel and difficulty parking. Powerboat P1 new units direct from the manufacturer and, The grumpiest drivers were in the Grand Prix of the sea where it is possible and economically viable, Yorkshire, where 65% admitted that units that we remanufacture to OE they hate driving. However, over the specification. Both types will now be listed side border in Scotland, motorists are by side so that you can see at a glance which SPIN DOCTOR happier than elsewhere in the UK, with SPIN DOCTOR turbos are only available as new units; which just 45% describing driving as dismal. are available as remanufactured units; and, electronically controlled VNT turbos where you have the choice, how the prices compare. This will save you time and make The largest independent turbocharger distributor in the world. navigation even easier. We supply brand new turbos, and remanufacture using only Big boost for Bentley The new catalogue will be available before the genuine parts so that rebuilt units are to the same high standard 600bhp for the Continental GT Speed end of the year, both in print and online at and quality as the OE unit. All our diesel commercial turbos are covered by our ‘No Quibble Warranty’ for twelve months. www.btnturbo.com. If you would like to BTN Turbo Limited, BTN House, Arundel Road, Uxbridge Trading Estate, Uxbridge, receive a printed copy, you can request one Middlesex UB8 2RP, England Telephone:+44 (0)1895 466666 www.btnturbo.com Turbos dominate the Engine of the Year Awards from the web site or by calling 01895 466666. VGT™ is a registered trademark of Cummins Turbo Technologies VNT™ is a registered trademark of Honeywell International VTG™ is a registered trademark of Borgwarner Automotive BTN_Rev6_RH_MB4.qxd 1/11/07 08:17 Page 3

Welcome to Revolution Mark’s remarks Industry comment from Mark Dickinson, 6 Managing Director of BTN Turbo It’s autumn already – we’re approaching the season of cold starts and thickening oil. If you read the articles on the importance of oil in the last issue of Revolution, you’ll know that means it’s also a time when turbos will be abused and will need replacing! The changing face of BTN Turbo - and the industry

I’m not someone who looks forward to the cold weather so it’s nice to take a backward glance to a sport of the summer. The first thing that I should mention is that BTN Turbo has As we monitor the market, I’d like to share some figures P1 powerboat racing is a fantastic spectator sport and a real test of engines, as the boats skim across the sea at 100mph. reorganised itself. Following the retirement of Managing with you: Director John Brice, I have taken over his role; we have a • In 2004, 53% of the turbos fitted to UK cars were variable We’ve also got news from a number of manufacturers, with turbos becoming even more prominent in their engine line-ups. new Financial Controller, Julie Swallow, and Damian Stone turbine units. Spin Doctor looks at the complexity of electrically controlled turbos – it’s yet another facet that can go wrong, but you can rely has joined us as New Business Manager. on BTN Turbo to have replacements ready when you need them. • In 2008, this figure will have risen to 75%. I’m particularly looking forward to the future in my new position. You’ll see on the back cover of this magazine that our new catalogue will be released at the end of the year. This will show even It is very much a time of change, as we move increasingly into • 10 million units entered the European car turbo market in 2006. more clearly which units we supply as new only and which are still available as remanufactured units. Remember, too, that all distribution of new turbos. We will continue to remanufacture • In 2007 alone, 15.3 million turbos will enter the European commercial vehicle turbos are covered by our ‘12 month no quibble’ warranty. For more information on our services, including where we can and when it makes economic sense for you, the car market. fault finding and our current catalogue, please visit www.btnturbo.com or call us on 01895 4666666 customer. However, as you will see in this issue of Revolution and as we have been saying for a while, there are more and more • This figure is forecast to rise to 25 million for the year 2012! units in use that cannot be repaired, due to their complexity and Let me clarify those figures; they are turbos entering the market the need for highly specialised equipment to set them up – each year so you can see the rapid growth and the opportunities equipment that only the manufacturers have. that will provide. As always, you can rely on BTN Turbo to know The ‘unremanufacturable’ units (my spell checker had fun with which turbos will be in demand and ensure that we are stocking Rachel Birch that word!) are those with variable turbines and especially what you need – Although it looks like we might need a bigger Editor models with electronic actuators. warehouse by the turn of the decade!

Nissan turbo diesels prove reliable on ‘The Long Way Down’ Sausage and Chips - the Fuel of the Future

Following their circumnavigation of the world in ‘The Long Way Round’, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman have done it again starting problems in winter. A conversion kit allows the driver to – this time taking ‘The Long Way Down’. Setting out three years after their first adventure, they rode their BMW R1200GS switch between diesel and vegetable oil to overcome this problem. motorcycles from the northernmost tip of Scotland through Europe and Africa, arriving at Cape Town after three months and Of course, old chip fat isn't the only vegetable oil available. Fresh 15,000 miles of gruelling riding. oil (known as Pure Plant Oil or PPO) is pressed from renewable They were supported along the way by specially-modified 4 x 4 Nissan Patrol 3.0 Turbo Diesels, selected by the team because they crops such as rape seed and is now becoming more easily knew that there would be some punishing terrain. As Boorman pointed out before departure, “Sudan and Ethiopia will be the available, either as pure biodiesel or blended with regular diesel. toughest going. In Namibia you can have as much off-road as you want and nearly all of Tanzania is a dirt road. In fact, in a lot of And the sausages? American oil company ConocoPhillips and the countries, most of the time it'll be dirt roads." Tyson Foods, the world's biggest meat producer, have announced Among the modifications made to the Nissans were that they will produce diesel from pork fat. Cows and chickens will special shock absorbers developed for the Dakar also be transformed to power motor vehicles. The companies say Rally, heavy duty coil springs, special steering that this renewable source of energy will be cleaner than conventional diesel. "It is chemically equivalent to diesel itself," damper and caster correction bushes, side and wing You’ve probably heard about people running their cars on used said Geoff Webster, who is managing the scheme for Tyson Foods. protection bars and 150 litre fuel tanks. Raised chip fat. Theoretically it is possible to collect the fat from the "It has lower carbon dioxide and zero sulphur.” In response to breathers and snorkel raised air intakes helped keep chippie, filter it and pour it into the tank. Indeed, Dr Rudolf Diesel questions about the ethics of the scheme, Mr Webster admitted sand at bay, as it could have wreaked havoc with actually invented the diesel engine to run on vegetable oil but, that they were yet to discuss this new product with vegetarian the turbos. With the exception of a single puncture, due to the low cost of mineral oils at the time, his engine was and religious groups, but stressed that, “We won't be processing they both completed the trip without any problems modified to run on such oils. Channel Five's Fifth Gear bought an animals simply to get the fat to turn them in to fuel. We're taking whatsoever – a testament to the design and build old Mercedes 190D, simply poured in old chip fat and on it went a by-product and using that for fuel." quality of the vehicle and the reliability of the turbo for thousands of trouble-free miles. However, there is a problem: diesel engine. vegetable oil becomes very viscous when cold which can lead to Animal diesel should be available at US pumps by the end of this year. BTN_Rev6_RH_MB4.qxd 1/11/07 08:17 Page 5

Faster cars mean slower depreciation

EurotaxGlass’s, publisher of Glass’s Guide to Used Car Values, has revealed which used cars are most, and least, susceptible to depreciation. It showed several factors that make cars hold their value better than their competitors, one of which is ‘sportiness’ – all but one of the cars in the list of the ten slowest depreciators are marketed as high performance or ‘sporty’ models.

The report also states that selecting a diesel variant will improve the residual value of many cars. Is it a coincidence that both of these groups are more likely to be turbocharged? Hulls nearly touching at up to 100mph The two classes start together, metres from the shore

Assessing the value of more than 6,000 different models, assuming a 2004 ‘04’ plate and 39,000 miles on the clock, the research indicates that Turbos boost the Grand Prix of the sea used cars are more likely to retain a greater proportion of their value if Powerboat P1 is one of the fastest growing motorsports in Europe. to ensure safe and competitive racing, they are limited to a As with Formula 1, there is collaboration between manufacturers they are a coupé or convertible, small Racing takes place close to the shoreline in some of Europe's finest maximum average speed of 87mph measured over the whole and the racing teams: this year, Team Sunseeker announced a or lower-medium sized, are produced holiday seaside destinations, attracting large crowds to see the live race distance. strategic partnership with Fiat Powertrain Technologies who by a prestige-brand manufacturer, events. It is also televised to more than 100 million homes worldwide. supply twin 5.9-litre FPT NEF 400 turbo diesel engines, capable of and powered by a diesel or low- SuperSport boats are built with standard production model a constant power of 480hp at 3000rpm. Other turbocharged capacity petrol engine. So, what is Powerboat P1? Up to 20 open-top mono-hull craft hulls and engines. They measure between 33 and 42ft and have engines come from manufacturers Seatek, Isotta Fraschini, compete side-by-side in each round, running in either the Evolution a maximum power to weight ratio of 1hp to 4.5kg. The engine Yanmar Marine, Mercruiser and Cummins – the latter supplying Class or the SuperSport Class. Evolution boats, also known as capacity of diesel-powered craft must not exceed 6000cc with two 5.9-litre, 425hp engines to the Bullet Racing team for ‘Buzzi prototypes, are between 36 and 43ft long. They use inboard motors petrol engines restricted to 8300cc. Boats in SuperSport race to Bullet III’, which is currently in third place in the SuperSport Class. only, some of which put out 2000hp, with an enforced power to a maximum average speed of 75mph. weight ratio of 1hp to 3.5kg. Evolution boats can reach speeds in excess of 100mph (equivalent to more than 200mph on land) and so, All the boats must be monohull craft, homologated as cruising vessels. They are open top and are required to feature normal cruising-style side-by-side seating. Tandem-style seating Top of the list, with a retained value of arrangements in cockpits are specifically prohibited. 71%, was the MINI 1.4 diesel/1.6 petrol (hatchback and convertible) followed The 2007 season saw events held in Valletta, Malta; Napoli, Italy: by Mercedes-Benz SLK200 Convertible, Travemunde, Germany; Cowes, UK; Zeebrugge, Belgium; and Volkswagen Golf 3.2 R32, Nissan 350Z Portimao, Portugal. Teams come from all over Europe (GB, Italy, 3.5 Coupé and Porsche Carrera 2/4 Austria, Germany, Belgium and Malta) and there are entrants (997) Coupé and Cabriolet. from as far afield as the USA and China. At the time of writing, While it might still be a specialist sport, albeit one with At the other end of the scale, after with one meeting to go, both classes are led by British teams – tremendous spectator appeal, it looks set to grow very quickly. three years a Citroën C5 3.0 V6 have we finally found a sport we can excel at? Each meeting So, if you have a coastal location, be prepared to supply Exclusive will be worth 17.5% of what comprises a practice session, a sprint race of at least 50 nautical replacement turbos for these exciting machines. You know where

you paid for it. Number 47, Buzzi Bullet III’s twin 5.9-litre, 425hp Cummins turbocharged engines miles and an endurance race of around 80 miles. to come! BTN_Rev6_RH_MB4.qxd 1/11/07 08:35 Page 7

Fiat Grande Punto gets a sporty The most powerful Bentley production car ever

turbo boost The Continental GT Speed is inspired by Bentley’s legendary ‘Speed’ models that first There’s a new must-have car for the footballer’s drive – Bentley has tweaked the Continental GT, making appeared in 1923. The standard Bentley 3-litre had already established Bentley’s a car that will give the German BRABUS Rocket police car (see below) a run for its money. engineering superiority in terms of roadholding, handling and braking, but W.O. Bentley, the company’s founder, recognised the market potential for a more potent version aimed at the enthusiast driver who demanded superior performance. His response, the 3-litre ‘Speed Model’, complete with twin SU carburettors and a higher compression ratio engine, became one of the most coveted of all Bentleys.

Three litres now sounds small compared to the 6-litre W12 Continental GT’s power Fiat’s T-Jet turbo petrol engine, which plant. The Continental GT produces 552bhp and 479lb ft of torque at 1600rpm: first appeared this year in the Bravo, is twin, low-inertia turbochargers are a key factor in producing the flat torque curve, now available in the Grande Punto 1.4 T-Jet 120 Sporting. The new T-Jet petrol characteristic of every Bentley. The GT Speed, however, has been modified with engine uses the latest turbocharging lighter weight con rods to enhance engine response, and new pistons with expertise to give outstanding power and anodised compression ring grooves to withstand increased cylinder pressures. torque but with notably low emissions Together with a recalibrated version of the new engine management system, the and fuel consumption. Torque can also GT Speed develops nine percent more power than the GT - 600bhp at 6000rpm. be increased at the touch of the ‘Sport’ The maximum torque of 553lb ft at 1750rpm represents an increase of over 15% button on the dash. compared to the standard GT.

Producing 120bhp and 152lb ft of As a result, the GT Speed becomes the first production Bentley to top 200mph and torque, this responsive new engine gives powers to 60mph in 4.3 seconds. Overtaking is effortless: it accelerates from 50 to the Grande Punto a 0-62mph time of 70mph in 2.3 seconds, the torque delivery being greatly enhanced by the twin turbos. just 8.9 seconds and a top speed of 121mph. Fuel consumption is modest, It also delivers a harder-edged, more sporting driving experience through an returning 42.8mpg on the combined enhanced chassis with a lowered ride height; uprated spring/damper settings; cycle, while the engine emits just unique 9.5Jx20-inch alloy wheels with bespoke Pirelli P-Zero tyres; and uprated 155g/km CO2. anti-roll bars for improved agility and body control. Abarth reborn The Continental GT Speed produces 600bhp and 553lb ft of torque at 1750rpm from the twin, low-inertia turbochargers At only £137,500, it’s roughly equivalent to a week’s work for John Terry. You can expect to see sportier Fiats in the near future, too, with the relaunch of the Abarth company, one of the motor industry’s legendary performance and sporting car brands. Abarth produced classic sporting versions of key 225mph BRABUS twin turbo police car Fiat models and ran racing teams that were dominant forces on both the race Next time you’re cruising down the autobahn in Germany, keep an eye open for Actually, the German police Rocket isn’t cruising the autobahn track and on rally stages in the fifties. the Polizei BRABUS Rocket. With a top speed of 225mph, it is almost certainly the yet: it is used as a PR exercise at tuning shows to Fiat’s new Abarth division will run its fastest police car in the world, surpassing even the Lamborghini Gallardo used by demonstrate that, whatever the teenagers do own racing and rally teams, having won the Italian state police for emergencies. to their Opel Corsas, they’re not going both the Italian and European Rally to outrun the long arm of Championship titles with the Grande To make the Rocket, tuning company BRABUS has squeezed a 6.3-litre twin turbo the law. Punto Abarth S2000 in its debut season. intercooled V12 under the bonnet of a Mercedes-Benz CLS. The power output is It will also prepare racing and rally cars 730bhp and peak torque is 973lb ft: however, in the interests of not turning the for customers in series and one-make five-speed automatic gearbox into shrapnel, this is limited to a paltry 811lb ft. championships.

The first road cars in the current range The Rocket recently set the record for the world’s fastest production saloon by to wear the Scorpion badge will be the hitting 227.2mph at the Nardo high speed bowl in southern Italy. (Yes, we know Grande Punto Abarth and a sports the Bugatti Veyron, Koenigsegg CCX and McLaren F1 are faster, but they’re not version of the new Fiat 500. saloons.) It will reach 62mph in 4.0 seconds and can be yours for a mere £235,178. BTN_Rev6_RH_MB4.qxd 1/11/07 08:18 Page 9

Advertorial Feature Turbos Dominate the International Engine of the Year Awards

The category winners were as follows:

Best New Engine of the Year: BMW 3-litre Twin Turbo (335i) Best Fuel Economy: Toyota 1.5-litre Hybrid Synergy Drive (Prius) Best Performance Engine: BMW 5-litre V10 (M5, M6) – the overall winner in 2005 and 2006 Sub 1-litre: Toyota 1-litre, the lightest internal combustion engine on sale today 1-litre to 1.4-litre: Volkswagen 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger – which employs both a turbocharger and supercharger, as described in the last issue of Revolution 1.4-litre to 1.8-litre: BMW-PSA 1.6-litre Turbo (MINI Cooper S and Peugeot 207) The results of the ninth International Engine of the Year Awards were announced earlier this year at Engine Expo in Stuttgart. 1.8-litre to 2-litre: Volkswagen/Audi 2-litre Turbo FSI (VW Organised by Engine Technology International and judged by a Golf, Audi A6, SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia) panel of 62 renowned motoring journalists from 30 countries, the 2-litre to 2.5-litre: BMW 2.5-litre (325, 525, Z4, X3) premier award was awarded to BMW once again, this year for its 2.5-litre to 3-litre: BMW 3-litre Twin Turbo (335i) twin-turbo 3-litre petrol engine as fitted in the 335i. The judges 3-litre to 4-litre: Porsche 3.6-litre Turbo (911 Turbo) – the were particularly impressed by the light alloy six’s use of two first petrol engine with twin BorgWarner VTG™ turbochargers smaller turbos – each supplying three cylinders with air – rather than a single unit. This arrangement ensures a faster response to Above 4-litre: BMW 5-litre V10 (M5, M6) changes in throttle position all the way to the 7,000rpm red line, That means that seven of the eleven categories were won by This is how a turbo specialist treats as well as reducing lag. a turbocharged engine: quite definitely a sign of the times! failed variable turbine turbos. The Future’s Green - or Blue! The car's efficiency is achieved through a combination of engine management software that reduces the engine idling speed; Many new vehicles are fitted with variable turbine turbochargers vane open setting would have to be reset before the calibration longer gear ratios in third, fourth and fifth gears mean that (VNT™), which work by adjusting the gas throat section at the process can be completed. Without the turbine flow bench, a engine speed levels are also lower while driving; a lowered chassis inlet of the turbine wheel in order to optimise turbine power remanufacturer can only guess that the airflow is correct: the and an aerodynamically designed underbody reduce the drag with the required flow velocity. This gives the benefits of higher turbo may operate, but it is highly unlikely that it will work to its coefficient from 0.32 to 0.30; and special low-resistance tyres are power and torque, improved transient response, lower fuel optimum efficiency. An incorrectly set up turbo will affect optimised for rolling resistance. consumption, reduced emissions and better braking power. performance and emissions, as well as potentially causing extensive engine damage. The Golf BlueMotion will be available in Germany by the end of However, they are highly complex pieces of machinery and it’s only Volkswagen has released details of its new Golf BlueMotion, this year. No official prices have been released for the UK, but it possible to meet the exacting standards and demanding tolerances Garrett does not sell spare parts for VNTs for these reasons: it’s which will go on sale in the UK in early 2008. The car was is expected to cost around £15,000. at the point of manufacture. Trying to repair one is like trying to just too big a risk. Even they don’t remanufacture, so if someone revealed, along with five other new BlueMotion models, at this repair a microchip with a soldering iron - it’s practically impossible. tells you they can recondition a VNT™ unit, ask yourself where September's Frankfurt motor show. they are getting the parts from and how they propose setting the In the Garrett factory, each individual turbo has to be tested and Following the launch of the Polo BlueMotion earlier this year, the minimum vane open setting. adjusted after assembly, to ensure that it meets the engine Golf has been given a similar treatment. It is driven by a 102bhp manufacturer’s specified flow setting. This requires a calibrated Don’t risk your reputation or your business revenue by taking a 1.9-litre turbodiesel, which averages 62.8mpg (4.5 litres per turbine flow bench which measures the actual airflow through chance. Fit a brand new VNT™ unit and have the peace of mind 100km) and will take the vehicle in excess of 1200km (745 miles) the vanes of every single VNT™ that they make, and allows that it will work properly and on one tank of fuel. A new particulate filter means that CO2 them to set and lock the minimum flow position to suit each not come back to haunt you! emissions have been reduced from 135g/km on the conventional application. Only then can they calibrate it to the specification set 102bhp 1.9 TDI model to 119g/km on the BlueMotion model. It is by the vehicle manufacturer. claimed that the lower emissions will save UK owners £80 a year Any disassembly of the VNT™ turbo will mean that the minimum in road tax. BTN_Rev6_RH_MB4.qxd 1/11/07 08:18 Page 11

The reasons for their virtual domination are many: electric New engines for Audi SPIN DOCTOR control of the vanes means they give faster response; more accurate control; constant response time; positional feedback Audi has recently revamped the engines for many of its to the ECU; and they permit on-board diagnostics, which is a cars. Turbochargers are very much in evidence, in both requirement driven by legislation. Additionally, from the car the TFSI (Turbocharged Fuel Stratified Injection) petrol manufacturers’ point of view, they eliminate the need for the engines and the TDI (direct injection turbocharged) vacuum pump, modulation valve, pipework, check valve and diesel range. damping reservoir needed for most pneumatic actuator The A3 is now available with a 1.4 TFSI engine, replacing systems, which provides a big potential cost saving and the naturally aspirated 1.6 FSI engine in A3 and A3 reduces complexity. Sportback models. It delivers a 10bhp power advantage over its predecessor with a 45Nm torque boost to Looks can be deceiving 200Nm, 80 per cent of which is available from just In the last issue of Revolution, we explained why it’s not 1,250rpm, and 100 per cent from 1,500rpm. possible to repair a VNT™ turbo. With electronically controlled turbos, the reasons become even more apparent. They may look alike, but the electric actuators fitted to the earliest VNT™ applications are totally different to the electronic actuators fitted to the latest cars. The hardware has evolved from a simple Rotary Electric Actuator (REA) to a Rotary Electronic Actuator, which provides feedback and fault code storing. In all, including high torque versions, there are at least six different types of turbo with electric or electronic control from Garrett alone.

There are also many different crank ratios (the length of the TM output crank from the actuator compared to the external crank A new 1.9 TDI also joins the A3 stable. It benefits from a Electronically controlled VNT turbos for the VNT™ mechanism) and there have been numerous specially modified version of the already frugal 105 bhp updates to the controlling software. Often, when turbo vehicles diesel with new friction minimising components and When designing an engine, today’s motor manufacturers have three principal criteria: the lowest possible are serviced, the ECU is updated in much the same way as your redeveloped ancillary units and a manual gearbox with emissions, the best possible fuel economy and the most possible power from a given engine size. computer regularly receives updates. remapped, economy-biased ratios. Emissions legislation has now become a big political and social issue and is the single biggest driving force of Unfortunately, if you break an actuator or suspect that it is Helped externally by tyres with reduced rolling drivetrain development. All drivers are, of course, interested in fuel consumption and power output, but increasingly faulty, you can’t just buy and fit a new one. First of all, there’s resistance, and by additional modifications to further they are looking at how many g/km of CO2 (grams per kilometre of carbon dioxide) a vehicle produces. It is of the problem of making sure the replacement is the right one. increase aerodynamic efficiency, the A3 1.9 TDI particular interest to the company car driver, whose tax liability is determined by the level of emissions. Then the whole turbo needs to be set up on a flow bench, combines 62mpg-plus fuel economy with a CO2 output The pace at which the motor manufacturers are moving is illustrated by comparing the new (2007) Ford Mondeo where a PC connects to the actuator, initialises it so that it of just 119g/km, which will make it exempt from the with its predecessor: recognises the commands that it receives, and runs an congestion charge in London. automated set up programme. This sets the ‘soft stops’ in the New Mondeo Old Mondeo An all-new A4 Saloon was revealed at the Frankfurt actuator’s memory, to prevent contact of the vanes at the Motor Show in September. Of the five engines that will Electronic Model 2.0 TDCi 140 PS Ghia 5dr 2.0TDCi 130PS Ghia 5dr extremes of movement. It also ensures that the critical be available when deliveries commence in early 2008, actuators have Power output 138 bhp 128 bhp minimum vane open position is held in the memory and four benefit from a turbocharger. They are the 160bhp become much calibrates actual mass flow against actuator movement 1.8 Turbo FSI four-cylinder, the 265bhp 3.2-litre V6 FSI, more prevalent – CO2 156g/km 159g/km throughout the full range of operation. This cannot be done on the 143bhp 2.0-litre TDI, the 190bhp 2.7-litre TDI and in fact, they’re Tax Band 21% 22% the vehicle – it requires the factory flow bench. the 240bhp 3.0-litre TDI. rapidly becoming Tax cost per month £75 £77 We’ve talked before about the need to replace VNT™ turbos The Audi A5 has added two engines to the range: a 3.2 the norm. rather than remanufacture them. You can see from the above MPG 47.9 47.1 FSI and 2.7 TDI. The diesel unit, with advanced common that the same goes for the electric or electronic actuator: if it is rail piezo injection and standard diesel particulate The comparable new model has a higher power output, lower emissions, better fuel consumption and it will cost damaged or faulty it is necessary to replace the whole turbo filter, enjoys a power hike from 180bhp in the A4 and the company driver less in tax per month. with a new unit that has been properly set up by the factory. A6 to 190bhp, and a 20Nm torque boost to 400Nm at 1,400rpm. It enables the A5 2.7 TDI to accelerate to The turbo is an essential part of the engine that helps the designer to achieve his objectives – but as engines It is unfortunate that the increasing complexity of so many 62mph in 7.6 seconds, to carry on to a top speed of become more complex, so does the turbo. The first electrically operated turbochargers appeared in 1999, when vehicle components means that they cannot be serviced or 144mph and to return up to 42.2mpg. twin Garrett turbos controlled by the ECU were fitted to the BMW 740 V8 diesel. They were relatively simple by repaired. However, it is the price we have to pay for the level of today’s standards, but they proved their efficiency and now electric actuators have become much more prevalent sophistication required to meet the strict criteria of power, Finally, the new A8 2.8 FSI claims to be the UK’s cleanest

– in fact, they’re rapidly becoming the norm. economy and reduced emissions. luxury saloon, with a CO2 output of just 199g/km. BTN_Rev6_RH_MB4.qxd 1/11/07 08:17 Page 1

New design for the E-Class proves to be a world beater