So you think the motor in your ride is pretty big? Well not really, not compared to this beast. What you see above is the World’s largest diesel engine, the 109,000 horsepower Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C.

This bad boy is 13.4 metres high and 27 metres long, making it the same height as a four-story building and about as long as the line outside KFC when the Double-Down was released. It’s 2,300 tons in weight and within its bulky casing is 14 cylinders with each consuming 192ml of diesel every cycle. There’s enough torque to tear anything to shreds even though the massive mill only turns at 102rpm. The motor is a turbocharged two-stroke with common rail injection that apparently improves economy and performance. (more…)

The Navara ST-X ute has been reworked for 2010 and even comes with a new badge that reads 450. This bragging badge refers to 450 Newton metres of torque meaning the latest rendition of Nissan’s ST-X ute has reclaimed a place as the most powerful and torquiest ute in the class.

The 2.5 litre turbo diesel motor which powers the 4WD model now comes with 140 kWs, a 12 kWs increase, while the torque rises from 403 Nm to 450 Nm. At the same time there are improvements in fuel economy and lower emission levels.

“With class-leading diesel power and torque, improved fuel economy, lower emissions, more safety equipment, better quality and a refreshed visual appeal, the new Navara is well-positioned to attract even more customers to its ranks,” says John Manley the Managing Director of Nissan New Zealand.

“It offers performance and equipment advantages over its closest rivals that the market will find hard to ignore, particularly versions equipped with the new high-output turbo-diesel engine,” Manley said.

The exterior and interior design has been refreshed and more luxury equipment such as dual zone climate control air conditioning plus a full complement of active and passive safety features including ESP stability control are now included.

The common rail engine was tuned by Nissan’s R&D team. The output increases are combined with decreases in economy and apparently because exhaust emissions are also reduced, refinement levels are increased.

(more…)

Information on how diesel engines work and combustion theory with gas engine references.

For 2008 Chrysler will make the 300C stand out even more with a revised exterior and an updated interior across the range.

The exterior of the 300C has been refreshed for 2008 with changes to the rear fascia and rear light clusters. The rear saloon boot lid is also new and now incorporates an integrated spoiler and high-mounted stop light.

The interior design has been enhanced with a new instrument panel and centre console design, highlighted with satin silver bezels.  Soft touch surfaces on arm rests and door panels add to the comfortable interior while the new dark interior colour adds to the sophisticated feel.  A new ignition key with one-touch start-up, a fully adjustable steering wheel as well as LED lighting in the front cup holders and front and rear door pockets all provide additional driver convenience.

In addition, seat-mounted airbags have been added to the front and side-curtain airbags to the rear for increased driver and passenger safety.

The MyGIG infotainment system is a new option that offers owners the very latest integrated onboard systems. There’s MP3 player compatibility, a touch screen controlled navigation system featuring outstandingly clear graphical maps as well as the ability to store up to approximately 1600 songs on an integrated 20GB hard drive.  The UConnect Hands-free Communication System uses Bluetooth technology to provide voice-activated wireless communication.

The 300C SRT-Design model includes all of these refinements and adds all the visual enhancements that make the high-performance SRT-8 such a crowd pleaser. The SRT-Design is available as a saloon or a Touring and features the economical 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine. SRT-Design features include SRT 20-inch alloy wheels and wheel arch spats as well as a chrome mesh grille. Inside, the SRT-Design gets MyGIG satellite navigation as standard as well as an SRT-8 steering wheel, SRT-8 leather sports seats and carbon fibre interior details.

Standard features on the Chrysler 300C include Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) and an all-speed Traction Control System, front and rear side-curtain airbags, xenon High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, rain-sensing windscreen wipers and a rear park assist system. A leather interior, air-conditioning and heated driver and front passenger seats also come as standard on all vehicles in the range.

Interior Specification changes for 2008:
The new interior dashboard materials, colours and textures, along with the new atmospheric lighting, help to lift the ambience of the 300C interior to an even higher level of luxury.  Here is a complete list of the improved features:

• MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment System with MP3 compatibility (optional)
• Satellite navigation, which also includes UConnect (Bluetooth) and MP3 player interface (optional)
• Cupholders in centre console
• Centre console arm rest
• LED lighting in front cup holders and front and rear door pockets
• Single disc CD/DVD radio with MP3 jack
• Dark Slate Grey leather interior

Exterior Specification changes for 2008:

• Rear lamp clusters
• Boot lid and rear lip spoiler
• Centre mounted stop lamp
• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Roof mounted antenna
• Automatic headlamps
• Body side mouldings

300C SRT-Design Saloon and Touring (extra specification in addition to standard model):

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• SRT wheel arch spats
• Chrome mesh grille
• MyGIG satellite navigation as standard
• SRT-8 steering wheel
• SRT-8 leather sports seats
• SRT-8 door trim
• SRT-8 body coloured exterior mirrors and door handles
• Carbon fibre interior details
• Upgraded Boston Acoustic Audio system (saloon only)

Source: Chrysler