Archive for the ‘Diesel Particulate Filters’ Category

Peugeot to End Endurance Programme

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

It has just today been announced that Peugeot is to pull the plug on its Le Mans programme with immediate effect. This is a big surprise to all in the endurance racing field, particularly as Peugeot has achieved such great success as one of the front-running manufacturers.

They had been Audi’s main rival for many years now, and they had embarked upon running a series of variants of its diesel powered 908 prototypes in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the related sports car series since 2007. This of course was a fantastic way to develop certain diesel technologies, including diesel particulate filters.

The greatest achievement for Peugeot in the endurance programme was winning the momentous Le Mans 24 Hours race in 2009. Further success came last year when they won the inaugural Intercontinental Le Mans Cup title before the series then transformed into the World Endurance Championship this year.

In a statement from the French manufacturer, Peugeot have said: “This decision has been taken in the context of a difficult economic environment in Europe. Peugeot has chosen to concentrate resources on its sales performance in 2012.”

Peugeot’s decision to pull the plug is perhaps a rather justified one when considering the fact that car sales for the company have been plummeting.

Peugeot’s of old were never the prettiest cars it must be said, however, recently they have turned a corner with their design and development. The Peugeot RCZ, and the new 508, both look great and it indeed makes me wonder whether such developments have come from the great work Peugeot have been carrying out at Le Mans and within the sports car series.

However, having said that, with Peugeot now concentrating solely on their road vehicles, and with these great cars already there as a base to build upon, we can hopefully expect to see even better things fly off Peugeot’s design board and onto our roads. Hopefully this will also, therefore, lead to an increase in sales for the company, and maybe one day they will be able to make a very welcome and valiant return to sports car racing.

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Petrol and Diesel Price Gap Grows

Friday, November 18th, 2011

If you, like me, are a petrol head, then I doubt you will have missed the recent talks in the news regarding fuel prices and whether or not the government will decide to increase, or decrease tax on fuel. Of course, we are all hoping the latter; however it has been revealed that there has been a steadily growing gap between the price of petrol and the price of diesel.

Figures from the AA show that petrol prices throughout October and November have slightly dropped, with the average now standing at 133.7p a litre, whilst in the same time, the average price for diesel has risen to 140.95p a litre. The gap between the two fuels has only ever been wider during the significant price hikes in 2008. If you live in Scotland, the gap is even wider with petrol 8.2p a litre cheaper than diesel on average.

Unsurprisingly the most expensive area in the country is London, averaging 134.8p a litre, whilst diesel is dearest in Northern Ireland at 141.8p a litre. If you live in Yorkshire and Humberside, then you will find that you will pay the least, on average, for fuel with petrol averaging 132.8p a litre and diesel at 140.3p a litre.

Edmund King, the President of AA, has spoken out about fuel prices: “The fall in the price of oil due to the Eurozone crisis had brought some hope of respite for drivers but the opposite has happened for diesel car owners. The petrol price may have been falling overall, but it’s dropped faster for some than others, and that adds to the frustration.”

He added: “Tuesday’s House of Commons debate on high fuel prices offered little hope of a freeze in fuel duty, and diesel woes, if they continue, will intensify pressure on the Treasury.”

It is therefore an expensive time for motorists across the UK! With the cost of living seemingly on the increase, those running diesel cars in particular may find that they begin to cut corners where their car is concerned in a bid to save money.

However, it would be wrong to neglect your vehicle as, in the long run, you will only be causing it pain and damage, which will inevitably cost you more. Services can be expensive but they are an absolute necessity, and, with diesels, you will find that diesel particulate filters will need to be cleaned otherwise they will end up costing you more in terms of fuel as your car will become less economical due to your DPF becoming clogged up with pollutants from the engine.

Keeping a car on the road is an extremely expensive ordeal, but it is one that we petrol heads will strive to do for as long as we possibly can. The simple pleasure of stringing a few country-road-bends together is something that we just cannot quite explain – no matter what car we are in!

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New Citroën C3 to be Released

Monday, November 7th, 2011

Citroën’s brand new C3 is about to go on sale this month. It is reported to be their cleanest ever diesel, offering a fuel economy of 83.1mpg with emissions of 87g/km. These are extremely impressive figures, and if true, the C3 most certainly will be the cleanest diesel ever launched by the French manufacturer.

It starts at £15,290 and will be one of the most efficient non-electric cars on the market. The most efficient diesel is currently the Smart ForTwo with a fuel economy of 85.6mpg and efficiency of 88g/km.

The C3 e-HDI 70 Airdream EGS VTR+ was revealed at The Frankfurt Motor Show, and I doubt I am alone when I say that the cars title is quite a mouthful. Let’s hope it’s not as clumsy to drive as it is to articulate.

The C3 comes with 63bhp, which is reasonable from a small car, however Citroën believe the economic benefits will outweigh any concerns with regard to power and performance. Jules Tilstone, Marketing Director of Citroen UK has said: “With impressive fuel economy, low CO2 emissions, a BIK rate at just 13%, free VED and the benefit of no London Congestion Charge, this stylish model is a financially and environmentally attractive addition to the Citroën range.”

The C3 will benefit from micro-hybrid Stop & Start technology. This system is designed to switch the engine off while idle to save fuel before instantly rebooting when the accelerator is applied.

Clever stuff indeed, and another great, innovative way for emissions to be lowered for our small cars.

However, the C3, it seems is only really designed for city driving, much like most of the small cars these days. I’ve had the experience myself of taking a small, economical hatchback on the motorway and burning through a worrying amount of diesel because the engine just revs too high in order to do between 60 and 70mph. They say that you should take your diesel car for a run at around 2,500rpm for about half an hour every now and then in order to clear the Diesel Particulate Filter; however this will burn through diesel and your wallet and it will probably work out better to have your DPF cleaned out at regular intervals.

I have a lot of time for small cars, I’ve owned several, and they can be great fun to drive because they feel, or at least should feel, light and nippy. Whether the new C3 integrates these fun and familiar aspects is something that remains to be seen.

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California on the Horizon

Monday, October 31st, 2011

Ferrari are set to release an updated version of their rather beautiful California. It has been reported that the new car will be launched in 2012 and it will be more powerful, lighter, and will also be fitted with a range of new technology.

Production for the Prancing Horse’s new model will begin in January 2012 with the first UK models set to arrive in March.

The new California will come armed with a direct-injection 4.3 litre V8 that will have 30bhp more than the previous model. The new car will therefore boast a ground shaking 483bhp. The torque figures have also climbed to 373 lb-ft.

Ferrari HQ has said that the increase in power is thanks to some new software and improved machining of the internals. An example of this is the new exhaust which is now “optimised micro cast”. Meanwhile, the ECU has been reprogrammed to deliver the power outputs across multiple types of petrol.

The new California will also weigh less, at 1705kg. This has been achieved by a lighter aluminium alloy that has been incorporated in certain parts of the chassis. The new Prancing Horse will now get from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds. For a convertible of this size that is pretty quick!

The Ferrari also comes with an optional Handling Speciale pack and upgraded dampers.

Whilst writing this article, a thought occurred – will we ever see a diesel powered Ferrari? Diesel engines are being developed each and every year to race at the top level, for example the Le Mans series that goes all around the world and Audi seem to be leading the way in developing powerful diesel engines, so why have Ferrari not adopted a diesel car into their range?

Perhaps a diesel engine is indeed in the pipeline, however, would we even want to see a diesel powered Ferrari?

Surely one of the main aspects of a Ferrari is the noise it makes, yet even the diesel powered Le Mans racers are notoriously quiet. Furthermore, would Ferrari be able to develop the diesel components in order to handle all the power and fury that a Ferrari brings? How often would the diesel particulate filter have to be cleaned or changed for example? However, surely Ferrari would use their extremely clever minds to take diesels to new levels.

Diesel powered Ferrari’s are something that we may never see, and perhaps something we never want to see, or are they? As always it would be great to hear your views…

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Toyota Reignite Le Mans Passion

Monday, October 17th, 2011

It has recently been announced that Toyota will make a welcome return to the world’s most famous endurance race. The 24 Hours of Le Mans next summer will see the Japanese car maker enter the top LMP1 class with a completely new machine.

The new team behind Toyota’s return to the spotlight will be based at Toyota Motorsport’s headquarters in Cologne and the new prototype is set to begin pre-season testing in early 2012. So far little to no detail has been provided with regard to the Le Mans contender; all we know is that it will be running a hybrid petrol powertrain.

The cars chassis will be developed by the Germany-based team whilst the engine will be built and engineered by the genius team of Toyota back in Japan. It is expected that the car will also compete in a number of other races next year.

The Toyota will face tough competition, especially from the hybrid turbo diesel powered machines of Peugeot and Audi. The Peugeot 908 and the Audi R18 TDI were the class of the field at Le Mans this year, with super efficient, reliable and powerful engines propelling them round the 8.5 mile circuit ahead of anyone else. Whether these cars even use every day diesel components, such as a diesel particulate filter that one would expect from their every day diesel powered road car, is something we cannot be sure about. However, we do know that more often than not, a successful racing car will mean that the technology used will trickle down into the road cars of the future.

That is most certainly the case with Toyota’s new venture, and Toyota’s Motorsport Chairman has said: “By using our hybrid technology this time will be a completely new challenge. In addition, we aim to learn from the experience of competing in such a challenging motorsport environment to enhance our production car technology.” It’s certainly looking good for Toyota’s future road cars then!

Toyota, of course, has a rich history with Le Mans. The 1980s, and in particular the 1990s, saw great success for the Japanese company. The iconic and enormously fast GT-One of the 90s set a lap record around the Circuit de la Sarthe and Britain’s much loved F1 commentator and former racing driver, Martin Brundle, was lucky enough to race one.

The question now is: Will the car in front be a Toyota? With next year’s race fast approaching already, they do indeed aim to be back at the front of the sport competing for victory. Even if this is not quite possible at next year’s race however, just having them on the grid is sure to spice things up a notch!

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Dodge Ram a Stateside Success

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

The 2011 Dodge Ram has received a top award in the United States of America. The annual Motorist Choice Awards handed the Dodge Ram the Popular Active Lifestyle Award for the second year in a row.

Fred Diaz, President and CEO of Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC, was quoted saying: “Twice in a row is quite an honour for Ram. We’re proud to say that Ram Heavy Duty pickups continue to earn the industry’s top awards, propelled in large part by the quality and refinements learned from the Ram 1500.”

AutoPacific carries out the survey that decides the awards, and they had a record 72,000 responses this year.

For many years now the Dodge Ram has been its class leader. This is largely thanks to what is underneath that rather bulky, brute of an exterior.

You can choose from a diesel or petrol engine. The diesel comes with a giant 6.7 litre Cummins Turbo Diesel engine which delivers 350bhp and a quite staggering, and simply mind-boggling, 800lb-ft of torque…surely that’s enough to propel the Earth backwards!

The turbo diesel also makes use of a Diesel Particulate Filter and an absorber catalyst. This significantly reduces nitrogen oxide emissions.

The petrol version of the popular truck is powered by a 5.7 litre HEMI engine which delivers more power, at 383bhp. The beast of an engine also makes use of a clever variable-valve timing system, an increased compression ratio, an active intake manifold, and it also has improved cylinder head port flow efficiency.

The Ram was also named a Consumers Digest Best Buy and an Automobile Magazine All-Star.

The 2011 Dodge Ram is clearly a resounding success stateside; however, is there room for such vehicles over here, in England?

America is famous for its wide and long roads, whereas over here in England we’re far more used to tight country lanes and small towns dotted around the landscape. A Dodge Ram in a tiny countryside village just wouldn’t work, would it? We much prefer smaller, European hatchbacks, or family sized saloons and it is certainly a rare site to see a big America pickup truck on our tight and tiny streets. Nonetheless, it does happen!

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The Frankfurt International Motor Show

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

The Frankfurt International Motor Show started today and will run for nearly two weeks until the 25th September. The show does not actually open to the public until the 15th however as the first two days are set aside solely for the press to get to work.

It is indeed exciting times for petrol heads all around the globe as Frankfurt becomes our collective automobile Mecca as thousands upon thousands of motoring journalists, photographers, and fans all venture towards the German city for a spot of sightseeing. The “sights”, of course, being those wonderful new cars on show.

Around 900 exhibitors are expected to be out in force, ranging from what you might expect, to what you most probably wouldn’t. The show is a fantastic opportunity for any automotive company, be it a car manufacturer, or a wheel polish brand, to showcase their products and tell the world about who they are, and why they are there.

One of the most notable machines on display is that of the brand new Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale. This is based on the Gallardo that races in the Blancpain Super Trofeo Championship, and so it is an even more extreme version of the Superleggera that was launched a few years back. The new weight figures are the same as the Superleggera at 1,340kg whilst the power figures stack up at 562bhp from the 5.2 litre V10. The new car also gets the manually adjustable rear spoiler that is fitted to the racing car, a rather special edition then!

Of course there will also be some brand new, super efficient diesel powered machines on display, along with their ever improved diesel particulate filters. There will also be a number of economical, hybrid and electric cars on show, such as the BMW i3 and the i8 pictured below. These are being launched as part of BMW’s sub-brand which is focused purely on efficiency and responsive driving. The i8 will be a plug-in hybrid that will deliver a staggering 87mpg whilst still getting from 0-60mph in less than five seconds. Astonishing figures indeed!

If you are at all able to get to Frankfurt in order to visit the Motor Show this year then go for it! You will not come away disappointed, and you will also be one of the first to get up close and personal with all the latest motoring gems.

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Mercedes-Benz to Launch Diesel Powered SLK

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

For the first time ever Mercedes-Benz are to release a diesel powered SLK roadster. They have only previously offered petrol power plants but now the German company is proud to announce they will release a 201bhp four-cylinder diesel unit that will place the two-seater sports car at the top of its class.

The new machine will have a fuel economy of a somewhat staggering 60.1mpg which will make it the most economical car in its segment. The new SLK will also have phenomenal torque figures of 369lb ft of torque. This will enable it to accelerate from nought to 62mph in just 6.7 seconds. For a 201bhp diesel powered car, these figures are simply incredibly, and the automotive world will be taking their collective hats off to Mercedes-Benz, whilst also, naturally, attempting to go one better.

The new SLK will also offer the driver a superb and superior driving experience both on the twisty stuff, and on the longer, straighter, motorway journeys.

The SLK will also come equipped with the standard 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission, whilst a six-speed manual will be offered in the second quarter of next year. The diesel engine will be one of the smoothest ever produced and it is likely the diesel particulate filter attached will be one of the most efficient, however it will inevitably still require cleaning and replacing every now and then.

Mercedes-Benz have always been one of the most innovative car manufacturers, even if we go back to the 1880’s when the internal combustion engine was developed by Benz and Daimler & Maybach in 1886. This, arguably, was the true beginning of the automotive age that we are still in today.

Then in the 1950s they produced the 300 SL gull-wing model. The car since has become one of the most iconic vehicles ever released.

In the 1980s Mercedes-Benz also produced the world’s first robot car, whilst more recently, in 2003, they were the first manufacturer to introduce a seven-speed automatic transmission that this very SLK is actually fitted with, albeit a highly developed and improved version.

Mercedes-Benz clearly prides itself on this level of innovation and achievement, and so it is of little surprise then that they have once again built a market leading machine that could shape the future for other car manufacturers looking to produce diesel powered sports cars.

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Diesel Particulate Filters

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

A diesel particulate filter (DPF) pretty much does what it says. Particles and matter disposed of by the diesel engine in your vehicle will be filtered out through the device. This will result in a reduction of a sooty matter being expelled through the exhaust gases of the vehicle. However, diesel particulate filters can significantly increase fuel consumption, and they also need to be cleaned, or replaced, regularly which can be a very expensive ordeal. The reason why fuel consumption is increased by a DPF is because the ash, which is the sooty matter referred to previously, builds up on the surface of the filter and will eventually block the pores. This will increase the pressure drop over the filter, and when the pressure reaches 55kPa or higher, it will cause a significant increase in nitrogen oxide emissions, and also as a consequence, fuel consumption.

A DPF will also require the vehicles ECU to be programmed into a periodical regeneration cycle. This will increase the exhaust temperature through delayed fuel injection. This can also increase fuel consumption. If DPF’s are not properly managed and maintained, for example if the regeneration cycle is not run soon enough, then they can also result in premature engine damage, and thus reduce the life of your vehicle.

At Longlife we offer the service of permanently removing the DPF. This is a much more cost effective solution, and it will also mean you will not have to constantly worry about having to have your DPF replaced over and over again in the future. Longlife will also remap your vehicle so that the DPF regeneration sequence is removed from the vehicle’s ECU. The DPF will also be replaced by a Stainless Steel Exhaust pipe which will guarantee better performance, and will last a lifetime. This is a much more professional solution than just having an old filter casing emptied which can lead to uncertain gas flow and consequently poor performance.

Therefore, through removing a DPF, your vehicle will perform considerably better, and the fuel efficiency will be greatly improved. You will also never have to worry about having the DPF replaced again. If, however, you do indeed wish to keep your DPF, we at Longlife also offer a supply and fit service. The expertise we have with DPF’s and their installation will ensure that the job is done properly first time!

So, no matter if you are looking to have your DPF removed for good, or you would rather keep it on your vehicle, then we at Longlife have the answers!

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