Mazda3 gets Revised 1.6-liter Diesel in Europe, Returns 4.4lt/100km or 53.5mpg

Mazda has updated the 1.6-liter four-cylinder diesel engine offered in the Mazda3 hatchback and sedan models, making it Euro 5-compliant, more powerful (115 hp vs 109 hp) and even more economical. The new version needs just 4.4 lt/100 km (64.2 UK mpg or 53.5 US mpg) and it's mated for the first time to a six-speed manual transmission.

The five extra horses won't rock your world, but the 1.6 MZ-CD delivers 30 more newton-meters (22 lb-ft) of torque, which should definitely count. Engineers achieved this by using a new common-rail fuel injector system, with piezo injectors, and a variable-geometry turbocharger, which not only increased the torque to 270 Nm (199 lb-ft), but also made it available between 1,700-2,700 rpm. Peak power is delivered 400 rpm lower than before, at 3,600 rpm.

The extra oomph doesn't really translate into better acceleration figures - at least not on paper- but the Mazda3 1.6 MZ-CD is no slouch either. It accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 11 seconds, matching its predecessor, and can reach a top speed of 186 km/h (116 mph).

Also new is the maintenance-free diesel particulate filter (DPF), which no longer needs an additive to burn off the particulate matter, thus reducing running costs. Also thanks to the DPF, the new engine emits just 117 g/km of CO2 in the combined cycle.

Mazda hasn't provided any information on pricing and availability yet.

By Csaba Daradics

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Fuel Filter Leak Prompts Mercedes-Benz Diesel Model Recall in the States

A total of 2,297 diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz models are being recalled in the U.S. to fix a potential problem that could lead to fuel leaks. The recall affects certain diesel versions of the 2011MY E-Class, GL-Class, R-Class and M-Class vehicle range.

Mercedes-Benz told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the problem lies in the in the o-ring, which may not have been properly lubricated in all cases and could lead to a fuel leakage.

The feds sais that their main worry is that diesel fuel may be spilled on roads making them slippery and thus increasing the potential for a crash.

The German automaker said its U.S. dealers will replace the fuel filters free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin this month. Owners may contact Mercedes Benz for more information at 1-800-367-6372.

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New Video of BMW's Vision ED Prototype Sports Car

At the end of last week, BMW informed us that its Vision EfficientDynamics [ED] green sports car concept would become a reality and be available for sale as early as 2013. Along with the announcement and the release of new photographic material, the Bavarian automaker also published a fresh video featuring an early prototype version of the diesel-electric-powered Vision ED. To watch the new promotional film, hit the jump below.

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Carbon Motors claims 14,000 reservations for E7 police car [Video]

Carbon Motors will put its E7 Police Car into production in 2012 and the brave men and women of the law enforcement, City Mayors, Managers and Council Members, the State Controllers and even the Federal Government are starting to recognize the benefits of this diesel police interceptor that will carry a BMW diesel engine.



In its latest newsletter update, Carbon Motors has revealed that it's received over 14,000 reservations from over 400 police agencies for its new purpose built E7 police car. However, it's best to bear in mind those are just reservations for slots in the production schedule. As of yet, no one has placed a firm order for the E7 because Carbon hasn't even announced pricing. While the concept of a vehicle built specifically to meet the needs of police forces certainly sounds good on paper, the E7 will undoubtedly be expensive.



The Carbon Motors E7 will be powered by a diesel engine from BMW. The twin-turbocharged diesel unit, which is also used in the BMW X5 xDrive35d and the BMW 335d, will produce 265 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque. So far Carbon Motors has ordered 240,000 of these engines from BMW.













Press Release:



Carbon Motors: A Catalyst for Change



New Entrants into Market Raise the Question, "What's the Difference?"



It has long been assumed that law enforcement professionals – police, sheriff's deputies, state patrol, etc. – operate real "police cars", yet there has never been any proof backed up with logic to show why this statement might be true (or in this case false) in the first place. It is a myth. Law enforcement organizations have never been offered a purpose-built solution because one never existed anywhere in the world until Carbon Motors came along with world's first and only purpose-built law enforcement patrol vehicle.



With the help of over 3,500 US law enforcement professionals from all 50 States representing the local, state and federal levels, Carbon Motors wrote the groundbreaking specifications for such a vehicle. Based on this comprehensive list, it became evident that modifying a retail passenger car would not suffice – from interior space requirements, to vehicle performance, to the use of advanced homeland security technologies, to the long-term durability based on law enforcement usage patterns, to the fuel efficiency, to the required safety attributes and the list goes on and on and on. Carbon Motors decided to develop an all-new, ground-up homeland security platform for the United States of America "Designed by Law Enforcement, Exclusively for Law Enforcement."



What Really is "Purpose-Built"?



Purpose-built quite simply means, "exclusively built for a particular purpose" – a superior product built from the ground-up with one sole mission, dedicated and committed to one set of professional users. Our country builds purpose-built vehicles to put out fires, go into battle, clean our streets, collect our trash and deliver our mail. Why not a purpose-built vehicle, then, for patrolling our roadways, protecting our communities, and securing our homeland?



The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the MRAP All-Terrain Armored Vehicle, an emergency fire truck, a SWAT armored rescue vehicle, and the Carbon 'E7' – these are purpose-built vehicles on a very serious, clear and singular mission. The Carbon E7 is in fact so serious, that it will have a positive and material effect on at least six of President Obama's cabinet-level departments including the Departments of Labor, Energy, Homeland Security, Justice, Transportation, and Treasury. From creating thousands of new American jobs of national importance, to reducing our dependence on foreign oil, to better securing our homeland, and even reducing taxpayer burden regarding the approximately $100 billion the United States of America will spend on law enforcement vehicle operations over the next decade.

Demand is Unquestionable – 14,000 Reservations Says So!



Clearly, the brave women and men of law enforcement, the City Mayors, Managers and Council Members, the State Controllers and even the Federal Government all recognize the benefits of a purpose-built vehicle. And they have all backed it up in writing. Carbon Motors has surpassed 14,000 production slot reservations for the Carbon E7. These reservations were made by over 400 law enforcement agencies in 48 US States, representing each functional area of law enforcement. At this rate, Carbon Motors fully expects to have production sold out well in advance of the first vehicle rolling out of the Carbon Campus in Connersville, Indiana.



51st stop on Pure Justice Tour Features Ride-and-Drive



Carbon Motors Corporation was invited to participate in the Advanced Automotive Technology Symposium in Sacramento, California last week. The purpose of the event was to highlight some of the emerging technologies in the automotive powertrain space. Other participants included Bosch, BMW, Daimler, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Volkswagen. Advanced clean diesel technology was not only featured as a prominent provider of both reduced fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions, but as a long-term, durable solution to reducing our dependence on foreign oil.



Carbon Motors set out to provide an optimum balance of performance and fuel economy in the E7 law enforcement patrol vehicle with the selection of its advanced clean diesel engines by BMW. Symposium guests were invited to experience that performance first-hand after looking over Carbon's E7 – the thrill of having 80% of the engine's torque available between 1100 rpm to 4200 rpm!



Law enforcement professionals spent extraordinary lengths of time gazing at the E7 and learning of its unique features and functionalities. They were then escorted over to participate in a very special ride-and-drive in vehicles with this type of advanced powertrain. It was fun to see the looks on the faces of both law enforcement officers and fleet administrators as they were pinned to the backs of their seats. One of the California Congressional Delegates was even spotted kneeling down to smell the exhaust because she couldn't believe how clean this advanced technology actually is!



All of those who participated agreed that Carbon's E7, coupled with the BMW advanced diesel engine, is the one and only breakthrough product for our brave women and men in uniform that put their lives on the line for us, every single day!