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Opel Eco Speedster, diesel powered sexy sipper!

M

marvdmartian

Diamond Member
Saw this, tonight, on Discovery Channel:

http://www.treehugger.com/file...opel-eco-speedster.php

and all I could think was DAYUM!!! :shocked:

Sadly, when I found that page, it didn't really shock me that GM doesn't want to do anything about bringing that kind of technology to the USA. :thumbsdown:

So......what would it take to get this kind of technology streamlined for consumer use, and how much would putting this kind of drivetrain into a road-safe 4-seater sedan cost in fuel economy, let alone MSRP?? Any ideas???
 
I'd buy one as well, but figures I live in the only superpower left in the world so we must drive the biggest most inefficient cars made right?

We have so much money in this country we can stay stagnant, and in some cases regress, our average MPG ratings. Especially compared to the rest of the world. America FTL in regards to MPG.
 
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
I'd buy one as well, but figures I live in the only superpower left in the world so we must drive the biggest most inefficient cars made right?

We have so much money in this country we can stay stagnant, and in some cases regress, our average MPG ratings. Especially compared to the rest of the world. America FTL in regards to MPG.
Click to expand...

we have large cars because that's what americans want. the F150 has been the best selling vehicle for like.. 30 years straight.

try having something like that in the UK, france, germany, etc. as a daily driver - not only would you be pressed for space, but you'd get bent over 100x harder on the gas prices.

once people DEMAND economical cars, then it will happen. as of yet, it hasn't though.
 
Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus
I'd buy one as well, but figures I live in the only superpower left in the world so we must drive the biggest most inefficient cars made right?

We have so much money in this country we can stay stagnant, and in some cases regress, our average MPG ratings. Especially compared to the rest of the world. America FTL in regards to MPG.
Click to expand...

we have large cars because that's what americans want. the F150 has been the best selling vehicle for like.. 30 years straight.

try having something like that in the UK, france, germany, etc. as a daily driver - not only would you be pressed for space, but you'd get bent over 100x harder on the gas prices.

once people DEMAND economical cars, then it will happen. as of yet, it hasn't though.
Click to expand...

Exactly. The American public needs to stop buying Hummer H2/H3's and cars that get 18 mph hwy. I currently get about 27-28 mpg average and that even bothers me. I don't want to buy a hybrid though as I don't feel as if I should sacrifice a significant amount of performance for only 10-15 mpg increase in mpg (Civic to Civic Hybrid are the numbers I am referring to).

PS. And last I checked you couldn't find Hybrid's with a manual transmission, because I won't drive an automatic
 
Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus

Exactly. The American public needs to stop buying Hummer H2/H3's and cars that get 18 mph hwy. I currently get about 27-28 mpg average and that even bothers me. I don't want to buy a hybrid though as I don't feel as if I should sacrifice a significant amount of performance for only 10-15 mpg increase in mpg (Civic to Civic Hybrid are the numbers I am referring to).

PS. And last I checked you couldn't find Hybrid's with a manual transmission, because I won't drive an automatic
Click to expand...

Hybrid performance isn't much different than any other 4 cylinder. In fact my little 3 cylinder Insight will keep pace with most 4 bangers on the road. As far as manual transmissions. Most Insights on the road have 5 speed transmissions, including mine, which get 15 - 20 mpg better mileage than the cvt versions.

As far as the opal, it looks like a cool car with great performance and mpg, unfortunately I have little to no faith in GM when it comes to bringing high mpg to the masses.

 
Originally posted by: marvdmartian
Saw this, tonight, on Discovery Channel:

http://www.treehugger.com/file...opel-eco-speedster.php

and all I could think was DAYUM!!! :shocked:

Sadly, when I found that page, it didn't really shock me that GM doesn't want to do anything about bringing that kind of technology to the USA. :thumbsdown:

So......what would it take to get this kind of technology streamlined for consumer use, and how much would putting this kind of drivetrain into a road-safe 4-seater sedan cost in fuel economy, let alone MSRP?? Any ideas???
Click to expand...

that it can't be sold in 2 of the most populated and wealthiest states in the country (thanks CARB :roll🙂 doesn't exactly help GM out.


that car would be awesome for 24 hour races.
 
Nice. We need a few decent cars of the 3-cylinder class here in the US. There are plenty of people who want a decent-sized car like this. However, nobody is buying them because they aren't available. It is sort of a chicken and egg situation. The only true 3-cylinder car you can get this year will be the smart iirc, whereas around 2000 you had both the insight and the metro.
 
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: marvdmartian
Saw this, tonight, on Discovery Channel:

http://www.treehugger.com/file...opel-eco-speedster.php

and all I could think was DAYUM!!! :shocked:

Sadly, when I found that page, it didn't really shock me that GM doesn't want to do anything about bringing that kind of technology to the USA. :thumbsdown:

So......what would it take to get this kind of technology streamlined for consumer use, and how much would putting this kind of drivetrain into a road-safe 4-seater sedan cost in fuel economy, let alone MSRP?? Any ideas???
Click to expand...

that it can't be sold in 2 of the most populated and wealthiest states in the country (thanks CARB :roll🙂 doesn't exactly help GM out.


that car would be awesome for 24 hour races.
Click to expand...

What I'd like to see (but know we never will) would be for the big 3 to tell California, "Screw your CARB laws, we'll just sell these vehicles in the other 49 states, and you guys can build your own damn cars". Trust me, once people in California saw folks everywhere else driving high performance vehicles that got 2x the mileage of their Toyota hybrids, they'd tell the politicians to FOAD with the CARB laws, and get cars like this approved for sale.
California smog laws are so poorly written, and so incredibly restrictive, that they actually cause companies to NOT develop new technology for the automotive industry, because it's such a pain in the ass to get it approved by CARB. Years ago, when I lived in central CA, I knew a guy who drove a VW bus. 51 weeks out of the year, he powered it with a totally illegal to use Porsche engine that got him better mileage and performance than the stock VW engine that he was forced to swap into his bus every time he had to take it to get smogged. Sadly, he told me that he'd had a friend pull a quick smog test on the illegal engine, and it actually had better smog numbers than the stock engine. :roll:

California smog laws, FTL :thumbsdown:
 
Originally posted by: marvdmartian
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: marvdmartian
Saw this, tonight, on Discovery Channel:

http://www.treehugger.com/file...opel-eco-speedster.php

and all I could think was DAYUM!!! :shocked:

Sadly, when I found that page, it didn't really shock me that GM doesn't want to do anything about bringing that kind of technology to the USA. :thumbsdown:

So......what would it take to get this kind of technology streamlined for consumer use, and how much would putting this kind of drivetrain into a road-safe 4-seater sedan cost in fuel economy, let alone MSRP?? Any ideas???
Click to expand...

that it can't be sold in 2 of the most populated and wealthiest states in the country (thanks CARB :roll🙂 doesn't exactly help GM out.


that car would be awesome for 24 hour races.
Click to expand...

What I'd like to see (but know we never will) would be for the big 3 to tell California, "Screw your CARB laws, we'll just sell these vehicles in the other 49 states, and you guys can build your own damn cars". Trust me, once people in California saw folks everywhere else driving high performance vehicles that got 2x the mileage of their Toyota hybrids, they'd tell the politicians to FOAD with the CARB laws, and get cars like this approved for sale.
California smog laws are so poorly written, and so incredibly restrictive, that they actually cause companies to NOT develop new technology for the automotive industry, because it's such a pain in the ass to get it approved by CARB. Years ago, when I lived in central CA, I knew a guy who drove a VW bus. 51 weeks out of the year, he powered it with a totally illegal to use Porsche engine that got him better mileage and performance than the stock VW engine that he was forced to swap into his bus every time he had to take it to get smogged. Sadly, he told me that he'd had a friend pull a quick smog test on the illegal engine, and it actually had better smog numbers than the stock engine. :roll:

California smog laws, FTL :thumbsdown:
Click to expand...

You should have told your friend to get an older model so it wouldn't have to be smogged.
 
Originally posted by: marvdmartian

What I'd like to see (but know we never will) would be for the big 3 to tell California, "Screw your CARB laws, we'll just sell these vehicles in the other 49 states, and you guys can build your own damn cars". Trust me, once people in California saw folks everywhere else driving high performance vehicles that got 2x the mileage of their Toyota hybrids, they'd tell the politicians to FOAD with the CARB laws, and get cars like this approved for sale.
California smog laws are so poorly written, and so incredibly restrictive, that they actually cause companies to NOT develop new technology for the automotive industry, because it's such a pain in the ass to get it approved by CARB. Years ago, when I lived in central CA, I knew a guy who drove a VW bus. 51 weeks out of the year, he powered it with a totally illegal to use Porsche engine that got him better mileage and performance than the stock VW engine that he was forced to swap into his bus every time he had to take it to get smogged. Sadly, he told me that he'd had a friend pull a quick smog test on the illegal engine, and it actually had better smog numbers than the stock engine. :roll:

California smog laws, FTL :thumbsdown:
Click to expand...

MB is selling their diesel SUV everywhere that doesn't follow CARB. the ad on the radio went something like, 'not available in CA, MA, NY, VT, blah blah, but who cares, you're in Texas, yeehaw!'
 
It weighs 1450 lbs and has no drag, ergo no interior space and no amenities/safety features. It doesn't approach a real passenger car in any meaningful way.
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
It weighs 1450 lbs and has no drag, ergo no interior space and no amenities/safety features. It doesn't approach a real passenger car in any meaningful way.
Click to expand...

Well, I think that's where I asked in my original post, what effect making it a street legal 4-seater would have on the mileage & performance. 😉
 
Originally posted by: Gillbot
I think we need more small displacement engine lightweight cars here in the us.
Click to expand...

It'd be impossible without very, very exotic materials and manufacturing methods and even with those I'm not sure.

The Lotus Elise which weighs 500lbs more despite not having a heavy diesel engine, had to get custom bumper law exemptions.
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
It weighs 1450 lbs and has no drag, ergo no interior space and no amenities/safety features. It doesn't approach a real passenger car in any meaningful way.
Click to expand...

Don't forget the biggest killer of imports, no bumpers.
 
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