MINI diesel?(USA)

[MiNi]

HI all
I have read that a diesel MINI is going to come to europe in 2003. Powered by a 1.4 liter Turbo-diesel engine. Made by toyota. I am a fan of the MINI and of diesel's.
Does anyone know if there is going to be a diesel MINI coming to the U.S?
thanks

[AprilWhine]

I have a VW TDI that I love. I would buy a diesel MINI in a second!

[MiNi]

I have a VW TDI too... I sure hope that the diesel MINI makes it over here.. The engine that is going to be used in the toyota Yaris is the same engine is the diesel MINI and the Yaris get a average of 64 mpg.. that would be cool getting that mileage about 20mpg more then i'm getting now

[MiNi]

i read the other day on a website.(can't remember witch) but it said that a MINI diesel was going to come to the U.S if the U>S allows it..

[Xeider]

I don’t think it would be a matter of whether the US will allow it. It will be more a matter of what kind of diesel engine it is. If it needs the low sulfur diesel (currently unavailable in the US) it will be a few years before it could make its way over here. I have read that it looks like 2007 before low sulfur diesel is a reality in the US. The US would only restrict the vehicle if there is a safety issue or some kind of emissions problem. More then likely if the diesel makes its way across the pond, it won’t be sold in some states similar to the way VW no longer sells there TDI in CA, NY and a few others.

I hope a turbo diesel version of the Mini makes its way to the US soon.

[MiNi]

Quote:

Originally posted by Xeider
I don’t think it would be a matter of whether the US will allow it. It will be more a matter of what kind of diesel engine it is. If it needs the low sulfur diesel (currently unavailable in the US) it will be a few years before it could make its way over here. I have read that it looks like 2007 before low sulfur diesel is a reality in the US. The US would only restrict the vehicle if there is a safety issue or some kind of emissions problem. More then likely if the diesel makes its way across the pond, it won’t be sold in some states similar to the way VW no longer sells there TDI in CA, NY and a few others.

I hope a turbo diesel version of the Mini makes its way to the US soon.

thanks I hope so too ya i heard that low sulfer diesel is to come in 2006, but must be used in 2007, if that it the case i don't think that i can wait 5 years

[kevina]

I'd rather see a MINI electric or hybrid gas/electric.

Kevin

[Xeider]

Only problem with the currently available electric and hybrid gas/electric cars is that they have very little power. I have no doubt that sometime in the future that electric or hybrid gas/electric will be able to match current gasoline engines in performance and power, but that is still a long ways out.

Perhaps if Mini wanted to go green and also have a performance line it would happen, but I have the strong impression that Mini was based more around the performance aspect.

There is a good article about diesle engine in general found here.

[BruceK]

The recent news about the EPA trying to link diesel fumes to increased cancer risk seems to be huge hurdle for any hopes of diesel-engined MINIs in the US.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...3-diesel_x.htm

[Xeider]

I think most peopel who read the EPA article will just read the title and automatically assume the Diesel is bad.

Interestingly enough the engines studied in the test were all built before 1990, and most before 1980. There have been many many advances in the diesel engine technology since that time.

“While the report focused on the past, the future is clean diesel: diesel trucks and buses built today are more than eight times cleaner than just a dozen years ago,” Allen Schaeffer, executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, said in a statement.

Also, interestingly enough the article did not attempt to estimate the probability of an individual getting cancer, given certain exposure to diesel exhaust. In most EPA articles this is commonly estimated.

If you want to read the 651 page article, you can find alink to it in *.pdf form here.

While the article may have hurt the public image of diesel, hopefully it will not stop future diesel vehicle (those based on the 2006 low sulfur diesel requirments) from making there way over to the states.

It would be interesting to see a comparison between the harm of diesel, and that of traditional gasonline engines. It would then be interesting to scale those results based on mpg the vehicles get. If a diesel gets double a gasoline engines mpg, then you are effectively halfing any emisions it make over that of a gasoline engine.

Only time will tell if there will be a Mini diesel. I have a feeling, that even if it doesn't make it to the states, it would probably be a big hit in Europe.

[Xeider]

to add to all that....

What the EPA is saying causes cancer is the benzene. But interestingly enough there is less benzene in diesel fuel than regular gasoline.

Check out this link from stealthtdi's website:

Here is a summary from that page:
Summary

Diesel cars are better than petrol cars with reference to carbon dioxide, the global warming gas.

Diesel cars are better than petrol cars with reference to carbon monoxide, a poison.

Diesel cars are better than petrol cars with reference to hydrocarbons which cause cancer. (The benzene factor)

Diesel cars are similar to petrol cars with reference to nitrous oxides, which cause smog.

Diesel cars are worse than petrol cars with reference to particulates, which have unproved health impacts. (other then the EPA saying it may possibly have an affect)

Diesel engines emit more PM10 particles, that is particles which have a diameter up to 10 microns, but petrol cars actually emit more PM1 particles than diesel ones. These particles are smaller than 1 micron and are invisible. They are also more likely to penetrate deeply into human lungs (as they are smaller) and look less like a natural dust particle, which human lungs have evolved to cope with.

[AprilWhine]

major fault is that they stink. That seems to be an unforgivable sin by the standards of the EPA.

But I still love my stinkbug! Still driving a TDI Beetle!

[linux78]

If it does come to the USA, I would bet that it will be harder to get than a MINI S when they first came out. There is a stigma against Diesels here in the US that I don't quite understand. I know someone with a Diesel Jetta and it took him forever to try and get one. Not all gas stations have Diesel and not all of the stations that have it have good Diesel. My future father in law has a Diesel Dodge RAM and his only complaint is that there is really only one gas station in his area with good fuel. Luckily with the gas mileage he gets he can go a while without filling up. We basically need better diesel fuel and more stations with it.

When I was over in Ireland on vacation I picked up a car magazine and say a turbo PT Cruiser and was very dissapointed we didn't have it over here. I'd buy one. Luckily we didn't and instead I'm getting a MCS so I won't complain too much. For a second car for my Fiance I'd get a turbo Diesel MINI as a nice addition to my MCS!
-Chris

[vegan]

I do hope the diesel MINI will make it to the States.
If only we could have a choice.

What about an all wheel drive MINI diesel.

[glade]

just in case someone from bmw/mini ever combs these sites looking for kernels of wisdom from potential buyers....okay, maybe that's a stretch, but.... i just wanted to say count me in as another in favor of bringing the diesel mini stateside. we own a beetle tdi, and it's absolutely awesome. slc to reno on one tank, no problem. i bet a diesel mini would do even better. besides, w/ cars like the 7-series and x-5, bmw's overall average mpg's gotta be pretty low. a diesel mini would help them boost it up a bit...