Doesn't qualify for the News at www.honestjohn.co.uk But in his Sunday Times column today, the best motoring writer of all time, lifelong Marlboro smoker and hater of vehicles that smoke confesses to having chopped in his Landbruiser 4.5V8 for a much more sensible 4.2 VX DIESEL. His simple logic is that it is the best 7-seater 4x4 on or off the road. That's good enough for me.
HJ
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I strongly disagree that Clarkson is the best motoring writer of all time, he would rate 105th on my list-just after Murray Walker.
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I'm no diesel fan either, but I have one of these as it has a proper size diesel engine with none of that fancy common rail/direct injection/ecu controlled stuff. Just honest-to-goodness old fashioned injectors and mechanical pump, and is none the worse for it. What is it they say - "no replacement for displacement?" 200 HP and massive torque at 1400 rpm.
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Well I am a diesel fan actually, but it's your "honest to goodness" diesel engines that give the rest a bad press. It's also this type that have given the Government the excuse to punitively tax diesels.
As you may be aware, the diesel's from the VW and Peugeot/Citroen group are some of the cleanest engines that any manufacturer produces today.
We should all do our bit to keep the environment clean, and this can be done by using the newer types of economical diesel engines available these days.
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I agree they're cleaner and more economical, but they don't yet produce 200hp and 350lb/ft at 1400 rpm, which is what you need for 2.5 tons off-road. Plus I'm not so sure about the long-term running costs of all that high tech stuff. In my experience, complicated things cost money long term, negating many of the short term 'economy' gains. The latest Landcruiser passes all the latest emission tests anyway, otherwise they wouldn't be allowed to sell them. It may only get 25mpg, but it's better than 16mpg from a petrol version, plus I'm doing my bit for Gordon Brown with all that tax on diesel.
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Clarkson buys a dessiall? Never! Before you know it, he'll be questioning capitalism and supporting the far left of the Labour party in the form of Tony Benn..............which he does on p15 of the Sunday Times (so it must be true).
Is this proof positive that driving a Ferrari causes mental aberration? HJ, this could be your big chance to seize the crown long held by Jeremiah. How can Murdoch continue paying Jerry his vast fees now that he has confessed his admiration for Tony Benn, an opening must surely arise for you at News International.
Whilst I'm on the subject of new opportunities: the new, improved Top Gear will need a motoring correspondent of some standing (such as yourself) when the programme is relaunched in the spring on Channel Five (?), the new format should satisfy the fantasies long-held by some of your minions, certain presenters to appear scantily clad whilst road testing the latest offerings from the motor industry..........the thought of Tiff demonstrating that he his truly man enough for the job whilst powersliding across a deserted municipal car park in a Yaris is (almost) too much to bear.
HH
M
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Hi Geoff - a much needed Diesel fan to this site!
My thoughts exactly!
Nice to see that even JC has eaten humble pie and bought a VX TD.
Great motor though, not that I am a fan of 4 X 4 machinery. (Well, not in the High Street or on the M25, anyway)
Rgds
David
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David Lacey wrote:
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> Hi Geoff - a much needed Diesel fan to this site!
>
Hi Dave,
I reckon there are more of us diesel drivers on the site than you think, how do we go about a poll which is representative? or is anyone even interested?
Sorry its a quiet night away from home.
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I've worked on Diesel engines for a good lump of my adult life and have never liked them in cars. But if I could afford one it would have to be a common rail VW.
As a point of interest the "new" common rail engines are the most fuel efficient. Within the older marine diesel engines the Doxford opposed piston slow speed marine diesels where considered to be the most fuel efficient. They were common rail injected when all around had seperate pumps for each cylinder.
Bill
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VW doesn't do 'common rail' diesels. Instead, it send the fuel to the injectors at comparatively low pressure, then uses injector pumps to provide the high pressure that gived a better spray pattern. Pumpe Duse and Common Rail technology are different.
HJ
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There's nothing wrong with my 330d. In fact its better than every other 3 series bar the 330 petrol.
Oh, and I do 450 miles on a tank, and 330 petrol doesn't.
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His Lordship was wondering what the environmental costs would be of scrapping the old diesel and having an ecologically sound replacement build for him.
Preferably in equivalent litres of diesel burnt terms, if any of you chaps know.
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Nice to see he's seen the light. Now all we have o do is convert QW.
I've been lucky enough to have a play with one of these things on and off road and it ranks as one of the best vehicles I have ever driven (and the first automatic that didn't annoy me). If only I had 40k burning a hole in my pocket ........
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