For the first time the Mini Cooper will be receiving a diesel powerplant to get things moving. Previously the only diesel was in the outgoing Mini One D which was powered by an anemic 1.4L Toyota diesel with only 74hp and 140ft-lbs. of torque.
Tokyo, Nov 07: Toyota Motor Corp., Japan’s largest carmaker, will buy a 5.9 per cent stake in Isuzu Motors Ltd as the two companies cooperate in diesel engines, supporting Toyota’s expansion in Europe.
Toyota will buy 100 million Isuzu shares from Mitsubishi Corp and Itochu Corp, two Japanese trading companies, the carmaker said today. General Motors Corp sold the shares to Mitsubishi and Itochu in April.
Whatcar.com of the U.K. has reported that in the U.K. last month was a record month for diesel sales. Four out of every ten new cars sold were diesel in fact.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders believes fuel economy and environmental concerns is what spurred the sales. Whatcar.com went on, however, to try and put a damper on diesel. They sited examples of different diesel equipped vehicles and the mileage needed to make it a worthwhile investment.
From autochannel.com:
WARRENVILLE, Ill., Nov. 6, 2006 — International Truck and Engine Corporation, a Navistar Company, today announced its lineup of MaxxForce(TM) International Diesel Power engines for 2008 model year trucks, and provided specifications and technical details.
Beginning in January, MaxxForce engines become the signature powerplant for International(R) brand on-highway Class 4-8 commercial vehicles. In North America, the MaxxForce product line ranges from the upgraded 4.5-liter V-6 MaxxForce 5 to the new MaxxForce 13 big-bore Class 8 engine. Another major highlight is the all-new 6.4-liter MaxxForce 7.