Diesels the best way to get high MPG?

[JQmile]

It hasn't been mentioned yet, but diesels can also be made to make obscene power levels and are virtually indestructible (at least in trucks). My 5,000 pound, shaped like a brick diesel truck just made 854 rear-wheel horsepower, and 1,754 lb-ft of torque on a mostly stock (head studs and o-ringed head) 230,000 mile engine. On the drive back with 3.07 gears and an OD at 65mph, it got 27mpg.

[oil pan 4]

True, no 800+ horse power gas truck is going to get over 12mpg.
Over 1,700ft.lb. of torque is never going to happen on a street legal gas powered vehicle.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by JQmile

It hasn't been mentioned yet, but diesels can also be made to make obscene power levels and are virtually indestructible (at least in trucks). My 5,000 pound, shaped like a brick diesel truck just made 854 rear-wheel horsepower, and 1,754 lb-ft of torque on a mostly stock (head studs and o-ringed head) 230,000 mile engine. On the drive back with 3.07 gears and an OD at 65mph, it got 27mpg.

Yes this is true for pickup truck diesel engines, but not so much for VWs. A 1.8l VW gasser engine can support 400hp with more fuel and boost, but the VW 1.9 TDI engine can only support about 200hp reliably (without internal work). And you would be lucky to get 200hp out of an old 3.0l Mercedes 617.952, but some of the crazy Finns have done that.

[ConnClark]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Over 1,700ft.lb. of torque is never going to happen on a street legal gas powered vehicle.

Maybe not a production vehicle but.... Jay Leno's - 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom II powerd by Merlin engine. | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Mustang Dave]

Nice! I rode in a (P-51) Mustang powered by that engine. 1490 HP @ 3000 RPM. What a ride!
Well, this Mustang wasn't street legal, but it had FAA approval for flight.