OT: Diesels are the way to go

I'll bet Bill smelled it from his home. "Eurovans" have been around for many years by many makers, along with cool small utility vehicles like this

No, but we did go to Nuremburg and we stood here:

I checked out the BMW-Germany website and apparently BMW 3-series cars in Europe have two V-6 diesels available as well as two four-cylinder diesels. There were no badges of any kind on the car except the BMW logo. Many cars over there were like that, my friend I was visiting says you have to request the badges when ordering. I'm even guessing at the number of cylinders based on my fuel consumption and top speed, there was nothing under the hood that told me how many cylinders it had short of taking the plastic engine cover off. It did *sound* like a four, but I don't think it was.

This is not your father's diesel :-) I was pleasantly surprised at the performance and smoothness of this engine. Incidentally, almost every car that passed me on the autobahn when I was going a decent clip (110mph) was an Audi, and was usually black and passed me as though I was standing still :-)

We stayed most of the time outside of Schwienfurt, about an hour from Frankfurt. All the trees I saw were alive. Driving to Salzburg looked like driving through East Tennessee, with all the conifers.

I stand corrected, BMW's 6-cyl diesels are straight 6-'s, I was confusing them with the Mercedes V-6's.

After looking at the site a little closer, it very well could have been the four-cylinder, in which case I would be doubly impressed. Nothing on the registration indicated number of cylinders, according to my German friend...

Encouraging God Bless America, Bill 0|||||||0 mailto: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

I rented a four cylinder Golf when I was in Spain. It was almost as peppy as the four cylinder Renault I rented another time. There are plenty of trees there, except in the dry central part which is a little like Western Colorado. I could smell the Golf, but it was early morning, just after I had rented it, and while it was warming up. The Avis guy and I were standing right back of the rear bumper, shooting the breeze, and it was just a faint smell you could barely detect. I would have no qualms about letting these cars in the States, except for the block heater I would probably need in Silverton.

Another time I was in the Bus Depot in Burgos, and a guy from LA started having breathing difficulties. I was trying to remember the Spanish equivalent of "911" but he just stuck his head down by the bus exhaust, and was OK in a minute or two. (Third time I've used this story. Have to go back soon and get another one. You old coots won't notice anyway.)

Earle

Keep in mind the diesel fuel they have over there is more refined than what you find in the pumps here. They will still run on it but the smell will be just like any other diesel on the road over here.

I've driven the 4cyl Golf before, but I like the BMW +1 because you can park four in a one-car garage. :) It's like riding in a pimped out gocart.

You'd like the Smart Car then.

looks like the same vehicle. Gonna have to dig through the photos and see if I had one of the rental.

Don't worry Earle, I noticed. Before I saw your disclaimer, I was thinking "hey, he's told this story before. I'm definitely calling him out." Let me know when you go back. I'm down for a trip to Spain.

Not when there is a huge plastic engine cover obtrsructing the ENTIRE engine...I didn't have time to look too closely, I was too busy enjoying the beer and schnitzel...

It was the 6-speed manumatic, and that would be my guess as well. It took us ten minutes to figure out how to start the damn thing, there is no standard key...you fit the key fob in a slot in the dash, foot on the brake, and press the start button. Then we had to figure out out to get the navigation system to speak.display English instead of German...