sota wrote:
papaindigo wrote:
... I know my Dad's old non-turbo Mercedes diesel was a great vehicle but for acceleration one had to run along behind it and beat it with a stick to get to highway speed.
I remember an encounter with such a MB diesel many years ago. it was quite hilarious. the thing would take about a year and a day to get to highway speeds, but darn if it didn't just keep accelerating. it might not accelerate fast but it just kept going and going and going... sucker actually bested me in top speed after about what had to have been 5 miles of highway accelerating but it did it!
My '87 300D was the first year they honestly put out a "performance" diesel. 3 liter inline six with a Garrett T3 turbo and 2.65 rear end, in a 3000 lb sedan. It was the fastest production diesel in the world when it came out, top end of 125 mph, and it can get there in one heck of a hurry!! Once I had my first 87 300D tweaked in, it could leave the CRD in the dust taking off from a stoplight. Foot to the floor, it won't even shift into 4th until you hit 70 mph, and it's still pulling hard.
One of these days, I want a 2005 E320CDI, last year of the inline sixes, 3.2 liter turbo, 5 speed selectshift auto w/overdrive, close to 40 mpg cruising on the interstate at 70 mph, 21 gallon fuel tank.