The 22-Meter-Long, 300-mph Diesel

In Europe, where fuel costs a lot and fuel-economy ratings matter, more than half of all new cars are powered by diesel engines. Even Cadillac offers a 1.9-L 148-hp turbodiesel that gets 38 miles per gallon (6.1 liters per 100 kilometers) in its new BLS model; it’s the first Cadillac neither made nor sold in the United States.

PHOTO: JOHN VOELCKER

At 22 meters (72 feet), the JCB Dieselmax was without a doubt the longest diesel car at the show-and, it turned out, the fastest. On August 23, it averaged 350.092mph (563.418km/h) over one mile, greatly exceeding a 33-year-old record for a diesel-powered vehicle.

The most exciting diesel was the JCB Dieselmax. This month, Royal Air Force Wing Commander Andy Green (a British media hero) will attempt to set a new diesel world speed record in it, hoping to exceed 300 mph (480 km/h), leaping past the 236-mph (380-km/h) record set 33 years ago. The 22-meter- (72-foot-) long single-seater is powered by two 750 brake horsepower (bhp) turbodiesel engines.

Before the show opened, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren set another speed record, for a car driven (legally!) in London: 175.7 mph (282.8 km/h) on a runway at City Airport. The 478-kW (650-hp) SLR has a superlight body of carbon fiber, and it demonstrated not only extraordinary acceleration but the brakes necessary to scrub off all that speed and avoid ending up in the adjacent Thames River. The SLR and other supercars lured the crowds to a “Dream Drive Paddock” with 30 of the world’s sleekest, fastest, most outrageous production cars from Ferarri, Lamborghini, Maserati, Noble, Saleen, and others.

Eccentric Morgan, which has built its 4/4 model for 70 years—yes, that’s 70—showed the Aero 8 that horrified traditionalists in 2002. No more sliding-pillar front suspension from 1910; no more ash framing for the body. Instead, it uses a thumping 242-kW (325-hp), 4.4-L BMW V8 engine in a modern, all-alloy frame with (somewhat more) aerodynamic bodywork. The result is 0 to 100 mph (161 km/h) in 11.0 seconds and a top speed of 160 mph (258 km/h).

Carmaker or Tech Start-up?

More forward-looking was the Connaught Type-D GT. This company is new, but it has applied the respected Connaught marque—known for 1950s’ Grand Prix success—to a technically unique luxury four-seater.

The designers’ goal was to build a high-performance 2+2 with best-in-class space, performance, and fuel efficiency. The £64 500 (US $122 000) coupe is powered by the company’s own tiny 2-L, supercharged 300-hp V10. Fabricated from laser-cut stainless steel with an aluminum body, it weighs just 950 kilograms (2100 pounds), hits 170 mph (274 km/h), and still delivers 18 mpg (12.8 L/100 km). Just 100 cars will be sold.

Next year’s hybrid Type-D will use lightweight supercapacitors—not heavy batteries—to provide a claimed 35 mpg (6.7 L/100 km), and a subsequent version adds cylinder deactivation to raise mileage to 50 mpg (4.7 L/100 km). As Connaught cofounder Tony Martindale said, “In effect, you get a highly luxurious and spacious 1.0-L five-cylinder hybrid—exempt from the congestion charge.” Bold claims, for sure, but Connaught seems as much engineering start-up as car company. It holds 23 patents; only 17 are for automotive technology.