Volkswagen’s Miata Beater?
Volkswagen’s Concept BlueSport, displayed at the 2009 North American
International Auto Show, looks to have the Mazda Miata in its gun
sights. The specifics on the car are sketchy, but with the advances in
diesel technology, a sporty diesel-motivated roadster should open some
eyes. European sources, namely, Auto Motor and Sport magazine, hint at
the drop-top moving to production status in 2014.
The
V-Dub concept sports a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder rated at 180
bhp with 260 ft-lbs of torque. Can you imagine the pull of 260 ft-lbs
of torque in a car as feathery light as the Miata? The diesel market is
on the march and is no longer limited to trucks and tow rigs. With a
solid performance aftermarket out there, is the timing right for a
mainstream expansion?
modp-0908-bolt-on-performance-parts-buyers-guide
Auburn, Washington’s Drift Office opened its doors and its dyno to
boost-happy EVO owners February 21–22. Drift Office tag-teamed with the
region’s top EVO tuner, English Racing. English Racing’s Lucas English
and Aaron O’Neal handled the flashing while Drift Office’s Bill Lee
manned the DynoJet. About 25 EVO VIIIs and IXs (X’s have their own dyno
day) were strapped to the rollers and the waiting list was more than a
dozen deep.
One of the big winners of the event was Alec Phommavong who showed up in sorry shape, running upgraded 680cc injectors on a stock tune. Consequently, he had turned his boost down to 18 psi. His EVO VIII, belching black smoke like a chimney, managed only 191 whp on its baseline run. An English Racing flash and three pulls later, Alec (and his glowing header) went home at 298 whp, a 108-pony gain.
| NAME |
BASELINE |
PEAK GAIN |
PEAK POWER |
| Anthony Bogus |
323 |
22
|
355
|
| Rodney Dunlap |
345 |
8
|
353
|
| Aaron Whelchel |
357 |
21
|
378
|
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