Subaru Boxer Turbo Diesel Engine Set for Geneva Premiere

Did Porsche or VW ever make something similar? I know what the article says, but is it right?

Will we one day find these in boats? I want one of these in my next hovercraft.

http://www.thecarlounge.com/news/publish/article_701.shtml
The world’s first horizontally-opposed turbo diesel engine – offering exceptional refinement and smoothness – makes it debut at the 77th Geneva International Motor Show next month on the Subaru stand.

The Japanese all-wheel drive specialist – renowned for producing cars with outstanding chassis dynamics and active safety – will be displaying an entire drivetrain at the ’show.

Subaru believes passionately in its ‘boxer’ engines which are more compact than in-line units and provide a much lower centre-of-gravity.

This reduces body roll for safer cornering and also enhances handling precision such as during a sudden lane-change manoeuvre on a motorway.

Due for its first vehicle application early next year, the Subaru ‘boxer’ turbo diesel is a highly rigid unit with low levels of noise and vibration.

Not only does this eliminate the need for a balancer shaft which counters uneven combustion pressures and general roughness, but Subaru’s first diesel is as compact as its petrol sisters and combines unusually strong pulling power at low engine speeds with high-rev throttle-response.

Both the engine and symmetrical all-wheel drive drivetrain will be unveiled as part of Subaru’s press conference at the ’show on March 6 at 10.15 am




Has anyone ever made a Diesel rotary/Wankel? Is that even possible in theory?

 

The Porsche engineering group designed an aircooled boxer 4 for VW in the early 50's. Most remarkable for being even less powerful than early VW gas engines.

http://www.geocities.com/allanwilliamsvw/articles/diesel/diesel.html

Here's the odd thing -- Porsche not being the type of outfit to let research go to waste, the bottom end designed for this diesel was used for the next generation 356 engine. So all subsiquent Porsche 4 cylinder air cooled engines up through the last 912's in 1969 had their roots in the Porsche/VW air cooled diesel.

moT
(boat nut, diesel dude, and 356 owner)

 

Cool I did not know this. Thanks for the link too.

PS: Which Porsche clubs/group do you belong to, and where do you post or have your car posted?

My car: a rough around the edges 1977 911s Targa, silver and black, 2.7L with CIS.

Sister/similar thread:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=3127232#post3127232

 

I wish I could clue you into a really kool Porsche group, but I don't know any. I'm on the 356 registry list, but they're not much fun there, mostly a bunch of self-impressed fuddy duddies.

The DDK from England is a fun site, they seem to not take themselves too seriously over there:
http://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/index.php

I have a CarDomain site for my project 356, but I haven't updated it lately. I been grinding away at sheet metal work forever it seems. Someone told me that repairing a rusty 356 is like peeling an onion, it just goes on and on.

The 356 Registry types call modified cars "Outlaws", and they harump and wag their fingers at the owners. My car is going to be a full-blown "Desperado", I live in fear that they may send a death squad after me!

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2145693

Old 911's are great cars, my brother has several and I love to ring them out whenever I get the chance.

Have fun with yours, that's what it's for --

moT

 

The 356 Registry types call modified cars "Outlaws", and they harump and wag their fingers at the owners.

Guess they would have been real unhappy at my stuffing a Corvair 145Hp 6 into a 57 Speedster!

FF

 

Fred,
My brother and I put a Corvair lump into FiberFab kit car once upon a time. Had to do the old ring gear flip to avoid 4 speeds in reverse
Wonderfully well engineered machine that Corvair 6, loved that "around the corner" fan drive --- NOT!
In regard to Speedster engine swaps, one free thinker on the 356 list made the mistake of mentioning that he once cut up a Speedster and made it into a mid-engine using a SBC! He was of course subjected to a virtual stoning
moT

 

My friend Barry took me for a ride in his wife's Porsche Continental 356.

Link:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2097654

I love that car, he just had it repainted (Turkish Red) and refitted the panels to better than new.

I sometimes look in this forum:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=6

A Porsche should be air-cooled, the Corvair engine is at least Porsche designed.