[mamelukesabre]

And then there is the new special edition of the VW lupo 3cylinder turbo diesel...called the Lupo 3L.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Lupo

I’ll not spoil the suspense so I’ll let you find the MPG figure for it.

Here’s a related article about a motorcycle built with the lupo engine...

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2005/02/25/thunder-star-1200-diesel-by-star-twin/

Here’s an animation of something really really interesting:
http://www.jjsdesign.net/jj2s/video/jj2s05.avi
http://users.breathe.com/prhooper/opads.htm
http://www.jjsdesign.net/jj2s/patent.html
The second two aren’t animations, just some sketches. But seeing how you’re interested in engine technology, I threw them in for your viewing pleasure.

This one is in polish, but you can still fumble around the site and look at the pics.
http://www.jjsdesign.net/

[NVDave]

I agree they’re all higher in mileage — but not in the new EPA mileage tests. The new EPA mileage tests will take a 50+ MPG vehicle and call it a 40 MPG vehicle.

So I’m trying to use the new EPA ratings. Another instance of government doing things that the private sector should be doing. What we need for autos is a lab like the Nebraska Tractor Laboratory, which is where ag tractor manufactures send their tractors for laboratory testing of things like actual HP at the wheels, at the PTO shaft, actual fuel usage ratings, tractive effort tests, etc. They pay for the test and users pay for the reports, but you have the benefit of a consistent test going back many years, and an independent lab that is not swayed by marketing or politics.