TOP GEAR Rabbit TDI

If you google search for TOP GEAR AMERICA'S VW Rabbit TDI project you'll find a project they did with an old VW Rabbit retro fitted with a AHU(MK1 Golf outside america) that was used to make a car that does 0-60mph in about 7sec, is able to get 70mpg and cost near the $7,000 range.
Sounds too good to be true.
They even went to claim that they overshot the 70mpg goal and scored 83mpg!!!
They only drove a mile than calculated what had been used.
Bunch of bull if you ask me.
I fill a nearly dry tank, read how much fit in according to the pump, drive until dry, read my trip odometer and calculate how far those gallons got me, then how much a single gallon averaged for my current 50mpg.
Seriously, any one can drive a mile following a semi-truck with wind in your back going down a slight slop and say my car gets XX mpg.
What do you guys think of these type of over-optimistic claims.
The video and text just lack too much information.
I'm mentioning it so you can check it out

Very old news
Top Gear to use Rabbit/TDI combo in MPG challenge!!!

Heck, if you search on this site about it you will find Top Gear coming here to ask questions. Some of the guys on this board worked on it.

70MPG-goal said:

They even went to claim that they overshot the 70mpg goal and scored 83mpg!!!
They only drove a mile than calculated what had been used.
Bunch of bull if you ask me.
Seriously, any one can drive a mile following a semi-truck with wind in your back going down a slight slop and say my car gets XX mpg.
What do you guys think of these type of over-optimistic claims?

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No bull. In observed fuel economy challenges over defined courses on public roads with strict rules regarding minimum and maximum speeds, drafting, engine off coasting and such, over distances between 100 and 500 miles, I have gotten 65+ mpg in a 2005 Passat TDI wagon (automatic), 78 mpg in a 1996 Passat TDI wagon, 82 mpg in a 1996 Passat TDI sedan, 75+ mpg in a 1998 Jetta TDI.
All of them stock vehicles.

And I assume they used the Imperial gallon, not US, so 69.1 US mpg. Doable with drafting etc.

Best I ever hit in real world driving, full tank at begining and refueled at the end of the day, was 56 mpg in my 2000 Beetle. No drafting, no coasting, just cruising along around 60 - 62 mph for a run from Charlotte to the Outerbanks and back. Full stock. only thing that may have helped was a fresh oil change the week before. I could see hitting 60 in the exact right conditions but without a tune and other tweaks, I don't think 70 would have ever been in the cards.

dandywriter said:

And I assume they used the Imperial gallon, not US, so 69.1 US mpg. Doable with drafting etc.

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That was Top-Gear USA, not Top-gear UK, so it would have been MPG-US.


Still not a difficult challenge... the Mk 1 Golf very light (only 800-something kg), a bit of NOx could have been used to provide the performance, and the mpg test was easy. No drafting required, they're only testing steady-state driving for a single mile.

I've averaged 65MPG in my 86 Jetta 1.6 N/A. Hot summer days, no head wind, keeping it pegged @ 60 MPH on the weekly roundtrip from Raleigh to Fayetteville.
Outside temerature makes a BIG difference. The hotter it is, the better the MPG.

MikeMars said:

That was Top-Gear USA, not Top-gear UK, so it would have been MPG-US.


Still not a difficult challenge... the Mk 1 Golf very light (only 800-something kg), a bit of NOx could have been used to provide the performance, and the mpg test was easy. No drafting required, they're only testing steady-state driving for a single mile.

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Do you meen NOS as in those bottles you inject for power boosts? As NOx is that polution by product of unburt oxigen (O2) binding with nitrogen (N), under the hot temperatures of combustion, and forming nitrogen-oxide (NOx). NOx is repondsable for acid rain, smog and ground level ozone (O3) which damages our lungs threw oxidation.
NOx is why the EPA is so anti-diesel in the US.

NOx is any of a group of oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO2, N03 ect.) in which the 'x' signifies an unknown or unspecified value.
It's the sulfur in the fuel that is a component in acid rain. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and water (H2O) can combine to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4). There's no nitrogen in that acid.

My mechanic was the mad scientist behind this project. That car was seriously awesome after it was completed!!!

UBR WGN said:

My mechanic was the mad scientist behind this project. That car was seriously awesome after it was completed!!!

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Can you name him, his knowlege is much needed for my project.

http://rabbitsipster.blogspot.com/

Inspired me to start my version
Just dropped engine in last week..

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=305898