Update on the fly: Diesels
Okay so it turns out with a bit of imagination, you can make pretty decent pseudo-diesels in Automation. And what is a French brand without diesels?
So. It all started in 1964, and the testbed was the very last model year of the first generation Mesaia.
The engine was a new block. They tried to dieselify the existing 154P15 engine, but every attempt ended up a reliability failure, as the head would basically fly the hell off after a few hours of testing. So, a new engine block had to be made.
Introducing the new 194P engine series. A long stroke pushrod 4 cylinder fitted with strong internals made to cope with the bonkers 22.5:1 compression of the diesel engine. It had a newly developed indirect injection system with pre-combustion chambers. And the first iteration of the engine was the 194P19D, making 49hp and a little more than 100nm of torque.
Now, people at that time weren’t used to diesel engines in regular passenger cars, and the Mesaia 19D had a mixed welcome. If diesel fuel was considerably cheaper than petrol, the car itself was noisy and pretty damn shaky. But since performance was about on par with its carburated counterparts (18.9s 0-100, 125kph) with fuel economy being way better, some people were willing to cope with the constant ticking and shaking and the car found its buyer demographic.
FAAL then decided to continue the adventure with the Mk2 Mesaia. From 1965 to 1972, with the same 49hp engine, in the second iteration of the 19D. An updated four speed gearbox and the MK2’s better aerodynamics meant for better perfs despite 20kg more (18.1s, 128kph).
… The problem, though, is when they attempted to sell the same engine in the Foreia. With a car 150kg heavier and the size of the sedan that it was, not to mention the power loss of the FR drivetrain with the little power having to travel through a long, heavy driveshaft, performance was risible. 20.7s 0-100, 130kmh top speed. Thank god the engine was only sold with the base trim.
By 1970, thankfully, this problem was solved with the arrival of a new engine family: The 255P. A 2.5L pushrod five cylinder engine fitted with the same indirect injection system and with the same compression ratio. The all new 255P25D engine was good for 69hp and in the Foreia, a 16.9s 0-100 and 146km/h top speed. once again, performance was on par with its carburated counterparts and fuel economy way better. The balance has been restored.
If this engine was offered on the higher trims, an updated version of the 194P boasting 56hp, the 194P19D2, replaced the 49hp base unit on the base model for the 1972-1974 model years.
The same 56hp unit found its way in the 1972-1975 Mesaia II 19D, before keeping on going in the 1974-1982 base model Foreia III, where the perfs were 18.1s and 137km/h. If that sounds risible, it was about the same perfs as a contemporary Peugeot 504 GLD. Cheaper fuel, bonkers fuel economy, improvement in sound deadening and vibration cancellation over the years and especially the fuel crisis made it a pretty good seller amongst its carburated counterparts.
As for the Mk3 Mesaia, getting smaller and lighter, it got a new derivative of the 194P engine, the 194P15D. A 1.5L unit boasting 49hp and taking the cheap lil’ thing to 100km/h in 18.8s and to a top speed of 130km/h (press car with options base model might be faster :t)
Rich people got an updated 2.5L fiver 255P25D2 with 79hp by 1976 for the Klinos. The same unit found its way in the Ochlosia 2.5D because towing capacity. Even richer people got the very first turbo diesel FAAL engine, because they are better than everyone else. The Klinos GLSdt boasted 97hp out of its 255P25TD, propelling it to 100km/h in 12.1s and to a 175km/h top speed, all while getting 9.8L/100.
For 1982, the brand new Foreia IV got herself the latest update of the 194P, the 194P19D3, getting 65hp for the base model, and yet another turbo engine, the 194P19TD, good for 86hp, 7.5L/100, 11.8s 0-100 and 158km/h. Now the numbers are starting to get interesting, and salesmen feel that. That’s why the turbo engine is available from the CL trim and not just a high end option.
Still in 1982, the same logic applies to the lil’ Mesaia. Updated 194P15D2 53hp N/A engine and yet another turbo unit, the 194P15TD, with 70hp. The turbo engine was also available from the CL trim, and on a new, experimental trim, the GTD. GTI visuals and sporty-ish suspension wrapping the peachy, yet still economical unit that blessed the car with a 154km/h top speed, 12.5s 0-100 and fuel economy of 6.5L/100.
This was a very interesting trim, which is exactly why I’m presenting a CL instead. :t
AAAAAAAND again in 1982 since FAAL oftens update its things by batches, the Klinos II kept the same N/A engine, but the turbo one got an upgrade with the 255P25TD2 and its 116hp. Performance was sensibly the same than the last generation Klinos, though, but the car was also considerably heavier (1460kg).
Okay. Now we’re up to date for the 1987 batch of facelifts and new models that’s gonna come. Sorry for the long post