C180 Kompressor: Better performance with new technology<\/p>\n
Primastuti Handayani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A black Mercedes-Benz C200 was racing with a silver Mercedes-Benz
\nC180 Kompressor around a hairpin turn at the Sentul International
\ncircuit in Bogor.<\/p>\n
It was not an IndyCar race. And it was not even a street race
\nlike in The Fast and the Furious.<\/p>\n
The drivers? They were definitely not gang leader Vin Diesel
\nand undercover cop Paul Walker. They were journalists invited by
\nPT DaimlerChrysler Distribution Indonesia to test-drive the two
\ncars and compare their performance, particularly their
\nacceleration.<\/p>\n
On a bright sunny day in Sentul, about 30 journalists packed
\nthe pit to get a look at four Mercedes-Benz -- two C200s and two
\nC180 Kompressors.<\/p>\n
Divided into groups of three, every journalist got the chance
\npersonally to compare the two cars.<\/p>\n
I drove the C200 first. Confined to a 600-meter length of
\ntrack, the car could only reach 130 kilometers per hour (kph). It
\nwas a bit disappointing; I really hoped to go faster.<\/p>\n
Driving the C200, I noticed the car was able to accelerate to
\n100 kph in about 10 seconds, close enough to the manufacturer's
\nclaim of 9.7 seconds.<\/p>\n
Then I tried the C180 Kompressor along the same length of
\ntrack. The car was lighter and smoother, though I could only get
\nit up to 130 kph, far from the max speed of 222 kph.<\/p>\n
After driving both cars, it was obvious the C180 Kompressor
\nran faster though its engine capacity was smaller, only 1,796cc
\ncompared to 1,998cc for the C200. The engine of the C180
\nKompressor was also quieter than the C200.<\/p>\n
The new C180 Kompressor has an output of 143 horse power (hp)
\nat 5,200 rotations per minute (rpm) and a maximum torque of 220
\nNewton meters (Nm) at between 2,500 rpm and 4,000 rpm.<\/p>\n
Fuel consumption is also better with only 8.4 liters of gas
\nper 100 kilometers compared to the C200, which needs a liter
\nmore.<\/p>\n
What kind of technology makes the C180 Kompressor perform
\nbetter? The answer lies in the advanced technology of the
\ntwinpulse system, which combines super-charging, intercooling,
\nvariably adjustable camshafts, four-valve technology, Lanchester
\nbalancer and adaptive drive dynamics.<\/p>\n
The compressor supercharge -- installed in all the new-
\ngeneration power plants -- helps the engine achieve impressive
\ntorque from idle. It leads to the extension of the overall ration
\nby up to 13 percent. So the new engine will run with the throttle
\nwider open, making it more economical. It's the twinpulse effect:
\nhigher performance with lower fuel consumption.<\/p>\n
When developing four-cylinder engines, the balancer shafts
\ncounterbalance the vibrations that would normally occur. This
\nensures a level of refinement that is exemplary in this
\ndisplacement class.<\/p>\n
The Lanchester harmonic balancer comprises two balancer shafts
\nthat rotate in opposite directions to each other at twice the
\nspeed of the crankshaft, to balance the inertia forces inherent
\nto a four-cylinder engine. This ensures smooth running and
\nacoustics similar to a six-cylinder engine.<\/p>\n
But both the C200 and the C180 Kompressor are comfortable and
\nsmooth enough to satisfy even a seven-month-pregnant woman like
\nmyself.<\/p>\n
The new C180 Kompressor will be available at Mercedes-Benz
\nauthorized dealers starting this week. While the exact price has
\nyet to be released, PT DaimlerChrysler Distribution Indonesia's
\ndeputy director of marketing, Anto Nurdiyanto, hinted it will be
\nslightly more expensive than the C200, which sells for Rp 455
\nmillion (US$49,500).<\/p>\n
Completely knocked-down (CKD) C180 Kompressors will be
\nproduced in 1,000 units based on the market segment in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
\"After the Bali bombing, everybody thinks twice about buying a
\nnew car. It effects automotive sales, perhaps by up to 12
\npercent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Thinking of becoming another Vin Diesel? Don't even try to get
\nthis car up to top speed on surface streets unless you want to
\npile up a glove box full of tickets.<\/p>",
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