If they marketed this vehicle in the US next year, I would probably buy one for my wife provided the price is right.

@gary

This is a sports car. I'm guessing the diesel Rabbits had about a third the horsepower that this car is scheduled for.

@david

The Rabbit had about a quarter of the power this Concept is supposed to have. That being said, 40mpg is nothing to write home about. I've seen DSMs that run 12s quarter miles drive home afterward getting 40mpg. I'm guessing that with judicious gearing this concept could easily see 55+mpg, but then it wouldn't be capable of going 160mph or whatever it is. I'd love for a manufacturer to have the balls to drop in a close ratio 1-4 up to ~100mph with a OD suitable for cruising at 60-70mph at peak engine efficiency. Faster off the line and eficient when it matters.

I put in the biggest overdrive I could get. But when I did the engine BSFC map comparisons, I noticed I could get the best MPG with even higher gearing. With only 5 speeds, and not changing any other gears, the jump from 4th to 5th gets a big large. With a 6 speed, its no longer a problem.

Patrick,

I was in error, it's only a 13s car. :o
http://www.gassavers.org/garage/viewgaslog/207

Regarding efficiency, AWD isn't that big of a hit, at least compared to gearing in every car I've driven. And, the thing seems to be quite aerodynamic. I would guess that it uses at most 30% more energy to get down the road compared to something like the 3L Lupo, but since it's aimed at the performance crowd, who will likely never see the performance a fifth gear ratio like that entails, at least not legally (unless at the track), I think there's a lot of room for improvement.

Actually, 40 mpg is not bad considering we are talking about the closest thing to a diesel-powered sports car engine. A true economy-tuned 2.2-liter turbodiesel would be tuned for more like 140 to 150 bhp and get fuel economy in the high 40's.

(By the way, one of the things Honda did with the i-DTEC engine compared to the older i-CTDi engine was to broaden the torque curve, which made the engine better-suited for an automatic transmission.)

I know 50psi sounds like alot, but my new tires are rated for 44psi, and even with the usual 35psi rating, I think that the tires are tested at the maximum speed/load on a pot-hole ridden road in death valley during a summer noon, so upping them a little or even 15psi isn't very dangerous unless the person also drives like a maniac. He may be able to get more out of the diesel (I say may because some of his driving habits take advantage of throttling losses, which may not be possible with a properly geared newer diesel) but even considering the loss in mileage from FWD->AWD I think he would still be pulling 40+mpg in a car that's nearly two decades old.

I guess I'm just ranting because I'm sick of this whole "performance" for the sake of top speed numbers as opposed to a car that has tighter 1-n ratios and can really rip up to ~80-100mph, with a nice tall OD gear for good mileage cruising on the highway. Given a car that sleek Mitsu could've really put together a great blend of practical performance and wonderful highway fuel economy. I suppose I can always buy one after it's depreciated and drop in a taller OD, but I may still be driving my greasy rabbit at that time.

You would think someone who understood what 'concept' means also understood what 'armchair quarterbacking' means. ;)

This looks like an 2nd gen Eclipse mixed with an MR2 and the front reminds me of a Mako Shark Corvette. I dig this. This would sell. Plus if it can run bio-diesel we might see a whole new breed of performance and green cred. I don't know why no one advertises that they can run bio-diesel.
40mpg isn't amazing, but this is still a concept - perhaps we'll see a hybrid option, more than likely there'll be a 2wd option for even better economy.