See, this is one of the things I love about Subaru. Instead of choosing the easy way by borrowing a diesel engine from another manufacture or developing a "normal" diesel powered motor of it's own, Subaru went ahead and engineered the world's first horizontally opposed diesel engine. -I wonder what Porsche will do when the time comes up to present it's own diesel...
Although there's no specifications available yet, Subaru officially informed us at the Paris Motor Show that it will unveil it’s Boxer Turbo Diesel at next year's Geneva Show in March. For now though, check out Mr. Ikeda's (President of Subaru Europe) speech concerning the company's new TD motor bellow:
“The superb rotational balance of the horizontally-opposed engine allows low vibration because the pistons counteract each other to cancel it out. Moreover, with its firmly supported crankshaft, the crankcase construction is strong enough to resist huge combustion pressure. The horizontally-opposed engine's character is proving an excellent match for a diesel engine.
Also, the adoption of a thin journal for the crankshaft and turbo charger placed under the cylinder block enhances all the advantages of the Boxer Engine, which are "Low center of gravity", "Low vibration", "High rigidity & compactness" . This delivers diesel's powerful torque from the engine to the wheels, and increases traction, making the Subaru Boxer Turbo Diesel yet another achievement of Subaru’s advanced technology.
Last but not least, the Subaru Boxer Turbo Diesel boasts lower CO2 emissions in consideration of the environment. I anticipate unveiling the Subaru Boxer Turbo Diesel engine next year at Geneva Motor Show"
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2006/10...xer.html#links