poll, 09 Subaru WRX bi-fuel conversion

[MrComment]

I personally would love to own an All Wheel Drive (AWD), Manual, Turbo, CNG Bi-fuel car. Therefore, the Subaru WRX would seem like an obvious choice for the base car that I might enjoy working from. Of course Subaru does not currently offer a CNG version of the car, nor are there EPA certified kits available.

In short I think this might be an opportunity. So I am doing a little market research. A simple poll from current CNG enthusiasts I feel would be best, because I don’t have to sell the idea of a CNG car first. Also we all know best what a bi-fuel car is or isn’t, and what sort of premiums we can expect to pay for a CNG converted car.

All of the current Subaru WRX specs could be viewed here:

http://www.subaru.com/shop/overview.jsp?model=IMPREZAWRX&trim=5DOOR&command=overview

Factory HP on Petrol = 224HP
Expected HP on CNG = 180HP

Assume at a minimum a EPA certification can be achieved.
Assume the mileage remains similar between fuels.
Also assume the factory warranty can be guaranteed by the installer. 3yr/36,000 miles

So hears the bottom line:
A new WRX with options: $28,125 (Gasoline only)
A new WRX with CNG Conversion: $36,905 (Bi-fuel Conversion)
Conversion price +$8,780

[Alaska GX]

Re: poll, 09 Subaru WRX bi-fuel conversion

I would work with the Forester....more room for tanks, would sell like hot cakes in snowy climates.

[CraziFuzzy]

Re: poll, 09 Subaru WRX bi-fuel conversion

I'm not entireley sure what the point of this car would be, to be honest. The only real advantage the WRX has over the other more practical Suburu models is the performance, which the CNG conversion would pretty much eliminate. As AKGX said, the Forester would be much more practical, as I'm guessing the market for it would be CNG in more rural/wintery areas, where dirt-road/snow are common.

[rtry9a]

Re: poll, 09 Subaru WRX bi-fuel conversion

I'm not entireley sure what the point of this car would be, to be honest. The only real advantage the WRX has over the other more practical Suburu models is the performance, which the CNG conversion would pretty much eliminate. As AKGX said, the Forester would be much more practical, as I'm guessing the market for it would be CNG in more rural/wintery areas, where dirt-road/snow are common.

Ill bet the turbo more than makes up for the lower fuel BTU values.

The high octane rating of natgas is a natural for small displacement turbocharged cars. Id personally rather see a mid size vehicle with a turbocharged six cylinder engine- the WRX is too small for comfort to my 6'5" frame- perhaps something along the lines of the old Buick Grand National. A small displacement turbocharged auto gives excellent mileage in cruise and has the turbopower on tap when needed.

[CraziFuzzy]

Re: poll, 09 Subaru WRX bi-fuel conversion

The gasoline engine already has that turbo on it, therefore, the drop in BTU/O2 still would cause the loss of power when converting to CNG. It would take some other method of generating more power to get it up towards the gasoline HP level, such as higher boost (with associated extra wear/heat), more advanced timing (done on pretty much all conversions), higher compression. NOS might work though (increased O2).. awefully expensive though.. :-)

[MrComment]

Re: poll, 09 Subaru WRX bi-fuel conversion

Thanks to everyone for their feedback so far,

I have a couple more thoughts to add.

Of course it would be a bi-fuel car, so to get gasoline performance levels; at the most it would take pushing a button on the dash. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too hard to have it automatically switch based on the MAP and TPS inputs. Making it automatically switch to Gasoline for heavy acceleration, and then back to CNG for normal driving.

The Honda Civic GX is only 113 HP, plus it only comes as a stripped down automatic, which is kind of boring. The WRX or Forester XT easily has the potential for at least 180HP on CNG and possibly more, but I need a more conservative estimate for emissions tuning.

Also, since the WRX's 2.5 Turbo is available as an option in most all of the Subaru lineup (except the Tribeca SUV) the EPA cert by engine family should automatically cover the other body styles as well.

It’s just my opinion that the Impreza sportier styling may sell better then the wagons in the $37k price range, but I agree though the Forester would be another good option for an SUV sized car and taller people.