Diesel Performance

The term “diesel performance” was previously a concept completely foreign to the masses. Millions of people simply did not understand how drivers of this type of engine have access to incredible amounts of usable power without waiting for the rev limiter to peak while offering efficient performance, horsepower, and most of all torque.

Automobile manufacturers have toiled hard to improve upon this industry. These efforts are visible in the realm of professional racing, where speed and performance are simultaneously relevant. Audi and Peugeot diesel racers won consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans from 2006-2011, and diesel Volkswagen Touaregs won two consecutive Dakar Rallies. These results demonstrate the potency of this powerful industry.

Diesel performance has a well-established reputation on the global market. For example, the BMW 5 Series is an international bestseller, but only Europeans can purchase the diesel-powered breed. Jeremy Clarkson, host of BBC’s Top Gear, recently pitted a common petrol-powered 5 Series against the 535d, and described the diesel model as “relentless,” “smooth,” and “amazing.” Clarkson asserted that the car’s abundance of torque creates stunning performance.

MPG is a huge factor. Clarkson previously tested a Euro-only diesel Audi A8, and carefully piloted the high-performance automobile (V8, 0-60 in 6 seconds) 800 miles without a refill. While an incredible achievement, the true measure of engine performance shined in May 2012 when Australian mileage experts John and Helen Taylor drove a stock 2012 VW Passat TDI 1,626.1 miles (Houston, TX to Sterling, VA), setting the Guinness record for “longest drive in a passenger car on a single tank of diesel fuel.”

This performance is not limited to consumer use. In May 2012, the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) created the FED Bravo using a Ford-sourced 4.4L twin-turbocharged diesel V8. TARDEC engineer Carl Johnson critiqued diesel power in a single sentence: “This vehicle can perform the same mission as a HUMVEE [High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle], but with 90% better fuel efficiency.”

Porsche has always prided itself as a paragon of speed, and it is investing in diesel performance. At the 33rd Vienna Motor Symposium in May 2012, Wolfgang Hatz, the Porsche R&D chief and VW Head of Engines and Transmissions, revealed that “the diesel has arrived and is a firm part of [their] strategy.” By hinting at “more powerful variations with Porsche-like performance,” it is clear that diesel performance will quickly advance.

Recently linked with high sales, in April 2012, the Japanese news network Nikkei reported that Japanese sales of Mazda’s new CX-5 crossover totaled 8,000 cars in February, with diesel powered vehicles accounting for 73% of sales. This is surprising news: diesel use in Japan was dead for 10 years, and then suddenly Mazda sells three diesels for every petrol car sold.

Diesel performance will undoubtedly continue to grow, and consumers will be better for it: in the near future, all diesel vehicles will be more agile, more efficient, and better than anything petrol-powered. www.OCDIESEL.com fortifies the industry with the most comprehensive up-to-date parts.