More than 50 percent of the vehicles sold in Europe today have diesel engines. Sure, some of them are tiny little cars with
tiny little diesel engines designed for the ultimate in fuel economy. But some diesel powerplants are fitted into premium
luxury cars from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. These are not tiny, low-powered engines. They are, in fact, performance diesel engines
that deliver adequate horsepower and incredible torque without excess noise or smoke. And they provide fuel economy from 30
to 35 percent better than a gasoline engine. Make no mistake; the diesel engine will be the first of the practical alternative
fuel engines to make a serious impact in the U.S. The diesels are coming.
A BAD REPUTATION
The average American motorist, when it comes to diesel engines, thinks negative. They remember the early VW Rabbit diesel
engines and the early GM diesels. Both of these engines were converted to diesel from gasoline and both suffered major problems.
The Rabbit diesel used to continue running, even when the motorist turned off the key. Why?
One of the reasons we can use the words "diesel" and "performance" in the same sentence today is because of records set by
Gale Banks Engineering. The first was an FIA land speed record at Bonneville with a full-size Dodge pickup truck and most
recent was a drag racing pass in this Duramax-powered S-10 Chevrolet. This twin turbocharged diesel engine powered the S-10
to a 8.648-second/150.06-mph quarter-mile performance. As Banks says, "Diesel kicks gas."
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The engine sucked oil from the crankcase and it continued to run (badly). The GM diesels were notorious for head gasket failure
and why not? How could a modified gasoline engine cylinder head originally designed to handle static compression ratios of
10.5:1 be expected to handle the ultra-high compression ratios of a compression ignition engine?
Motorists also remember the dirty, smelly diesel buses and old Peugeots that were slow and spewed smoke and fumes. It will
take some time and education for U.S. motorists to embrace diesel engines once again. The good news is that diesel engines
have come a long way from their slow and smoky days. Modern diesel engines with common rail fuel injection, turbocharging,
supercharging, or both low-sulfur diesel fuel and particulate emission filters are quiet and almost transparent. Only someone
outside a new Mercedes-Benz diesel would suspect the vehicle is fitted with a diesel powerplant.
U.S. motorists have already embraced diesel-powered full-size pickup trucks. The Dodge Ram with its Cummins (not Cummings),
the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra with their Duramax engines, and the Ford F-Series with its Navistar diesel engines
are selling and continue to sell well. It won't be too much longer until cars—both economy and premium—with diesel engines
join them on America's highways.
With that diesel revolution in mind, SEMA sponsored a Diesel Performance Panel at the recent SEMA Show during Industry Week
in Las Vegas. The panel included experts that ranged from a diesel motorsports racing official to FIA land-speed record holder
Gale Banks, whose diesel-powered pickup truck towed a trailer to Bonneville, then unhooked it and traveled more than 220 miles
per hour. The room was filled to capacity as the speakers brought us up to date on diesel performance.
