And there's even more good news. Diesel is injected directly into the cylinder, ignited by the heat of the compressed air (not spark plugs) and burns at a higher compression ratio than gasoline, which means these engines have much stronger cylinder blocks.
Therefore, a modern diesel is virtually unbreakable when it leaves the production line. So when you decide to tune one, you don't need to strengthen internal components, but can achieve more power by fiddling with the ECU and changing injection parameters.
Nothing better than a hot plate of bangers, chips and beans in a welcoming Smithfield Market cafe at 3am after a night shoot
In fact, it's ridiculously simple to boost a diesel: no new air box, turbo or exhaust, and hardly any more fuel. In fact, less than $1000 on software could liberate 25% more power without drama.
Low revs and a narrow powerband are the only downside of modern diesels, and most run out of steam well before 6000rpm, but somehow that doesn't seem to matter when each rev produces so much torque.
So let's take a look at some of the tuning options available in Europe for the current crop of diesels to give us a tantalizing insight into what we might be able to expect once the diesel floodgates have opened fully.
BMW TuningIn Europe, the 3-Series diesels have become the benchmark against which all others are judged. They range from the diminutive 320d, the staple of middle managers and frugal drivers, to the 335d "sportscar" that is the favorite of people in a hurry.
Most tuners are still working on packages for the twin-turbo 335d, because it's a complex setup. However, British firm Superchips developed a kit for the mechanically similar 535d, which should be transferable to the 3-Series. The 535d comes with 272hp and 413 lb-ft, but with a simple plug 'n play chip, it unleashes 320hp and a ludicrous 475 lb-ft.
With so much torque in a tidy package, you could expect 0-60mph in less than 5.6sec and, with the limiter off, a top end beyond 175mph.
The German tuners are more conservative, with AC Schnitzer offering an extra 28bhp and 66 lb-ft over the stock 535d model, while Hartge hasn't boosted the twin-turbo yet. However, they worked on the earlier single-turbo E46 320d and 330d, giving them a healthy injection of power and torque.
The nice thing about the 330d is it came with a manual transmission, which makes it a great drivers' car. With software tuning, Hartge boosted the 204hp 330d engine to 275hp and 406 lb-ft. That endowed the car with a more respectable 0-60 dash in 5.9sec and it had no problem bouncing off the 155mph limiter.
Meanwhile, Alpina based its latest D3 creation on the lowly 320d. The reason was that the car returned more than 47mpg, a figure unaffected by Alpina's work. The tuner added a Garrett turbo and bigger injectors, which netted an extra 36bhp and a total of 302 lb-ft. From a two liter, that's still impressive and dropped the 0-60 dash to 7.4sec and took top speed to 145mph.
VW/Audi TuningVW and Audi share the same range of diesels, from the fuel-sipping 1.9 TDI that returns an astonishing 56mpg in the Golf (in 105hp form), through to the almighty 4.9 liter V10 TDI that powers the Touareg.
Why is it we always end up shooting in London, in the winter, at night, when it's wet and cold, and Greg has to clean the cars?
Even the lowly 105hp Golf can be tempted to unleash more fun with a software re-map. Most tuners offer an upgrade for the base model, with Britain's Automotive Developments liberating 130bhp and 215 lb-ft. Its not a huge amount, but is impressive considerating the fuel economy.
Dahlback Racing in Sweden chose to work with the 140hp version of the same 1.9 TDI. They extracted 185hp and 309 lb-ft from it, but you could only use it with the manual transmission. The DSG tranny can't take the same level of torque, so was restricted to 265 lb-ft.
German tuner B&B took the 170hp variant of the 2.0 TDI engine and created something truly special. They add their own turbo and revised exhaust manifold, a new intercooler and reprogram the ECU. It has created a 220hp monster with 310 lb-ft of torque which, in a Golf TDI, should decimate the GTI.