A true driver’s car even when diesel-powered

When people talk about BMWs as the "ultimate driving machines," they usually think of the marque’s gasoline-powered sport cars and sedans. Little do they know that the prestigious German car maker makes some of the most exciting diesel-powered cars around.

BMW is probably the only carmaker that makes a full-range of high-performance inline-four, six and V8 diesel engines. It all started with the 1983 524td, whose 2.4-liter turbodiesel motor developed a then class-leading 115 hp.

Four years later, the company became the first manufacturer in the world to introduce fully electronic-controlled diesel engines, dubbed Digital Diesel Electronics or DDE. It enabled faster and more precise operation than a mechanical control unit which resulted in greatly improved fuel consumption, noise levels, and , important in any car wearing the BMW logo, performance.

This was followed in 1991 by a 2.5-liter turbodiesel that delivered 143 hp making it the most powerful diesel engine in it class. The engine proved to be amazingly energetic that the German firm decided to employ its stability and traction control systems on its 1995 325tds model – a world’s first among diesel-powered cars.

The world debut of the current 3-series in 1998 saw a four-valve-per-cylinder turbodiesel 320d that promised 136-hp performance.The 530d and 730d followed by six months later, both sporting 184-hp 3.0-liter diesel power plants that bristled with turbocharging, four valves per cylinder, and the state-of-the-art Common Rail technology. With 302 lb-ft of torque, it has more twisting force under the hood than the legendary Ferrari 360 Modena.

The big 730d luxury sedan accelerated from 0 to 100 kph in 9.2 seconds and hurtled on to a top speed of 220 kph. This is the same engine that caused then Williams-BMW F1 driver Jenson Button to be ticketed for doing 210 kph in a 330d in English motorway last year.

But for those who want the pinnacle in diesel engine technology and performance, there is a 4.0-liter turbodiesel BMW V8 that churns out 240 hp and 413 lb-ft torque - more than a ford F -150 truck. It appears exclusively on the top-of-the-line 7-series and boasts full compliance with strict European Union level 3 emissions standards.

Not surprisingly, sales of BMW cars with diesel engines have increased 43.3 percent from 1999 to 2000. In a continent where gasoline sells for over $4 a gallon in some countries, even luxury car owners know a great deal when they see one. With BMW Diesels, car enthusiasts can have their cake and eat it too.