Three years ago, the idea of a diesel race engine would have made most people laugh. Outside the world of sled pulling, the words diesel and race were never even seen together in motorsports.
Fast-forward to today, and it seems like any race engine that can be diesel is diesel. How did this happen? The power density of diesel fuel combined with modern common-rail injection has made race diesels like the Peugeot V-12 HDi Le Mans engine possible.
While Peugeot may not be a name you are familiar with, its French parent company, PSA Peugeot Citroen, is a world leader in diesel passenger cars. It's partnered with the likes of Ford, BMW, Toyota, and Mitsubishi on diesel technology and is out to prove its diesel expertise to the world with this new engine.
The V-12 HDi diesel you're looking at was designed for Peugeot's 908 HDi FAP race car. It was built to compete against the diesel-powered Audi R10s in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Like many cutting-edge race engines, all we really know about this powerplant is how the rules limit it. In other words, we know the engine displaces 5.5 liters, features a 100-degree cylinder bank angle, runs two Garrett TR 30R turbochargers, and makes around 700 horsepower.In competition, the Peugeot 908 race cars have proven that they can run with the diesel Audi R10s, though Audi still has the upper hand in terms of race wins.
Perhaps the real battle for diesel supremacy will end up being fought on the streets. Like Audi, Peugeot has a production car; the 908 RC that it has been hinting about will be available to the public in the near future. Diesel Power can't wait for that cover story shootout between the Peugeot and Audi V-12 streetcars! Stay tuned.