5 Reasons To Build A Bonkers Turbo Diesel Pickup

With all the intense discussion in the United States over the whole VW emissions scandal right now, one might think that small diesel cars were parked in every garage on every street corner in America, just waiting to spew their filthy toxic fumes over the local population.

Nothing could be further from the truth; small diesels never caught on here the way they did pretty much everywhere else. Credit for that goes to our early experiences in the 1980s with such awesome machines as the Mercury Lynx diesel, which was equally adept at making passengers sick with exhaust fumes as it was boring them to death. And don’t even get me started on the Oldsmobile V8 diesel.

But that’s okay, because this is ‘Murica. Gasoline got cheap, roads were big, so we just went right along with our fuel-guzzling petrol engines. Don’t think for a moment, however, that we turned our backs on diesel power. We just found a better fit for its noisy, smoky, high-torque charm. And then we found turbos.

Yes, American emission standards for passenger cars are strict. And yes, it appears Volkswagen deliberately attempted to buck the system with its newer clean diesel offerings through creative programming. But here’s a delicious, ironic, uniquely American twist to the story.

While the world cries foul against VW, there’s a completely different diesel love affair happening in the States that has nothing to do with efficiency or emissions. It’s all about power, and it’s hard to argue in favor of a 500bhp boosted 2JZ Supra when you can turn your Cummins-powered turbo diesel Dodge Ram 2500 into a 600bhp demon with half the effort. Admittedly, the Dodge won’t turn or stop, but then again, how many people build mega-horsepower cars for anything other than straight-line acceleration?

In case you’ve never considered it before, here are some reasons why a bonkers turbo diesel truck isn’t such a bad idea.

Dialing up 30psi of boost on an Evo isn’t a huge task, though most people will recommend some internal upgrades and high-octane race fuel to do it safely. Meanwhile, most turbo diesel pickups start with around 30psi. Yes, these engines are tasked with pulling three tonnes of truck, but that also means they’re built to take the abuse.

I’m sure some of you will chime in with your own diesel experiences, but upping the ante to 40 or 50psi on most turbo diesel pickups doesn’t require much in the way of additional work. That alone will offer some impressive power gains, or you can choose to go a bit deeper. There’s nothing quite like the jet-fighter sound of an open-exhaust turbo diesel pushing 80psi.

2. Big torque

Aside from porn, cat memes and videos of guys getting hit in the plums, one of the internet’s most enduring legacies is bench racing. Ah yes, the car with the highest peak horsepower must be the faster machine, but the numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. Having a broad, usable powerband also matters, and that’s where diesels really shine.

It’s the thick torque curve that gives even modest 1500kg sports cars the instant surge of right now acceleration at any speed, in any gear. When dealing with 3000kg of Bald Eagle awesomeness from Detroit, having 1000lb ft of torque goes a long way in making that tonnage seemingly disappear. Horsepower keeps you moving, but torque gets you moving.

3. No special fuel required

On your petrol engine, bigger horsepower almost always requires a more potent cocktail in the tank—especially if you’re running big boost. That’s not such a big deal if the vehicle in question is a dedicated track car, but for a daily or semi-daily driven vehicle, seeking out 100-plus octane racing fuel can get annoying and very expensive. Meanwhile, your neighbor with his 600bhp Ford F-350 crew cab stops at the local Marathon station to fill up with the same diesel he’s always used. Right now in America, he’s paying a whopping $2.20 per gallon for it, and as long as he’s not regularly attacking the accelerator pedal, he’s probably getting at least 20mpg.

4. Robust aftermarket

Ford, Chrysler and General Motors all offer snazzy turbo diesel pickups, and they all offer at least some support for those who can’t leave well enough alone. Outside the manufacturer umbrella is where it gets interesting. Go mild with a simple intake/exhaust combo and a tune to gain 50 ponies for pennies on the dollar, or get crazy with turbos, propane injection and race-spec transmissions to build a 10-second leviathan that can still pull your boat to Lake Wobegon on the weekends.

The compression-ignition design of diesels means they are already built to withstand some serious power. That’s not to say you can’t have a catastrophic detonation, but the weak points of diesel builds are frequently found not in the engine, but in the driveline. Whereas a high-performance 600bhp petrol engine might be operating close to its limits, a 600bhp diesel with 1000lb ft of torque still isn’t breathing that hard. And with that kind of push, even mighty Godzilla can fall under the diesel guillotine… for the first quarter-mile at least.