Peugeot's June 2007 entry to Le Mans will be the final slotting into place of the last piece in diesel's amazing jigsaw. Dr Rudolph Diesel would certainly chuckle. He probably thought his five-tonne 20bhp invention could only dream of powering buses, but today's diesel cars are multiplying more prolifically across Europe than Rattus rattus.
Aren't Peugeot diesel pioneers already?
Spot on. Working with French engineer Tartrais and the company's avant-garde 'Crapidly rotating engine', a diesel motor was installed in a Peugeot 156 and raced in the Paris-Bordeaux rally. When was this, you ask? Maybe in the sixties, or way back in post-war France? Nope, we're talking 1921. Seven years later, Peugeot was offering private motoring a non-petrol car and diesel, you might say, never checked its rear-view mirror again.
But could they really win Le Mans this way?
It's the world's toughest race for chassis-thrashing and piston-pounding. Le Mans is 24 hours of grinding hell, but Peugeot's diesels, by definition, are tougher than a foreign legionnaire's handshake. The details of the maker's bid are secret for now, but the engine used will derive from the latest HDi generation, so expect a measure of 0-60mph slingshottery that makes petrol engines often feel feeble.
HDi - isn't that the lettering on this 307's rump?
Yes, which is perhaps why it's tempting to see the space before the traffic lights as a bit of a starting grid. With 136bhp on tap, the latest version of the HDi 136 is the largest two-litre option in the revised 307 range, those 136 horses being harnessed to deliver a beefy 240 pounds of torque per foot. That's nearly 100 pounds per foot more of pulling power from low speed than you'd find from the petrol-powered axles of Audi's 2.0-litre A4, not to mention 34 more than from BMW's 1.8-litre diesel 3 Series. So this is no slouchmobile, though while it serves up large, easy chunks of acceleration both in town and out on the motorways and open roads, it's also a smooth performer, boosted by a sporty but fluid six-speed gearchange, well weighted steering and a sophisticated ride.
But what does HDi actually mean?
High-pressure direct injection. And while that spells brisk performance, it also means wonderful economy, thanks to the highly efficient way the fuel is burned. How much? More like how little: 47.9mpg being an achievable average target here.
Isn't this just a tart-up?
Yes, but it's subtle and sweet. Spot the new chrome surrounds on the instrument panel and the extra aluminium detailing on the centre console. Thankfully, the basic design elements remains unchanged: a low waistline, so everyone gets a decent view, a tall roofline so you're not bashing your bonce on the rooflining and lashings of room all round, for knees, elbows and luggage. After all, motorsport's a family affair.
