BMW 840d, Mercedes E400d, Audi A8 50 TDI In Diesel Drag Race

Diesel fuel may not be hugely popular in the United States but in some markets, especially in Europe, it still accounts for half or even more of new car sales - Germany, UK, France, Spain, and other countries all have a strong demand for diesel-powered models. When it comes to performance, of course, not many of us think diesel but there are compression ignition models on the market that are quite potent. And here are three of them in a direct drag race.

Carwow's latest video features three of the most powerful mainstream diesel cars on sale today. These are the BMW 840d, Mercedes-Benz E400d, and Audi A8 50 TDI – and all of them are not available at this side of the big pond. While the designations seem pretty different, all three cars rely on 3.0-liter diesel engines.

But let's see the numbers in detail. The Bavarian grand tourer comes with a straight-six unit with 320 horsepower (239 kilowatts), while the two-door Merc has an identical engine type delivering 340 hp (254 kW). The A8 is the only sedan in this comparison and the only car to use a V6 engine from the trio – it has "just" 286 hp (213 kW). All cars are all-wheel drive and have automatic gearboxes.

Well, on paper, it doesn't sound pretty exciting. However, the high levels of torque all three cars have make the drag race pretty interesting. And, what's even more surprising, the exhaust sound these machines produce is quite nice.

Of course, we are not here to ruin the fun of watching the action from the video at the top of this page. We'll just mention that more power doesn't always mean better acceleration times – as we all know, several other factors play a major role in these kinds of races.

Watch the video and tell us in the comments section below do you find the diesel power attractive.