From a diesel perspective, anything that isn't turbocharged is a waste of time. Similarly, anything that isn't using electronically managed direct injection is a pointless tuning proposal so tuners are somewhat limited to modern Turbo Diesels.

A 2001 plated Peugeot 406 2.2HDi has been re-mapped from factory spec 136bhp (it's pretty good in that tune with 235lbft to play with!) to a whopping 192bhp@4150rpm and 329lbft delivered from 2250rpm. This endows the car with mid-range thump that wouldn't disgrace a Boxster or Audi TT with the silly engine option. NO stopwatch necessary, this is a genuinely quick car now, it both feels quick and achieves the numbers to be quick.

Go figure for yourselves - and then reckon into the equation over 35mpg when driven in anger. A powerful turbo diesel is perfect for the half grown up driver, and, boy will you love that sheer muscle. Its the sensible and fun choice.

Everyone who has driven a current BMW 330d or a 535d will likely agree that they are disgustingly rapid from the factory. These engines can still be made to deliver more torque, but you have to question if it's really necessary given the ease with which they both fling themselves foward in response to a gentle application of the right foot.

Some assert that manufacturers modestly undertune the current crop of performance diesels in order to create a place in the market for their petrol powered models. In the case of the Golf GT tdi I've never heard of anyone who hasnt't exceed the standard manufacturers acceleration claims by a whole second. For some folks, only petrol will do. Curiously, in my estimation these are of the older generation who will not even test drive a diesel car because 'they're slow and noisy, aren't they?'. Just look how many current model Micras are being driven around with Nissan's excellent but spineless small capacity 4 cylinder petrol units. Try the dCi 82, for example. It handles like a go-kart and accelerates absolutely beautifully. It would suit your dad perfectly.

Induction kits and exhaust should theoretically offer a slight increase in power as you still require an efficient delivery of lots of cold air and a way to expel them as efficiently as possible. The bore size of Diesel exhausts is usually much larger than a similar powered petrol car, especially on Turbo Diesel models. We reccomend adding a good high quality high flow panel air filter to start the tuning ball rolling.

Tuning a diesel engine in the way a petrol engine would be tuned is not really worh it. The gains are much less than with a petrol engine.Getting the flame from inside the combustion chamber to accelerate faster than the piston crown is the only real option, and this is to some degree achieved by allow small amount of fuel to be injected during the expansion phase of the engine's cycle.Too much of this and you get smoke and soot, and burn a load of fuel. Increasing the BMEP (brake mean effective pressure) by means such as increased boost can assist. This, too, can go both ways, as the biggest fraction of the atmosphere is nitrogen, which, although good for cooling, is still incombustible.

That's where nitrous comes in, in the same way it does in a petrol powered vehicle. The gains achieved in this way can be absolutely silly, but given the cost and legal position in regard to road usage it's potentially a bad idea.

Good results can be obtained with cetane improvers. Sadly, these can prove expensive and should not be used in engines that are Euro Iv (2004) compliant. Strangely, the 2.2HDi 2001 model is 2004 compliant. The particle filter (a whole subject in itself) can become blocked or excessively obstructed by use of such products.

Weight reduciton is very very sensible. Not only does less weight mean better performance for free, it also puts less load on tyres, which allows braking and handling to be optimised. It also reduces the load on the environment as less fuel is required, thereby the release of exhaust gases is reduced.

The Downsides of Diesels: Engine mass/weight is a standard problem with diesel cars (especially FWD ones). That heavy engine can upset the handling balance of a car. Diesel units are heavy; they're dealing with big compression ratios and big torque figures. As such, the bearings are larger in diameter, the gearboxes belong in lorries and tractors even if the change quality is good. Clutches are getting on for 12" diameter and require fluid operation and servo assistance to make the things pleasant to drive, often a standard clutch will suffer from slip when a remap yields a massive torque figure so you may need to uprate the clutch.

If you have a guide, or a article that you think will be of use to our visitors, then email it to info@maxxd.co.uk - And we'll publish it to the world!

If you would like to advertise on the MaxxDirectory and become a part of this rapidly growing network, please Contact Us or Submit your listing here.