We hear, Rolls Royce won’t build diesel engined cars and SUVs

Rolls Royce builds bespoke cars that transport folks like royalty, state heads and folks who happen to have a couple of oil fields in the Middle East. So, these folks aren’t like you and me anyway, who have to bother about rising costs of the dinosaur remains and other earthly matters that concerns the running of our beloved automobiles. When the decision makers at Rolls Royce asked these folks whether they’d like the more frugal, lower emitting and high torque option of diesel power, “thanks, but no thanks” was the general refrain from Rolls Royce buyers.

Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe used as an illustration

The BMW owned hallowed luxury car marquee, known for its cars wafting along, obviously think that diesel engines can never match the refinement levels that petrol engines offer. So, Rolls Royce, like all bright automakers, has listened to its customers, who’re influential enough to put the brand out of business anyway, and taken the safe option of not opting for diesel power in the future range of Rolls Royce luxury cars. Also, Rolls Royce won’t be building a SUV to chase volumes like its competitors Aston Martin and Bentley, both of whom have plans of building a luxury SUV targeting bigger sales volumes.

Rolls Royce wants to remain as exclusive as ever by not entering the volumes segment and we’re pretty certain that ths strategy will suit the fat cats who patronize this brand just fine. All said and done, the big takeaway from this story is the fact that diesel engines have really come a long way in the last couple of decades due to a slew of technological innovations that have improved both refinement and performance by giant leaps. The very fact that BMW, a world leader in diesel engine technology, is even considering the use of diesel power is something as hallowed as a Rolls Royce speaks volumes about how refined the diesel engine, once considered dirty and underpowered, has become.

Diesel engines are now making inroads into high performance cars and BMW has been a leading force effecting this change, what with the M-division of the high performance cars now getting a triple turbo 3 Liter straight six diesel motor good for 381 Bhp and 780 Nm of brute torque. This engine now powers the BMW M550d sedan, the X5d and the X6d SUVs. Maserati will add a high performance diesel engine to the next generation Quattroporte and in the coming years, expect diesel power to make inroads into what perhaps is the last frontier, the supercar world.

Via AutoCar.co.uk