Porsche Cayenne buyers want it all. Power. Performance. Go-anywhere capabilities. Cargo space. Room for the whole family. But if they wanted all that plus fuel economy, well Porsche's engineers may be talented, but they're not magicians. Techart's, on the other hand, just might be. Building on Porsche's work, they took the Cayenne Diesel, not exactly the most impressive performer of the range, and gave it some extra grunt and attitude without affecting the big truck's fuel economy or emissions figures.

For about $89,000, Techart will provide a custom Cayenne Diesel with a specially-crafted body kit, 21" wheels (22" are optional) and an engine producing 290hp and 465 lb-ft. That's enough to propel the big beast to 60 mph in just 7.7 seconds – more than half a second faster than stock. The big bonus, though, is that the bulk of that torque is available from the low end, making the Techart Cayenne Diesel a versatile machine. And that's just what Porsche was looking for.

Volkswagen is not a marque one usually associates with luxury, and so we admit to being somewhat skeptical about the new 2010 Touareg V6 TDI and not all that enthusiastic at first when the chance came to test it out. MotorTrend changed our mind with its recent comparison of diesel and hybrid luxury SUVs - amazingly, their pros all concurred that it outclassed more expensive models like the Mercedes ML320 BlueTEC, BMW X5 and Lexus RX 450h. Plus it's one of the most fuel efficient and cleanest SUVs in the world.

We had a chance to experience it firsthand on a recent jaunt to Washington, DC and Annapolis, Maryland. The Touareg handled all situations with poise and equanimity, from navigating the city streets to an amazing dinner at Wolfgang Puck's The Source, to finding the right marina in Eastport through the bay's backroads for some sailing (the touchscreen GPS was a big help there). We could easily have kept on going, as the comfy interior with its wood and leather resembles in MotorTrend's words "a den in a ritzy Alaska fishing lodge" - or for our purposes make that the upstairs bar at the Annapolis Yacht Club.

Don't think that "diesel" means noisy and slow like those old Mercedes wagons of your youth. The Touareg TDI is powered by a hushed 3.0L, turbocharged six cylinder engine that produces 225 horsepower and an impressive 407 lbs-ft. of torque. Tourque, we learned en route, is more important than horsepower in diesel engines. The TDI's torque gives it performance equal to the gas-powered Touareg V8 that's rated at 350 hp and 324 lb-ft of torque, to give you an idea. And whereas the latter has an EPA mileage rating of 13/18 mpg city/hwy, the TDI gets 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

As a thank you to their customers for 30 years of business, Diesel is selling their limited edition 'Dirty Thirty' jeans for just 30 euros today only ($50 in the U.S.). A total of 30,000 pairs will be distributed to the 160 Diesel stores and come in both male and female models. The jeans have a back patch with a a xXx sign and the words "Dirty Thirty" and the dates 1978 – 2008 will be embroidered on the sides. You can also order online here.

[via The Telegraph]

Big news for fashion design firm Viktor & Rolf. Renzo Rosso, the Italian industrialist behind Diesel, has acquired a majority stake in brand helmed by the dynamic Dutch duo of Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren. Rosso has said that he plans to make major investments in the company's ready-to-wear business and will add freestanding Viktor & Rolf stores as well as adding licensed products like glasses and jewelry.

Rosso's Italian holding company, Only the Brave also controls Dsquared, Maison Martin Margiela and Sophia Kokosalaki, and manufactures Vivienne Westwood's leading lines which sounds like good company for the often unconventional Viktor & Rolf designs.

The sleek little number shown here is the prototype XSR48 from XSMG Marine which will be heading to Monaco this month to give potential owners a look at the boat. The 48-foot boat is said to be the world's fastest diesel production boat. The boat will be put through a series of world record attempts to be conducted this year. The XSR48 has a Kevlar/carbon-fibre monocoque hull and twin diesel Isotta Fraschini engines and can hit speeds in excess of 100 mph. The XSR48 is expected to sell for around £1 million and there will only be 100 to be produced.

[via Synfo]

Diesel Jeans is now in the wine business. Decanter reports that Renzo Rosso, the founder of the popular label presented three new wines at Vinitaly this month.The three wines are Bianco di Rosso, a Chardonnay, Rosso di Rosso (Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon) and Nero di Rosso (Pinot Nero) and will sell in restaurants for over £100 a bottle. Rosso owns a farm in Marostica in Vicenza, Veneto and also sells olive oil. Too bad the name Vin Diesel is already taken.