Golf balls have dimples, so they fly farther than balls that don't. Apply the same principle to diesel engines, and you have a gross oversimplification of why dimpled pistons were invented. It's a ...

Rudolf Diesel developed the engine technology that bears his name in the late 19th Century. Since then, diesel engines have become popular for their reliable and efficient operation and long life.

Diesel engines are renowned for their ruggedness, torque-heavy power, and workhorse dependability — not exactly the characteristics linked to high-revving, supercharged excitement. But in a world ...