Mercedes Benz has recently announced the upcoming addition of a diesel option to their SLK roadster lineup. The motor choice for this car will be the 2.2 liter diesel inline four cylinder which will be borrowed from the C250 Diesel and will put out 204 horsepower. While this really seems like a lame figure for a Mercedes Benz sportscar, remember that this car will have 369 ft-lbs of torque which should make this car just as easy to drive as all the other Benz’s. Another interesting feature for the upcoming SLK is the addition of a sunroof feature into its folding hardtop. For those of us that are top down almost every single time they drive, this feature doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but by in order to stay competitive with their rivals I guess they must be continually pushing the levels of excess luxury.The main main point of this car however, is to run efficiently and get a high MPG, which it certainly does at a score of over 50 MPG.

Porsche is also positioned to offer a lower displacement and higher efficiency motor with their upcoming Boxster 4 which is targeted for 2011. This adds a trim level to the already cheapest Porsche which will be powered by a turbocharged flat four; no solid numbers are known about this new motor but rumors are rating it at around 200 horsepower and an unknown torque figure. Along with a displacement and cylinder reduction, this car will feature a significant weight loss to compensate for the reduced power. Porsche has commented that this is designed to be the most affordable car they have ever made.

Audi will also come out with a more economical option for their lineup but their offering is a bit more exciting than their German rivals. They plan to release their R8 supercar with a V12 TDI Diesel motor very soon. This car will have an impressive output of 500 horsepower and a ridiculous 738 ft-lbs of torque, making it the only diesel to have a higher output in both categories than its gasoline counterpart. While most cars of this calibre will be rated at a single digit MPG, the diesel R8 will manage to achieve a combined 23 MPG.

Are these new offerings from these high end manufacturers a sign of the trouble we are in? While the R8 is still an exciting car, the diesel options from the Porsche and Benz don’t seem like they will be very exciting to drive at all. However, those trims will allow those that can barely afford these luxury cars to be able to join in on ownership – and thats another market segment that they can make money off.