I've had a revvy, fast car - a Clio 172, very quick, great fun to drive, BUT, nothing happened until 4200 rpm - after that the scream to the redline was addictive. Great car IMO.
Trouble is though if you're caught in the wrong gear, or just can't be bothered to have to rev the nuts off it to go anywhere, it can get a little tiring.
Diesels these days are getting great BHP as well as the torque, while still keeping the great mpg - check out BMW's 123d specs:
204 bhp, 295lb ft, 0-62:7.0s, 148mph top speed, 54.7mpg.
It's said by reviewers that it's a quiet engine too. Crucially though, their use of multiple turbos is getting rid of the last drawback of a diesel - lag.
And it's very likely a few hundred quid on a chip will make it even more potent.
Don't get me wrong, I love the feel and sound of big petrol engines, but I'd need a 4.0V8 to get me the same torque as I have now, and that'd give me 20mpg and not the 50 I get now. I can't afford to do my 20k miles a year at 20mpg.