If you love cars, especially Volkswagen and Audi models, you’ve probably heard the name Jeroen Dik. This Dutch engineer has spent over 30 years making cars faster, stronger, and more fun to drive. But what makes him special is that his cars don’t just go fast—they last long too.
Let me tell you the story of a man who turned his childhood dream into a successful business and became known as the “Yoda of car tuning.”
Who Is Jeroen Dik?
Jeroen Dik was born on March 13, 1969, in the Netherlands. As a young boy, he wasn’t interested in video games or sports like other kids. Instead, he loved taking things apart to see how they worked. His favorite thing? Car engines.
While his friends dreamed about owning fancy sports cars, Jeroen thought about how to make engines work better. He spent his weekends at race tracks, watching cars speed around corners and learning everything he could about performance.
He didn’t go to expensive engineering schools or have rich parents to support him. What he had was curiosity and a strong desire to learn. He taught himself by working on old Volkswagen cars in his garage, making mistakes, and trying again until he got it right.
Starting JD Engineering
In the early 1990s, Jeroen started his own business called JD Engineering in Lochem, Netherlands. The “JD” stands for his own name—Jeroen Dik. His goal was simple: make cars perform better without breaking them.
At that time, many car tuners only cared about making engines as powerful as possible. They would add lots of horsepower, but the cars would often break down after a few months. Jeroen had a different idea. He wanted to create cars that were fast AND reliable.
He started by working on Volkswagen Group cars. These include brands like Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda, and even Porsche. His specialty became the Golf G60, a classic car with a supercharged engine that many people loved.
Word spread quickly. Car owners discovered that Jeroen’s tuned cars felt amazing to drive and didn’t cause problems later. His business grew slowly but surely, based on trust and quality work.
What Makes Jeroen Dik Different?
Many tuners will promise you big numbers. “We’ll give your car 100 extra horsepower!” they say. But Jeroen thinks differently. He calls his approach “usable power.”
What does that mean? It means the car should feel good in real life, not just look impressive on a computer screen. Here’s what Jeroen focuses on:
Balance Over Big Numbers: He doesn’t just add power. He makes sure the engine delivers that power smoothly. The car should be easy to control and comfortable for everyday driving.
Safety First: Before making any changes, he checks the entire car carefully. If something is already broken or weak, he fixes that first. He won’t modify a car that isn’t healthy.
Custom Solutions: Every car is different, and every driver has different needs. Jeroen doesn’t use the same setup for everyone. He creates a special plan for each car based on what the owner wants.
Long-Term Thinking: His tuned cars are built to last. People drive JD Engineering cars for years without major problems. Some customers report that their fuel economy even improved after tuning.
This careful, thoughtful approach has earned him the nickname “Tuning Yoda”—just like the wise character from Star Wars who teaches others the right way to do things.
How Jeroen Tunes Cars
Let’s look at the steps Jeroen follows when someone brings a car to JD Engineering:
Step 1: Understanding What You Want
First, he talks to the car owner. Do you want a car for daily driving? Weekend fun? Track racing? Everyone has different goals, and Jeroen needs to know yours.
Step 2: Complete Check-Up
Before touching anything, he runs full tests on the car. He checks the engine, transmission, brakes, and all the important parts. Think of it like going to a doctor before starting a new exercise program.
Step 3: ECU Remapping
The ECU (Engine Control Unit) is like the car’s brain. It controls how the engine works. Jeroen changes the settings in this computer to improve performance. He adjusts fuel delivery, ignition timing, and boost pressure for turbocharged engines.
Step 4: Testing Everything
After the changes, the car goes on a special machine called a dynamometer (or “dyno” for short). This machine measures exactly how much power the engine makes. But Jeroen doesn’t stop there—he also drives the car on real roads to make sure everything feels right.
Step 5: Teaching the Owner
Finally, Jeroen explains everything to the car owner. He tells them how to take care of their newly tuned car, when to change the oil, and what to expect. Education is important to him.
This careful process takes time, but it’s why JD Engineering has such a good reputation.
Racing Success: Proving His Skills
Talking about making fast cars is one thing. Actually proving they work is another. In 2008, when Jeroen was 39 years old—an age when most race drivers retire—he decided to start racing professionally.
He joined the Toerwagen Diesel Cup (TDC), a racing series in the Netherlands for diesel-powered touring cars. People were surprised. Diesel cars aren’t usually associated with exciting racing. But Jeroen knew that with the right tuning, even a diesel car could be incredibly quick.
He drove cars he tuned himself—Volkswagen Golfs and Seat Ibizas with JD Engineering software. The results shocked everyone:
- In 2008, he finished 11th overall and won his first professional race at Assen
- He continued competing and getting better results year after year
- In 2011, he won the entire championship driving a Volkswagen Golf VI TDI
This wasn’t just lucky. It proved that Jeroen’s tuning philosophy worked perfectly even in tough racing conditions. His cars were fast enough to win but reliable enough to finish every race.
Winning that championship was huge for JD Engineering. It showed everyone that Jeroen didn’t just talk about good tuning—he could prove it where it matters most: on the race track.
Famous Projects and Happy Customers
Over the years, Jeroen has worked on thousands of cars. Here are some examples that show what JD Engineering can do:
The Daily Driver Miracle: A father in the Netherlands owned a Skoda Octavia vRS. After Jeroen’s tuning, the car gained 110 extra horsepower but still used the same amount of fuel on the highway. The car became much more fun to drive without costing more money to run.
The Sleeper Golf R: Several Golf R and Audi S3 owners came to JD Engineering. Their cars looked completely normal from the outside. But after tuning, they could complete fast laps around the famous Nürburgring race track in under 7 minutes and 30 seconds—a very impressive time.
The Classic Comeback: In 2024, a restored 1991 Corrado G60 (one of Jeroen’s favorite cars) came to the workshop. After careful tuning, it produced 312 horsepower—more than double the original power—and won the “Best Engineered” award at the Players Classic car show.
The Reliable RS3: A customer from the UK brought an Audi RS3. Jeroen increased the power from 400 to 580 horsepower. The amazing part? The transmission still worked perfectly, and the car could accelerate from 30 to 70 mph more than 2 seconds faster than before.
Magazine writers from publications like Speedhunters, Fast Car, and Performance VW have featured his builds many times. They always say the same thing: “Insanely fast, yet you could drive it on a long trip without worry.”
Technology and Tools
Jeroen doesn’t use old methods. JD Engineering has invested in modern equipment to make sure every tune is perfect:
- Advanced diagnostic tools that can read every sensor in the car
- High-precision dynamometers that measure power very accurately
- Engine simulation software that predicts how changes will affect performance
- Data logging equipment that records everything during test drives
This technology, combined with Jeroen’s 30+ years of experience, creates the best possible results. It’s like having both modern science and old-school wisdom working together.
Teaching Others: The “Tuning Yoda” Philosophy
What makes Jeroen really special is that he loves sharing knowledge. Many successful business owners keep their secrets hidden. Not Jeroen.
Every year, he hosts free workshops for young people who want to learn about car tuning. He openly shares his dyno graphs and test results on internet forums. Late at night, you might find him answering questions from beginners at 1 AM.
He believes that the tuning community gets better when everyone learns together. He’s patient, calm, and always willing to explain things in simple terms—just like Yoda teaching young Jedi in the movies.
This generous spirit has created a whole generation of tuners who learned from him and now follow his principles of quality and reliability.
Looking to the Future
You might think that someone who has worked on classic Volkswagens for 30 years would only care about old cars. But Jeroen is always looking ahead.
He has started exploring how to tune hybrid cars—vehicles that use both gasoline engines and electric motors. This is much more complicated than regular tuning, but Jeroen loves a challenge.
He’s also studying electric vehicles (EVs). As more people buy electric cars, they want better performance from them too. Jeroen is learning how to improve electric car performance while keeping the batteries healthy and efficient.
This forward-thinking approach shows that Jeroen isn’t stuck in the past. He wants JD Engineering to be ready for whatever comes next in the automotive world.
Life Beyond Cars
Despite all his success, Jeroen remains a humble person. He is married with children who sometimes help in the workshop. On weekends, you might find him cycling through the Dutch countryside or reading books about aerodynamics—yes, for fun!
He quietly supports local charities. Recently, he donated a fully rebuilt van to a children’s hospice. He refuses to let JD Engineering become a big, impersonal corporation. He wants to keep it personal and focused on quality.
“Fast cars are amazing,” he once said in an interview, “but fast living without meaning is empty.”
This philosophy guides both his work and his life. Success isn’t just about money or fame—it’s about doing good work, helping others, and staying true to your values.
What We Can Learn from Jeroen Dik
Jeroen’s story teaches us several important lessons:
Quality beats quantity: It’s better to do fewer jobs perfectly than many jobs poorly.
Balance is important: Whether it’s car tuning or life, finding the right balance creates the best results.
Never stop learning: Even after 30 years, Jeroen continues studying and improving his skills.
Share your knowledge: Helping others succeed makes everyone better.
Stay humble: Success shouldn’t change who you are as a person.
For young people who dream of working with cars, Jeroen’s message is clear: Start small, stay curious, be patient, and always put quality first. He didn’t have special advantages—just passion, hard work, and a commitment to doing things right.
Conclusion
Jeroen Dik is more than just a successful car tuner. He’s a teacher, a racer, an innovator, and a person who truly cares about his craft. From a curious boy taking apart engines in his garage to the founder of one of Europe’s most respected tuning companies, his journey shows what’s possible when you combine passion with principle.
In a world where many tuners chase quick money and big horsepower numbers, Jeroen stands out by focusing on what really matters: creating cars that perform beautifully and last for years. His cars have won championships, broken records, and most importantly, made thousands of customers happy.
Whether you own a Volkswagen Golf, an Audi RS3, or just appreciate good engineering, Jeroen Dik’s work represents the best of what car tuning can be. His legacy isn’t just the cars he’s built—it’s the standard he’s set for quality, reliability, and honest work.
As he continues exploring hybrid and electric vehicle tuning, one thing is certain: wherever automotive performance goes next, Jeroen Dik will be there, calmly and patiently pushing the boundaries while never forgetting what matters most—creating cars that work perfectly, day after day, year after year.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Jeroen Dik and what does he do?
Jeroen Dik is a Dutch automotive engineer and the founder of JD Engineering. He specializes in tuning cars from the Volkswagen Group, which includes brands like Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda, and Porsche. He’s famous for making cars faster and more powerful while keeping them reliable for daily use. People call him the “Tuning Yoda” because of his wisdom and skill.
2. What makes JD Engineering different from other tuning companies?
JD Engineering focuses on “usable power” instead of just big horsepower numbers. This means the cars are not only fast but also safe, reliable, and comfortable for everyday driving. Jeroen creates custom solutions for each car and driver rather than using the same setup for everyone. He also thoroughly checks each car before making any changes and teaches owners how to maintain their vehicles properly.
3. Has Jeroen Dik proven his tuning skills in racing?
Yes! In 2011, Jeroen won the Toerwagen Diesel Cup championship driving a Volkswagen Golf VI TDI that he tuned himself. This victory proved that his tuning methods work even under the extreme conditions of professional racing. He started racing professionally in 2008 when he was 39 years old and achieved consistent success throughout his racing career.
4. What types of cars does JD Engineering work on?
JD Engineering primarily works on Volkswagen Group vehicles including Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda, and Porsche models. Jeroen started with classic cars like the Golf G60 and has worked on everything from daily drivers to high-performance models like the Audi RS3 and Golf R. Recently, he has also started exploring tuning for hybrid and electric vehicles.
5. Will tuning my car make it less reliable or use more fuel?
Not if it’s done properly by experts like Jeroen Dik. JD Engineering’s tuning philosophy prioritizes reliability and long-term engine health. Many customers report that their cars actually became more fuel-efficient after tuning because the engine runs more efficiently. However, results depend on how the car is tuned and how you drive it. This is why choosing an experienced, careful tuner like Jeroen is so important.
