Abstract: An improved Diesel exhaust filter element of the type having a rigid porous wall portion formed of an acicular ceramic (such as acicular mullite), the porous wall portion having a first side and a second side, the porous wall portion being coated with a precious metal catalyst and a Nox absorbent, such that when exhaust gas from a Diesel engine is flowed through the rigid porous wall from the first side to the second side, the exhaust gas containing excess oxygen, Nox and soot, the soot in the exhaust gas in trapped within the rigid porous wall and catalytically oxidized to carbon dioxide, the NO is catalytically oxidized to NO2, which NO2 is then absorbed by the Nox absorbent, and such that when the exhaust gas is caused to contain excess hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide, then the Nox absorbent is regenerated and the remaining hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide are catalytically converted to nitrogen and carbon dioxide.