3 cylinder BMWs

C

ChawenHalo

Senior member
 Bordeaux
Have you guys seen this?

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=26365

Can't help but being proud of BMW forunning this dowsizing tech. As much as I love those larger capacity NA engines, I think it took balls of BMW to introduce their turbo charged engines in their M flagships first.

Well done Beemer! :thumbsup:
 
My initial reaction was "oh no!" but after seeing the spec and hearing the engine I'm sold.

It should be cracking in the mini and possibly potential for a remap.

3 bangers have been around for a while. The one in the Mitsubishi Colt is quite good. It sounds like a mini v8 when pushed.

Here's a clip of the BMW unit in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GE6SGcT_eI&feature=youtube_gdata_player
 
I actually rather like the sound of that engine. Strange how a 3 turbo sounds better in many ways that a 4 cyl.
 
Ive had a 3 cylinder 1.1 (Mitsubishi) engine and it was great very nippy and put out 75bhp! 1.5L sounds pretty hefty for a 3cyl but everything is getting smaller these days
 
Ford sell a one litre three cylinder petrol focus. Fom memory 125bhp and 177nm torque

They also sell a cheaper 4 cylinder diesel with 116bhp and 270nm torque.

I wouldn't want either but if I had to pick then it would be the diesel. I'm guessing many will ignore the torque figure believing the petrol to be more powerful than the diesel.

The diesel is still more economical as well.
 
Apparently that focus is something daft like 40% of all new sales since its launch. Not convinced by diesel at the mo sobi can see why people go for the petrol
 
srhutch said:
Ford sell a one litre three cylinder petrol focus. Fom memory 125bhp and 177nm torque

They also sell a cheaper 4 cylinder diesel with 116bhp and 270nm torque.

I wouldn't want either but if I had to pick then it would be the diesel. I'm guessing many will ignore the torque figure believing the petrol to be more powerful than the diesel.

The diesel is still more economical as well.
Click to expand...

Agree on most here, however it is the same problem as all diesels, lower maximum RPM = lower gearing = lower acceleration.
 
There are some uses for very light and compact 3-cyl engines: http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/286480/ford_ecoboost_racer_sets_ring_time.html :driving:

I think all these little baby turbo engines pave the way for ultra powerful larger turbo engines, which can only be a good thing 8)

My 35i would be Superb with a 500bhp 3.0 triple turbo engine :lol:

Rog
 
sars said:
Agree on most here, however it is the same problem as all diesels, lower maximum RPM = lower gearing = lower acceleration.
Click to expand...

Get a test drive of a D3 BiTurbo, absolutely amazing engine. I'm hugely tempted by one
 
bluestreak56 said:
1.5L sounds pretty hefty for a 3cyl but everything is getting smaller these days
Click to expand...
Pah!!! tis tiny, how about this British built triple http://www.triumph.co.uk/uk/Triumph_Rocket_III_Specifications.aspx

Downsizing may be the way to go, but 3 turbos in the case of the diesel is possibly just a case of more to go wrong in the future, will they last as long. Is a small highly strung engine ever going to last as long as a big unstressed one :idunno: ?

That said it looks like what we are going to used to going forward :cry: .
 
RichardG said:
Downsizing may be the way to go, but 3 turbos in the case of the diesel is possibly just a case of more to go wrong in the future, will they last as long. Is a small highly strung engine ever going to last as long as a big unstressed one :idunno: ?
Click to expand...

Exactly my thinking. But then by the time these engines hit the road, they've clocked up more than a lifetimes worth of mileage on dyno's and in test cars. I was working on a 3 cyl TDi for GM a couple of years ago and while it was ok when on-song, if you caught it without the turbo or the wrong point in the rev-range and it had nothing. All these small engines are a bit Jekyll & Hyde for me because of that :- they'll be perfect for the majority of people who barely ever break 50mph tootling along in urban environments, but load them 4-up for a weekend away and try to accelerate up an incline and you'll wish you had the 1.6 or old-school equivalent.
 
Stuart Truman said:
sars said:
Agree on most here, however it is the same problem as all diesels, lower maximum RPM = lower gearing = lower acceleration.
Click to expand...

Get a test drive of a D3 BiTurbo, absolutely amazing engine. I'm hugely tempted by one
Click to expand...

They will have made a great diesel engine when it rev's to 7000 rpm and doesn't sound like a tractor
 
sars said:
srhutch said:
Ford sell a one litre three cylinder petrol focus. Fom memory 125bhp and 177nm torque

They also sell a cheaper 4 cylinder diesel with 116bhp and 270nm torque.

I wouldn't want either but if I had to pick then it would be the diesel. I'm guessing many will ignore the torque figure believing the petrol to be more powerful than the diesel.

The diesel is still more economical as well.
Click to expand...

Agree on most here, however it is the same problem as all diesels, lower maximum RPM = lower gearing = lower acceleration.
Click to expand...

Not so sure SARS. TBH I get to drive plenty of 4 pot oil burners and something like the last gen 320d pulled like a train with 170 bhp and as much torque as a 3L petrol. Cars are so heavy now, the torque really helps alonfg with short gearing.
 
sars said:
Stuart Truman said:
sars said:
Agree on most here, however it is the same problem as all diesels, lower maximum RPM = lower gearing = lower acceleration.
Click to expand...

Get a test drive of a D3 BiTurbo, absolutely amazing engine. I'm hugely tempted by one
Click to expand...

They will have made a great diesel engine when it rev's to 7000 rpm and doesn't sound like a tractor
Click to expand...
By all accounts (and by that I mean the car bible that is evo magazine) are raving about the new diesel engine in the 5-series/X6 - apparently very free-revving all the way to it's redline but with the torque lowdown too. And sounds pretty special too, in a good way...
 
a11y said:
By all accounts (and by that I mean the car bible that is evo magazine) are raving about the new diesel engine in the 5-series/X6 - apparently very free-revving all the way to it's redline but with the torque lowdown too. And sounds pretty special too, in a good way...
Click to expand...
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a friend has just got a new 520d to replace a 320d tourer and he was raving about it. recons its a bit more powerful tha the 320d but said it still feels quick and very smooth despite the 19" runflats. his 320 felt nippy to me so it cnt be bad
 
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