BMW to Turbocharge its Entire Lineup of 4-Cylinder Gasoline Engines

Citing inside sources from BMW, British magazine Autocar is reporting that all of the Bavarian automaker's future four-cylinder engines will benefit from turbocharging technology. This includes all four-pots with outputs up to 245 horsepower, with the new straight-six engines taking over from there.

All of BMW's turbocharged four-cylinder engines will be built upon the same 2.0-liter aluminium block, with the difference in performance being made by using two different types of turbochargers and different engine mapping (apparently, BMW learned its lesson well from the VW Group...).

The aluminium block gets a new and very thin cylinder lining of only 0.3 millimeters thanks to the use of sprayed iron technology. That's a massive improvement over the classic 1.5 mm thick cast iron lining and it translates into less weight and more durability.

The most powerful engine, which will be soon available to order in the small X1 SUV under the xDrive28i badging, is a complex unit, having a double-sided twin-scroll turbocharger which works at pressures of up to 200 bar, double-VANOS variable valve timing and direct fuel injection.

Following lower-powered units are expected to get a single conventional turbo instead of the twin-scroll technology. The new turbocharged four-cylinder units will make their debut on the next generation of the 3-Series, expected in 2012.

New BMW Performance Kit Boosts 2.0-liter Diesel's Output to up 200HP

As well setting the stage for the world premiere of the Vision CD roadster concept and the production version of the pure-electric 1-Series ActiveE, the Geneva Motor Show will also see the launch of BMW's new Performance Power Kit for the firm's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine found on numerous models including the 1-,3- and 5-Series range in both rear- and all-wheel drive configurations. The upgrade is available for both the previous 177HP as well as the newer 184HP 2.0L engine.

Thanks to an engine software optimization plus a larger intercooler and a more-efficient fan for the main radiator, output is lifted from 177HP and 350Nm to 197HP and 390Nm, and from 184Hp and 380Nm to 200HP and 420Nm, for each engine respectively. According to BMW, the acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h in 5th gear is up to one second faster after the conversion.

Buyers can also add BMW's Performance Sports Silencer that comes with two round, chrome plated 74mm tail pipes, and which in addition to optimizing exhaust back pressure, also offers a sportier sound.

Classic Ads: Why a Hyundai Excel is as Good as a BMW 325i

If this ad is to be taken seriously, the only difference between a late 1980s E30 BMW 325i and a Hyundai Excel is price and the engine / transmission layout. After all both have, “[A] plush interior, European styling [and] room for five.”

After all, niggling little details like equipment levels, brand image and build quality have never bothered car buyers before, right? Apparently not, as the Excel went on to become one of U.S.’s best selling imports, with 168,000 of the little blighters sold in its first year stateside. That’s a lot of, “Hun-days,” [sic].

So what if it had the looks of a three-year-old Toyota Corolla and was built in a place that wasn’t even a country sixty years ago; it cost just US$5,499 and in salesman speak that’s a damn good deal. There are probably innumerable benefits to owning a 1988 Hyundai Excel. Such as...uh...or maybe...um...and then there’s...oh.

It was cheap, yeah? And cheap is good despite what a certain fictional character may have said to the contrary. That’s true for at least the vast majority of cash-strapped Americans and almost certainly for Hyundai. Yes, it was front wheel drive and sure it had no outstanding qualities other than the price tag. The same could be said for many of the cars sold today, and you don’t see any of them comparing themselves to a German heavyweight.

So watch the ad and reminisce about a simpler time when men wore pinstriped shirts, martini lunches were often followed by cocaine afternoons and a balmy little upstart from the Sea of Japan had the verve to stick its fingers in its ears and stick its tongue out.

Official: BMW 2.0-liter Turbo Coming to the USA in 2011, Replaces 3.0-liter Straight-Six

We knew BMW's brand-new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine was coming to the States but now, the Bavarian automaker has made it official. The German company released a statement saying the first cars to be equipped with the force-fed four-banger will "arrive later this year" in the USA.

The 2.0-liter unit made its debut on the X1 compact crossover and will eventually replace BMW’s trademark normally aspirated 3.0-liter inline six. While BMW's US division has yet to announce which models will get the new engine, in Europe, the automaker has already confirmed the powerplant for the Z4 coupe-roadster and the 5-Series range.

In the U.S., the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-six is currently available on these models:

-128i Coupe / Convertible 230HP

-328i Sedan / Coupe / Convertible / Sports Wagon / xDrive 230HP

-528i Sedan 240HP

-X3 xDrive28i 240HP

-Z4 sDrive30i 255HP

There's a strong possibility that BMW will offer the new 2.0-liter turbo on all of these models in the U.S. but this has yet to be confirmed.

BMW's more for less 2.0-liter unit combines twin-scroll turbocharging with high-pressure direct-injection and the firm's VALVETRONIC intake control. In the X1, the maximum output of 240 horsepower is achieved at 5,000 rpm, or 1,500 rpm lower than in the normally-aspirated 3.0-liter inline six. The peak torque of 260 lb-ft, comes on tap at just 1,250 rpm, which according to BMW, is not only 30% more torque than the aforementioned inline six, it also peaks 1,500 rpm earlier. On top of that, BMW says the four-pot also returns 16 per cent better fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.