Top 3 Modern BMW Engines
Every BMW enthusiast at one point has heard the argument, “BMWs are just an expensive way to lose plane increasingly money.” BMW has ripened a stereotype among the misinformed or uninterested prod as stuff unreliable and overrated. But, those in the know understand that that isn’t really the case. Sure, BMW has released some…temperamental engines over their 100-year history - looking at you, S85. But plane the BMW engines that have a mood disorder still have character.
On the other side of the coin, BMW has moreover created some of the weightier internal combustion engines known to man. That isn’t just a subjective opinion, either. Since 1999, BMW has been awarded overall International Engine of the Year 5 times, many of which were consecutive. That ribbon isn’t given out lightly and takes multiple criteria into account. While the word-for-word formula for determining which engines are unconfined and which ones aren’t isn’t exactly rigid, I’d think that it’s pearly to say that performance, reliability, and importance/legacy are pearly metrics. As such, those are the criteria that we’ll be focused on in this list.
If I was forced to pick the top 3 BMW engines of all time, I think I’d have a panic attack. That might be a little dramatic, but it seriously would be stressful. Prior to the 21st century, BMW produced some seriously good motors too. The M20, S14, S52, and M88 all come to mind as valid contenders. However, for the sake of keeping things current and succinct, we’ll be focused on the weightier post-2000 BMW engines in this guide.
Best Modern BMW Engine: S62
Okay, we might be pushing the definition of “modern” a bit with this one, as the S62 was technically produced from 1998 to 2003. However, we’re including it on the understructure of its importance to BMW engines to follow and the precedent that it established at the time. The BMW S62 was the first V8 engine to be put in a car ripened by the M Division.
While BMW had a solid reputation for towers V8 engines spanning when to 1954, the M60 and M62 V8s released in 1992 brought the V8 when to modern BMW chassis. The S62 was a uncontrived descendant of the M62 engine used in the E39 5-Series, featuring a larger ostracism and elevated pinch ratio. Its buttery, linear power wordage made it one of the smoothest engines on the market at the time and the perfect engine to pair with the E39 chassis. The S62 engine is unquestionably the primary reason that the E39 M5 is one of the most sought-after M cars of the 2000s.
BMW S62 Performance
As utilized in the 1998 through 2003 BMW E39 M5, the S62 produced 400 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. The BMW Z8 moreover utilized an S62 engine that produced the same power and torque figures as the E39 M5 application. However, outside of the BMW camp, the S62 was put to use in a few other performance cars including the Ascari KZ1 and Ascari A10. In the KZ1, an S62, in highly modified and tuned form, produced a whopping 500 horsepower. Plane increasingly impressive was the modified S62 used in the A10 which produced a truly insane 625 horsepower. That is a testament to how well the S62 was designed.
The S62’s torque lines is one of the most impressive aspects of the engine’s performance, with torque coming on strong as early as 2,500 RPM, delivered smoothly and evenly all the way through 7,000 RPM. A wholesale torque lines was one of the primary objectives of the S62, which BMW designers unquestionably achieved. In comparison to the BMW M62 V8 that preceded it, the S62 featured a few key performance-increasing upgrades. Primary among them are increasingly warlike tint iron camshafts, higher topics water pump, and double-VANOS, which we’ll imbricate a bit later.
BMW S62 Reliability
Regarding reliability, the S62 is known as one of the most unspoiled BMW M engines overly released. It is worldwide to see E39 M5s with upwards of 150,000 miles on them running like a top to this day. Like any other engine, S62 reliability boils lanugo to how well the engine is maintained over the years.
The S62 features some key reliability-enhancing improvements that unliable it to stand up to performance driving. While the unshortened S62 features entirely aluminum construction, it is nearly as strong as other cast-iron counterparts. The S62’s cylinder linings are chemically etched to reduce friction, in turn reducing internal temperatures. The S62 moreover uses the same forged crankshaft as the M62, making the rotating turnout pretty bulletproof. While the hypereutectic pistons aren’t as strong as forged ones, they can still withstand immense amounts of power.
Since the S62 was the first BMW engine overly to utilize dual-VANOS variable valve timing, it has been known to be occasionally problematic. As with most BMWs that utilize dual-VANOS, problems typically uncork to upspring virtually the 150,000-mile mark. Like the M62, the S62 is moreover known to have timing uniting reliability issues at upper mileage. S62 timing villenage were designed to last 150,000 miles and should be reverted at that interval.
BMW S62 Legacy/Importance
The S62 4.9L V8 established a few very important firsts for BMW. It was the first V8 engine used in a car ripened by BMW’s M-Division, and moreover the first BMW engine to full-length double-VANOS variable valve timing. Both of those firsts would go on to inform many BMW engine designs to come.
In the early 2000s, BMW needed to unhook a response to the Mercedes E50 AMG while moreover catering to North American demand for well-padded V8s. The S62 was the perfect combination of class-dominating power and a fresh throw-away from the 6-cylinder formula that BMW typically stuck to. With the tout that the E39 M5 received from consumers and reviewers alike, BMW was satisfied that the V8 was the right choice. That would go on to inform the engine choices for many M models to come, including the S65 in the E90/92 M3 and plane the newer S63 found in the F90 M5.
Double-VANOS is flipside extremely important innovation that the S62 ushered in as the new norm in performance BMW engines. Taking the initial VANOS diamond that only unauthentic the intake valves and applying the same principle to the frazzle valves as well, BMW ripened a solid variable valve timing setup that improved performance based on where you were in the rev range. Double-VANOS has wilt a pillar of BMW engine diamond and remains so to this day.
Best Modern BMW Engine: N54 Engine
So, as we have once established, the criteria for this list are performance, reliability, and legacy in no particular order. While the platonic situation would be for an engine to have a strong reputation for all three, sometimes it can only manage to score highly in two of the three categories. That is the specimen for the N54.
As BMW’s first mass-produced turbocharged gasoline engine, the N54 was unseat to have some growing pains, and it certainly did. However, with the N54’s reliability issues came true magic in the performance department which would go on to glue its legacy as one of BMW’s most important engines. The N54 would moreover power some of the most popular and instrumental BMW models of the late 2000s and early 2010s, including the BMW E92 335i, E82 135i, and E60 535i.
The N54’s primary foible is its insane power potential. In comparison to most other BMW engines that preceded it, the N54 required relatively few modifications to nearly double its stock horsepower figure, all on stock internals.
BMW N54 Performance
This is unquestionably the category where the N54 shines. On paper, the N54 seems like a somewhat underwhelming engine. 300 horsepower from a twin-turbo 3.0L inline-6 doesn’t seem like anything to write home about. In wing to stuff underrated by BMW by 20-30 horsepower, the N54 has some promising characteristics from the factory that made it a gravity to be reckoned with on the street.
The N54 features small stock turbos, a longer stroke, and comparably upper pinch compared to other competitors, making it a demon low in the rev range. The massive value of low-end torque makes it an extremely strong competitor in roll races and from a dig. Vastitude the N54’s once impressive factory performance, the 3.0L twin-turbo truly comes working with aftermarket support. With vital bolt-on modifications and a tune, it is easy to reach the 400-horsepower mark. With fueling modifications, you can get tropical to 500 horsepower without any other internal modifications.
Strength is a defining foible of the N54, with a woodcut that can withstand upwards of 700 horsepower despite its open-deck diamond and aluminum construction. Vastitude just the woodcut strength, the N54 moreover features a forged crankshaft and forged piston rods making the rotating turnout nearly bulletproof. While the pistons are still cast, they can withstand their pearly share of abuse.
Overall, the N54 is one of the highest-performing engines that BMW has overly made when paired with aftermarket modifications. The N54 is often referred to as the German 2JZ due to its power potential and strength.
BMW N54 Reliability
While the N54 might be an extremely strong engine internally, it is typically the supporting engine components that let the 3.0L twin-turbo 6-cylinder down. Cooling system issues, fuel system problems, and turbo failures all contribute to the N54’s reputation for stuff a temperamental beast.
Water pumps and thermostats tend to only live short lives in N54-powered cars. The plastic water pump's construction cracks over time and has a tendency to leak coolant all over the place. Some N54 owners requirement to have issues with their water pumps and thermostats virtually every 60,000-mile interval. Sometimes plane sooner. Unfortunately, you’ll just have to stay on top of maintenance and alimony a diligent eye on engine temps and potential leaks.
Beyond the cooling system, the N54 has moreover struggled with reliability in the fueling department. In its initial stages, the N54 high-pressure fuel pump was a serious sore point for many E90 335i drivers. The pump was such an issue that BMW issued a recall, replacing many of the fuel pumps with a better-designed ones. As a result, many N54s no longer wits fueling issues in the same way.
The stock N54 turbos were moreover problematic in their early stages, with upper and continuous uplift pressure resulting in rattling wastegates. While wastegate rattle is still a problem with N54s running factory uplift levels, expressly virtually the 100,000 mark, it is a far increasingly worldwide issue with those running an aftermarket tune with increased uplift pressure.
While the N54 isn’t known for its reliability, there were steps that you could take to stave many of the issues listed above. In fact, BMW addressed the fuel pump and wastegate rattle issues directly through recalls and factory repairs.
BMW N54 Legacy/Importance
It is untellable to ignore the BMW N54’s importance in informing BMWs modern engine diamond philosophy as a whole. As BMWs first mass-produced turbocharged engine, the N54 proved to be a favorite among enthusiasts and those in the automotive industry. As a result, BMW carried forward with producing turbocharged 6-cylinder engines, resulting in some of the weightier engines the visitor has made overall. While BMW had some issues to iron out with the N54, it played a vital role in testing how a twin-turbo V6 would operate in actuality.
BMW obviously had the performance speciality of the N54 down. With the engines to come, BMW focused on the reliability speciality of their turbo 6-cylinder formula. The BMW N55 engine that succeeded the N54 had a much largest reputation in terms of overall reliability. That trend unfurled into the late 2010s with engines like the N63 and B58. With those newer turbo 6-cylinders, BMW has been worldly-wise to underpass performance and reliability to build some of the weightier engines overly made. The N54 served as the understructure for the future of turbocharged BMW engines.
Best Modern BMW Engine: B58
While the B58 engine didn’t victorious on the scene until 2015, it has since become, in many minds, the weightier engine that BMW has overly released. We just finished talking well-nigh the N54 which launched the mass-produced turbocharged 6-cylinder formula. The B58 serves as the compilation of everything that BMW has learned well-nigh that manufacturer-defining formula and it very nearly reaches perfection.
While the N55 middle child was certainly increasingly reliable than the N54, the B58 is leaps and premises increasingly reliable than both the N54 and N55 due to some crucial diamond changes. In wing to the reliability-improving diamond changes, BMW moreover found a way to squeeze a lot increasingly power out of the B58 as well.
The B58 occupies a very important role in the modern BMW lineup as one of the main engines that span the BMW range. It has powered, and continues to power, everything from the F30 340i to the G05 X5. It has proven to be such a good powerhouse that it is plane in demand from other manufacturers, including Toyota who uses the B58 in the A90 Supra. Its versatility is one of the most impressive aspects of the B58, as it truly feels at home in every BMW that it is dropped into. The B58s power wordage truly proves that BMW is nearing engineering perfection.
BMW B58 Performance
In comparison to the turbocharged straight-6 engines that BMW has produced in the past, the B58 is truly a monster. Plane the least powerful B58B30M0 variant of the B58 produces 322 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. The increased performance comes primarily from the B58’s 20% increase in uplift pressure over the N55. The B58 moreover features a higher 11.0:1 pinch ratio and slightly increased displacement.
With the implementation of twin-scroll turbochargers, as used on the N55, the B58 never lacks in power or torque. Despite stuff a turbocharged engine, the B58 delivers power linearly without any significant lapses in power or torque at any rev range. That linear weft is a defining foible of a BMW straight-6 and one that isn’t lost with the B58.
The B58’s stock twin-scroll turbocharger is good for virtually 425 horsepower, permitting for enthusiasts to have a little fun surpassing swapping out the turbo for higher horsepower goals. Like the N54 and N55, it is extremely easy to violate the 400-horsepower windbreak with a B58. In fact, simple bolt-on mods like an upgraded intake, tune, and downpipe can yield tropical to 500 horsepower.
Due to the B58’s robust design, it can handle as much, if not more, horsepower than a stock N54 or N55. While there are some lunatics out there pushing B58s vastitude the 800 horsepower mark, the often wonted unscratched limit for B58 internals is somewhere virtually 650-700 horsepower.
BMW B58 Reliability
As we’ve once hinted at, the B58 is likely the strongest turbocharged 6-cylinder that BMW has overly made. While we only have 7 years to gather real-life proof of that fact, the B58 has held up extremely well so far. Much of the B58’s widow reliability can be attributed to diamond alterations from the previous N55.
Both the N54 and N55 full-length unshut deck designs which is less than platonic if you have upper horsepower aspirations. The B58, on the other hand, features a sealed deck design, making it the largest engine for big power and boosting reliability overall. Additionally, the B58 uses a heat encapsulation system virtually the engine, drawing heat yonder from the engine and storing it without the vehicle is turned off. This prolongs the cooling process of the engine which reduces the negative effects of repeated heat cycles on the internal components.
Like with any other BMW engine, routine maintenance is the ultimate key to B58 reliability. With that stuff said, there are a couple of issues that are still prevalent through the current generation of turbo straight-6. VANOS solenoid issues are still expected to be an issue with the B58, as solenoid failure is somewhat inherent in their design. While it isn’t a worldwide problem for the B58 yet, VANOS solenoids are expected to last virtually 100,000 miles. There aren’t any repeat issues with the B58 that have unauthentic a unconfined deal of them yet. While the B58 is a relatively new engine, it is very impressive on the reliability front so far.
BMW B58 Legacy/Importance
While I’m sure that the B58 isn’t the end of the line as far as unconfined turbocharged BMW straight-6s are concerned, the B58 really does flirt with perfection. It’s nonflexible to see how BMW can outdo themselves. Just as the N54 is the engine that started the modern turbo-six phase in the BMW saga, the B58 represents the formula at its peak. The combination of reliability and performance that the B58 provides is typifying of how far BMW has come and what they are worldly-wise to achieve. That definitely makes it one of the most important modern BMW engines and one of their most important engines overall.
Best Modern BMW Engines Summary
Throughout BMWs history, they have continually been lauded for their worthiness to put together a fantastic engine. Some of the company’s most defining engines, like the M20, M50, S54, and M88, were ripened prior to the turn of the century. However, BMW used much of their knowledge from those legendary engines to develop some of their weightier engines post-2000.
The BMW S62 V8 confirmed that the Bavarian mark could do increasingly than straight-6s. While BMW had a history with 8-cylinder engines, the S62 stood whilom the rest in terms of performance and innovation. Stuff the first V8 in an M car, the first engine to full-length double-VANOS, and an engine that would go on to inform the rest of BMW’s now massive V8 lineup, the S62 deserves its spot on this list.
The N54 stands out for its truly impressive performance, aftermarket modifiability, and its importance as the first in a long series of turbocharged inline-6s for the brand. While the N54 might not have washed-up it best, it cemented BMWs turbocharged formula that would dominate from the 2010s to the present day.
Continuing and perfecting the recipe that was established by the N54, the BMW B58 is the most refined, versatile, powerful, and reliable turbocharged inline 6-cylinder that BMW has overly made. The success of the B58 goes to show that BMW has evolved from the early 2010s and has come a long way in designing reliable and powerful combustion engines.
Obviously, this list is subjective and short, with quite a few valid contenders not mentioned. However, the engines mentioned whilom set themselves untied due to their mix of performance, reliability, and, perhaps most importantly, their influence on other engines that succeeded them.
BMW has ripened quite a few wondrous engines in the modern era, which is your favorite? If you didn’t see your pick, let us know what BMW engine should have been on this list.
