MUNICH -- BMW will replace its 3.0-liter gasoline engine with what it claims is the world's lightest six-cylinder engine. BMW engineers have designed a new magnesium-alloy composite crankcase that reduces the assembled engine weight by about 22 pounds to just 355 pounds. The engine's performance is increased by 12 percent while fuel consumption will drop by 12 percent, says BMW.

Klaus Borgmann, BMW's head of motor engineering, said further development of the automaker's 3-year-old Valvetronic engine management system provided most of the fuel consumption reduction. The new Valvetronic units deliver 258 hp

 

http://www.my330i.com/e90engine.php

BMW horses are really big -- consider that their current 225 hp mill somehow manages to power the Z4 to sixty and through the quarter just as quickly as the lighter S2000 with its 240 hp motor -- so this new 3.0 L unit's going to be insane.

Steve

 

BMW under-rates their engines ... just like Mercedes.

 

Good news

 

Yep, quite common for the 225 hp rated 330 to dyno around 190 RWHP. Either they have discovered some super efficient drive train (not likely) or their hp numbers are on the conservative side.

 

the Z4 has as much or more CUMULATIVE HP as the S.

The torque produces more power in the lower part of the powerband.

comparing peak HP is misleading in most cases...you must look at the whole picture.

 

This engine sounds like a nice piece of technology. If all the other parts driven by the engine require less power as well, this should affect MPG positively I would think.

 

BMW doesn't really underrate their engines, it's just that ever since they developed vanos (their valve timing thing, think VTEC), their engines have had really flat torque curves. Plus they also aggressively gear their cars.

I'm still curious to see what will happen to their 2.5L.

the diesel biturbo version of the 3.0L is as impressive:
http://www.channel4.com/4car/road-tests/dr...B/bmw/535d.html

 

[QUOTE=derryck,Jul 16 2004, 08:01 AM]
Yep, quite common for the 225 hp rated 330 to dyno around 190 RWHP.

 

area under curve + gearing