Top 5 Most Reliable BMW Engines
BMW is instantly recognized just about anywhere in the world. Some of the best performance cars of all time, such as the E30 M3, and the McLaren F1 come with the blue and white badge on the hood. On the other hand, BMW often falls victim to jokes about its subpar reliability and constant breakdowns. […]
BMW N57 Engine Buyers’ Guide — Diesel Power
If you’re looking to buy a diesel-engined fifth-gen BMW 7-Series (F01) or an X5 or X6 produced after 2008, you’re most likely looking at a Bimmer with a BMW N57 engine at its heart. The N57 is one of the German manufacturer’s more widely used diesel engines of the modern era. During its decade-long production […]
BMW M40 Engine — Everything You Need to Know
Today, a mention of the BMW E30 or E36 generations of the 3-Series will most likely bring to memory their most proficient model — the M3. However, the second and third generations of the BMW 3-Series also included multiple standard models powered by smaller, less-capable engines. One such humble engine is the BMW M40 engine. […]
S50 Engine — The One that Got Away
A couple of weeks ago, we put together a comprehensive piece on the BMW S52 engine. The S52 engine powered the second generation of the BMW M3 — the E36 M3 — in the United States market and enabled the sports coupe to become a rather popular and sought-after machine. Even today, several American enthusiasts own, drive, and […]
M50 Engine Overview and Pre-Purchase Inspection
BMW has been in the business of manufacturing automotive engines since 1928. Over nearly a century, the Bavarian giant has designed and developed engines of various configurations and sizes. However, what it’s most renowned for is its inline-six engines. Some noteworthy examples from recent times include the turbocharged B58 that powers several models in BMW’s […]
S52 Engine, Or How BMW Shortchanged the US Market
The BMW M3 needs no introduction. Shortly after its debut as the E30 M3 in 1986, the sports coupe became a firm favorite amongst enthusiasts and common folk alike. Naturally, the German marquee wanted a worthy successor to take the place of the E30 M3. Cue the arrival of the E36 M3. Looking back, the […]
BMW M54 Engine — Everything You Need to Know
The BMW M54 engine, produced from 2000 to 2006, was one of the most competent engines the German manufacturer has built over the last few decades. The fact that it powered everything from the E46 3-Series to performance-oriented models like the E85 Z4, E53 X5, and E65 7-Series is a testament to its capabilities. The […]
BMW M30 Engine — The OG Bavarian Straight Six
The BMW M30 engine has the unique distinction of being the BMW engine with the longest production run. This inline-six petrol engine was produced for nearly 27 years, from 1968 to 1995, and powered several of the manufacturer’s cars, many of which still run strong today. If you were in the market for a straight-six-powered […]
M52 Engine Overview – The Good and The Bad
The BMW M52 engine is a naturally-aspirated, inline-six engine that the German manufacturer introduced in 1994. It succeeded the BMW M50 engine — the first to feature BMW’s VANOS technology — and shared much of its design and construction. Over its six-year production run, the M52 engine was available in multiple versions that would make […]
BMW M60 Engine, or How BMW Almost Lost the US Market
By the early ‘90s, BMW had racked up decades of experience producing inline-six engines. This layout helpted get the brand off the ground back in the day, and it also powered some of their best cars up until this point. Needless to say, they were proficient in straight-six motors. So, when they introduced the BMW […]
Most read
BMW Coolant – What to Get and What to Avoid
Coolants, or antifreeze as it’s sometimes referred to, is a fluid that plays an integral role in regulating the running temperature of your engine. When an engine is running, it produces extreme amounts of heat that, if not managed, can cause catastrophic damage to various parts of the engine. The cooling system, including the coolant […]
BMW VANOS Explained — What It Does, Why It Fails and How to Fix It
Variable valve timing was a true game-changer when it first appeared. Born as a means to achieve the ultimate performance, but also efficiency, VVT was quickly adopted by almost every major car manufacturer out there. This, of course, includes BMW who dubbed their approach to variable valve timing as VANOS, or Variable NockenwellenSteuerung in German. […]
BMW N52 Engine – Everything You Need to Know
By the mid-2000s, BMW had built itself a reputation for developing excellent examples of naturally aspirated inline-six engines. At the turn of the millennium, it revealed the M54 (and the performance-oriented S54 shortly after) and cemented itself as one of the best in the business when it came to the six-pot layout. Needless to say, […]
BMW N51 Engine — All You Need To Know About SULEV
The N52 succeeded the highly-successful M54 and powered multiple BMW cars between 2004 and 2015. While it became one of the most reliable and popular inline-six engines BMW ever made, it had a lesser-known sibling called the N51. Interestingly, the N51 is near-identical to the N52, powering the same cars and available during the same […]