Originally Posted by simianspeedster
I know there are a lot of people who are chuffed about having a turbo 4 that they can modify in place of the N52, but I think it's a shame on many levels.
History & Heritage -- As others have mentioned, one thing that sets BMW apart from many other brands is their willingness to celebrate their own history and stick to their roots to a larger degree than other brands. Sure, BMW makes the pointless X6 (sorry, I had to go there), but a bone stock 328i with an N52 and a manual transmission still has the soul of BMW's past. It would be a shame not to offer a naturally aspirated inline 6 for those of us who really, really care about such things.
Questionable Advantages -- For all of you saying this engine will be cheaper, lighter and get better fuel economy, I have two replies:
1) Are you sure? How much cheaper, if any, will it be? How much less, if any, will it weigh with all the extra turbo plumbing? Admittedly, it may get slightly better mileage ratings, but how much, really, in real world driving?
2) More importantly, will the gains be worth what we're losing? Which leads me to:
Inline 6 Advantages -- If raw speed was all we cared about, we probably wouldn't buy BMWs because you can certainly get a faster car for less money. I've driven and/or owned a lot of turbo 4s (TT 1.8T, Passat 1.8T and 2.0T, A4 1.8T and 2.0T, A5 2.0T, MazdaSpeed 6 2.3T, WRX 2.5T off the top of my head) and none of them was as fun or pleasurable to drive than the N52 inline 6. None, in fact, were even close.
Power ratings and other specs tell you nothing about how an engine sounds, feels or drives. The N52 is smooth, efficient, sounds great and has an even powerband free of peaks and other weirdness. The upgraded Audi 2.0T in the current A4 is powerful, but the power delivery is hit and miss and it just doesn't sound or feel good to rev -- it's an appliance engine built for efficiency, not enjoyment. That may be fine for a run of the mill car, but I expect more from BMW.
Having owned a last generation Z4 with the same 255HP N52 I6 in the current base Z4, I have to say it's one of my favorite engines ever. It won't blow the doors off everything else, but that's not the point. It's just such a sweet, smooth, well-balanced engine and it sounds excellent -- you have to drive one to understand. The less powerful 230HP N52 in the current 328i lacks torque (200 lb. ft. max) for heavier applications, but the 255HP variant has just enough torque (230 lb. ft.) to make everything even across the whole rev range.
Though less powerful, I prefer the 255HP N52 to the 300HP N54 or N55 -- it's just more fun to drive even if it's not quite as fast, and this is coming from someone who has an N55 now. In case I'm not being clear -- yes, I would swap my 300HP N55 for the 255HP N52 in my current car if I could. Call me crazy, but it's that much better to me.
Please, BMW -- feel free to *offer* a turbo 4, but if you take away the NA inline 6 option, you're probably going to lose two customers in my house.
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