Four BMW Engines Win 2012 Engine of the Year Awards - the N20, N54, S65, N18

[Eau Rouge]

About the 3.0 - 4.0 liter award, five years on and other manufacturers have failed to build a more worthy engine.

[///Machine]

Thank you S65.
It's sad to see it you go...
Efficiency Shmefficiency. Wasn't there a Top Gear episode in which an M3 tagged along a Prius in full throttle (the Prius only, of course) and the M3 was more efficient at similar speeds?

[bimmerjph]

4?!?!?

Congratulations BMW!!!! Now fix the electric steering.

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by kbryce

is the n54 twin power turbo though? i thought the n55 was twin power turbo

and they forgot to mention 335is

They did not forget the 335is, 335is is a market specific model limited to only US (and UK maybe?) plus 1M and Z4is versions have the highest output of 250 kw/340ps so they considered those two.

The N54 is a twin power in the sense of a bi-turbo set up with two small turbos. The N55 is a single turbo set up but with twin scroll technology.

[dnvrdrvr]

Originally Posted by NJA///M3

Thank you S65.
It's sad to see you go...
Efficiency Shmefficiency. Wasn't there a Top Gear episode in which an M3 tagged along a Prius in full throttle (for the Prius only, of course) and the M3 was more efficient at similar speeds?

Yep. One of my favorites.

[bbg2d]

Originally Posted by NJA///M3

Thank you S65.
It's sad to see it you go...
Efficiency Shmefficiency. Wasn't there a Top Gear episode in which an M3 tagged along a Prius in full throttle (the Prius only, of course) and the M3 was more efficient at similar speeds?

That's right, I remember that episode.

With these awards, maybe they should drop the n55 for the good old n54?

[GIdriver]

What an achievement!! S65 winner 5 years in a row!!!

[Team Plutonium]

[kbryce]

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

They did not forget the 335is, 335is is a market specific model limited to only US (and UK maybe?) plus 1M and Z4is versions have the highest output of 250 kw/340ps so they considered those two.

The N54 is a twin power in the sense of a bi-turbo set up with two small turbos. The N55 is a single turbo set up but with twin scroll technology.

gotcha on the 335is part

but for the twin power thing, they call all their new twin scroll single turbos "twinpower turbo" they never said that about the n54

[formula M]

I wonder what BMW has in store for a 2nd iteration of the N54, perhaps in 2.5L form?

[tibra1]

BMW has pretty much dominated the 2.5 - 4.0L classes...but the M3 has yet to win the coveted overall "International Engine of the Year" award...which the n54 won in 2007..

Interestingly the 1.0L - 3 cylinder Ford turbo won this for 2012...turbo is the wave of the future I thinks

[E60orBust]

Originally Posted by NJA///M3

Thank you S65.
It's sad to see it you go...
Efficiency Shmefficiency. Wasn't there a Top Gear episode in which an M3 tagged along a Prius in full throttle (the Prius only, of course) and the M3 was more efficient at similar speeds?

I asked a friend about that who owns a Prius. From an engineering perspective, driving the Prius at full throttle never let the electric motor engage so there was no savings in fuel economy.

So M3 owners can say their gas engine is more efficient than the gas engine in the Prius

[BenTrovato]

Originally Posted by Eau Rouge

About the 3.0 - 4.0 liter award, five years on and other manufacturers have failed to build a more worthy engine.

I think we would have seen some manufacturers close in on the S65 if the economy would sustain it. BMW discontinuing an award winning engine says a lot about the direction manufacturers are headed.

Nonetheless it's great to see BMW's older engines still winning awards as well as their newer more efficient ones!

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by kbryce

gotcha on the 335is part

but for the twin power thing, they call all their new twin scroll single turbos "twinpower turbo" they never said that about the n54

I agree with you. It's stupid. Somewhere along the line someone got lazy. They are now using the same terminology for all turbo powered engines, regardless of the number of actual turbos.

[jprooney]

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

They did not forget the 335is, 335is is a market specific model limited to only US (and UK maybe?) plus 1M and Z4is versions have the highest output of 250 kw/340ps so they considered those two.

The N54 is a twin power in the sense of a bi-turbo set up with two small turbos. The N55 is a single turbo set up but with twin scroll technology.

In Chile we also have a couple of 335is

[jprooney]

S65 proves to be the best engine made by BMW in many years, and maybe the best engine they have ever made

[Bimmerlover76]

Originally Posted by kbryce

is the n54 twin power turbo though? i thought the n55 was twin power turbo

and they forgot to mention 335is

N54=literally 2 identical turbos
N55=1 turbo with one small and one large spool.

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by kbryce

gotcha on the 335is part

but for the twin power thing, they call all their new twin scroll single turbos "twinpower turbo" they never said that about the n54

Yes, it is confusing, our N54 is a "twin turbo", on the other hand N55 is a "twinpower" (single) turbo, God I miss old days with less labeling.

[kbryce]

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

Yes, it is confusing, our N54 is a "twin turbo", on the other hand N55 is a "twinpower" (single) turbo, God I miss old days with less labeling.

amen

[mofbb]

Good job BMW ! Btw s65 what a beast !!

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by jprooney

In Chile we also have a couple of 335is

You do? I am not Chilean, an expat here, but not surprised that you have 335is here since Chile has everything (literally) US has! I know that BMW official dealer does not list 335is among their line up so maybe private imports

Anyway, most global markets don't have a 335is which should be a consideration for the Award Jury or probably they just chose the highest output version of N54.

[jprooney]

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

You do? I am not Chilean, an expat here, but not surprised that you have 335is here since Chile has everything (literally) US has! I know that BMW official dealer does not list 335is among their line up so maybe private imports

Anyway, most global markets don't have a 335is which should be a consideration for the Award Jury or probably they just chose the highest output version of N54.

Im almost sure the car was imported directly by WBM (not 100% sure), on the other side im 100% sure we do have 335is in Chile. And i agree with your last line they chose the highest output version of the N54, and that's the reason the award returned to N54 hands (previous years it was won by N55, before that it was won by N54)