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| “The
combination of high torque, more than 300bhp and the sound make
this engine great”
Christophe Congrega, L’Automobile
Magazine
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It’s a second straight category victory
for the highest-output version of BMW’s latest inline
six family,
the 306bhp, 400Nm, turbocharged powerplant. And as last year,
the engine’s triumph is decisive, winning by 137 points
more than its twin-turbo diesel stablemate, which repeated its
runner-up finish of 2007.
According to BMW engine development engineer Andreas Welter,
this 3-litre six “behaves like
a 4-litre, eight-cylinder, normally aspirated engine –
with lower weight and smaller dimensions”. BMW says the
weight saving over an unblown eight-cylinder unit of comparable
power could be as much as 70kg.
Add the benefit of direct injection
to the mix and the result is a high-performance motor that pays
more than just lip service to the environmental Zeitgeist.
Materials technology also plays its part in the engine, achieving
its performance and economy goals. In addition to the complex
aluminium/magnesium castings that feature across all of BMW’s
new-generation straight sixes, the twin turbochargers of the
category-winning powerplant feature high-temperature-resistant
materials from the aerospace industry. The turbines themselves
are made from a special steel that can handle temperatures of
up to 1,050°C. “Increasing the temperature resistance
of the blades to reduce the fuel required for cooling the exhaust
gas shows good use of available technology,” observed
jury member Schalk Pienaar of South Africa’s Wiel magazine.
Drivers might never see the technology under the bonnet, but
they can certainly feel the benefits, as other judges queued
up to point out. “The best combination of high power and
smoothness in a sporty package,” commented Italian journalist
Massimo Nascimbene
of La Repubblica. “With its clever turbocharging system,
this engine goes like a real race-bred machine,” added
Gábor Szécsényi from Hungary’s Autó2. |
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points |
| 1. BMW 3-litre Twin Turbo (135, 335, X6) |
375 |
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| 2. BMW Diesel 3-litre Twin Turbo (335d, 535d,
X3 ,635d, X5) |
238 |
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| 3. Audi/Volkswagen Diesel 3-litre V6 (A4,
A5, A6, Allroad,
A8, Q7, Touareg, Phaeton) |
145 |
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| 4. Porsche 2.7-litre flat six (Boxster, Cayman) |
119 |
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| 5. BMW 3-litre six-cylinder (325, Z4, 330,
530, 630, 730) |
88 |
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| 6. Jaguar Diesel 2.7-litre V6 Twin Turbo (XF) |
85 |
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