Quote:
Originally Posted by NYC6
Forged crank is a big plus for the 54 also.
Has it been confirmed that the 55 will reside in the new M3? I seem to recall many here were dead set sure that the 1M would certainly have the N55 under the hood and posted right here in this forum. They were using up all the antiquated 54's in the 335is model to 'get rid of them' but would never use the in the M and yet here they are.
BMW evolved the N55 to be a 'greener' power plant. Less pollution and better mileage were the goals.
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Another irrelevant post. It is sad when people say things just to say them, without any reasoning behind it. Could you explain why "forged crank is a big plus for the 54 also? I'm sure you can't, you are just repeating what you've read, but here, let me explain a few things to you. Forging typically has 2 major effects: 1) weight savings, and 2) rigidity. Now let's address both points. Did you know that the non-forged crank in the N55 is actually lighter than the one on the N54? This blows away advantage #1. Now let's address advantage #2: did you know that the rigidity of a forged crank presents a clear advantage under major horsepower applications? By this I mean 6, 7, 800+ hp, which are numbers that our cars will never be able to achieve without completely rebuilt motors, in which case other forged internals will most likely be required, and the car will probably be a purely track car. So where's the big plus for the 135i?
If you know anything about BMW, you know that they do not "confirm" anything this early in the game. What has been speculated and apparently started is that the new M3 will be forced inducted. Also, the 1M received a powerplant that is being faded out and replaced in the BMW line. By no means does this mean it's a bad engine; all the opposite, it's been a great engine for the time it's been out, but everything comes to an end, just like the N55 will be replaced one day. The surplus of N54 engines (because it was used across so many platforms) made a good supply for the 1M, versus just recycling them. Also, the engine has a good following and reputation, so it is only wise to use it on a new car, and people will gravitate to buying it.
There is a BMW insider in these forums that has implied that BMW will be using a variant of the N55 for the new M3. Every time I have seen him post something in advance, he has been correct.