BMW’s 3.0 litre twin-turbo inline-six-cylinder petrol engine has been named one of Ward’s Auto World ‘10 Best Engines’ in 2009. The 225kW, 400Nm donk is popular with Aussies too, appearing in over 12 percent of all Australian-delivered BMWs.
The 3.0 litre engine is fitted to the 135i Coupé and Convertible, 335i Sedan Coupé and Convertible, 335i Touring and X6 xDrive35i.
Australian sales of vehicles fitted with the the engine, which Ward’s is calling “the best of all time”, increased by 30 percent in 2008 to 2,108 deliveries.
An all-aluminium crankcase, two turbos, and direct injection not only looks good on paper, but translates into real world performance that’s on par or betters engines of much larger capacity.
In addition to being on the list of ‘10 Best Engines’ for the third year in succession, the BMW 3.0-litre twin turbo has also won the title ‘International Engine of the Year’ twice – in 2007 and 2008.
With BMW having already closed the curtain on its award-winning 3.2 litre inline-six, we’re hoping the 3.0 litre twin turbo mill sticks around for a bit longer. That, or BMW makes good with something even better.
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This is an absolutely phenomenal engine, and in the form of a 135i makes for extremely good value. A few mods and this motor turns into an all out M3 destroyer.
The reason why I would want a 135i!
i picked up my 135 last summer in munich (euro delivery) and hit the autobahn. this engine is completey nuts! esp on this relatively light platform. i’m getting ready to the DINAN software mod upgrate which brings it up to 385 hp / 412 ft lb torque. even stock i’m taking all comers and shutting down most. -paul h., san francisco
this engine is nuts! and on such a relatively light platform. i picked mine up last summmer in munich (european delivery) and hit the autobahn. i’m “taking all comers” and even stock it’s shutting down many nice rods. i’m getting ready to intall the DINAN software which adds a bit more turbo boost pressure, bringing it to 385 hp / 412 ft lb torque. with good piloting skills on the 6-speed manual trans that’s entering supercar realm. -paul h., san francisco
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“Relative” being the operative term.
The car is heavier than a 350Z, which by international standards is a porker already. Considering it looks like it’s the size of an Acura RSX (Honda Integra for the rest of us) it’s very disappointing.
If the car weighed about 600lbs less than it does, then maybe you could call it light weight for a reasonably featured small coupe.
And 385hp in a 1.5 ton car is not supercar territory. Especially when you’re talking a modified turbo car. Your average modified Silvia (240SX for you) is rocking that kind of power/weight with just bolt-ons.
Even in terms of outright power, you’re talking about something that’s making less power than the Chev LS3 powering our tarted up taxis.
Considering it already does 0-100 in 5.1 seconds from the get go, i’d expect an increase in power and torque to considerably improve acceleration times.
The hartge tuning chip, for example, yields an increase to 257kw and 380nm of torque and acceleration of 0-100 in 4.6 seconds. Slap an aftermarket exhaust on and a good induction system and i suspect your creeping into the low 4’s.
That in my books is definitely supercar territory.
LMAO.. He just compared a Silvia with a 135…
Save your energy Joe, it’s not worth the effort after that genius comment (who by the sounds of it has been watching a bit too much ‘Fast and the Furious’)…