Its no secret BMW was experimenting with turbos in the 70's and 80's. The 2002 turbo was one production car and the e23 745i was another. Just before the first M car came out too. But then BMW strayed away from the turbo. Was it because of the fuel shortages of the 70s or because of the complex tuning required to fuel a turbo? Something else?
All M cars throughout the 90's and 2000's were naturally aspirated until the X6 M came out. Some people cried blasphemy. How dare it not have a rev happy n/a engine powering it. Well it has been a few years since then so people have been able to drive and feel out the turbo bmw engines.
I have no experience and am wanting to know your thought/ experiences of those who have driven them. Is BMW just joining the club of turbo engines to go green or was it just time for bmw to dive back into turbos? I think they realized it was the lightest way to make power with some advancements in tuning and turbo efficiency.
Interesting article posted on the subject, with a few quotes/pictures from it below. What do you think?
All M cars throughout the 90's and 2000's were naturally aspirated until the X6 M came out. Some people cried blasphemy. How dare it not have a rev happy n/a engine powering it. Well it has been a few years since then so people have been able to drive and feel out the turbo bmw engines.
I have no experience and am wanting to know your thought/ experiences of those who have driven them. Is BMW just joining the club of turbo engines to go green or was it just time for bmw to dive back into turbos? I think they realized it was the lightest way to make power with some advancements in tuning and turbo efficiency.
Interesting article posted on the subject, with a few quotes/pictures from it below. What do you think?
The KKK turbo was placed on a shelf temporarily by the brand and began collecting dust. Four years went by and in early 1980, BMW realized they needed to distinguish the luxurious 7 series from competitors and decided to throw the same KKK turbo on the bullet proof M30 that was already powering the 5 series and seven series. 1980 came and the 745i was offered for sale as BMW’s second venture into turbocharging. This unsuspecting sleeper caged a 3.2 liter engine, called M102 that loved blasting down the autobahn at triple digit speeds.
Two exciting turbocharged models are currently available in the BMW lineup. The first is the futuristic i8. Based on the popular BMW Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics, the i8 offers fuel economy, but more importantly, does not sacrifice power. All too many hybrids focus on fuel economy and not the complete driving experience. Not this one. The i8 is powered by a 1.5 liter turbocharged engine like the Brabham Formula 1 car. Though only 3 cylinders, the engine makes 228 horsepower and is paired up with an electric motor that powers the front wheels for an additional 129 horsepower. The electric engine provides instant torque and can be engaged simultaneously with the gasoline engine. Expected figures put the car at 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds, providing a jaw dropping combined 357 horsepower and 420 ft-lbs of torque.
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