[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by Iron Man

No way in the X1. It is a FWD chassis now/transverse engine layout and a longitudinal I6 would never fit in the engine bay.

drat - I do keep forgetting that.

[Iron Man]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

While this N55T030 is not a fully bespoke motor design.. it is clearly beefed up to be more robust over the base N55 from which it came..

Closed deck
Forged crank
different pistons - Likely higher compression ratio
more aggressive tune
plus all the other bits with respect to exhaust routing etc...

Its a fairly significant redesign.. even if it doesn't have an S on it's chest.. So.. expect to see it in low production special editions where the usage of a motor that is less efficient is both desired... and also not likely to affect CAFE results .

With so many changes (a change to a closed deck is a pretty big change) at what point does the engine code change? Seems to me like it is somewhat of stretch to call it a N55 anymore.

[jzmundy]

Originally Posted by Iron Man

With so many changes (a change to a closed deck is a pretty big change) at what point does the engine code change? Seems to me like it is somewhat of stretch to call it a N55 anymore.

I'm honestly surprised at the changes with only the addition of "-T0".

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by Hazey82

What do those things mean?

you are going to need a crash course in engine building...Google is your friend.

Closed DECK

It refers to the space between the cylinders on the deck surface (where the head mounts). Closed deck means the space around the cylinder is solid. This equals strength. Open deck means the space is open. This offers better cooling and lighter weight at the expense of strength.

open deck engines tend to be just fine for natural aspiration, its forced induction that can get the better of the design. , the open deck design offers better cooling and this is because a)there is waterpockets very close to the combustion chamber and bore and b)the bore and cc are cooled more uniformly. high revving engines produce much more heat and this design suites them well as long as they're naturally aspirated.

for extreme outputs and forced induction a closed/semi closed deck is much more reliable and durable.

Forged Crankshaft

Since there are probably books dedicated to this.. suffice it to say that
When it comes to metals... Forged metal is stronger than Cast metal.


Along with the other items reworked

Turbocharger integrated into the exhaust manifold
Aerodynamically tuned air intake manifold
Separate oil cooler
Pistons with a modified top ring


It appears that the internals of this motor have been reworked for much higher durability... which of course is needed whenever you are elevating boost levels....which is of course the easiest way to make power in a turbo motor application. Well.. that and changing out turbos.. Which is probably the final piece of the puzzle that has not been released.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by swagon

Just copying info from the X4 M40i thread:
High Precision Injection system
Double VANOS
VALVETRONIC
Turbocharger integrated into the exhaust manifold
Aerodynamically tuned air intake manifold
Separate oil cooler
Closed-deck design
Water jacket surrounding the cylinders is sealed at the top, providing crankcase an high degree of stiffness
Forged steel crankshaft
Pistons with a modified top ring
High performance spark plugs
Higher level of turbo boost pressure
I'd say quite a lot HW changes for an SUV - the question is whether they're gonna do some changes for the M2's engine or let it be just like they did with the N54T.

Originally Posted by swagon

Now I'm reading through the X4 M40i press release:
"... our development engineers have optimised the drive unit using a
forged steel crankshaft in addition to components from the high-performance
engine fitted to the BMW M3 and BMW M4, which were introduced in 2014.
This is how, among other things, pistons with an adapted top ring, crankshaft
bearings and high power spark plugs found their way from the six-cylinder inline
engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology to the new BMW X4 M40i.
... the engine has been fitted with an aerodynamically
tuned air intake manifold as well as an exhaust system optimised both in
terms of back pressure and sound characteristics in order to further increase
performance....
... The integration of the turbocharger into the exhaust manifold also makes a
significant contribution to the highly efficient power optimisation... As a consequence, the warm-up phase
after a cold start has now been significantly shortened..."

And we're talking about the engine only. Plenty of other parts have been modified or replaced too for the M2.

At last, the "M2 is just an M235i with a tune" slogan can be put to rest.

[Iron Man]

Originally Posted by jzmundy

I'm honestly surprised at the changes with only the addition of "-T0".

Yeah, the more I read, the more it feels like a low output version of the S55, rather than a high output version of the N55.

[PrematureApex]

Just to stir the pot a bit...

For as happy as we are about the crank and block...

The N55 doesn't have block or crank strength issues, even when highly modified.

So while it's nice, I'm not sure there's a huge return on it. Obviously, the bigger tangible benefits likely come when you start pushing bigger numbers out of the M2/X4 m40.

[PrematureApex]

Don't speak/read German...

Does that article say anything about shared parts between the S55 and updated N55 that aren't common to the regular N55?

[Adem1534]

Originally Posted by Iron Man

Yeah, the more I read, the more it feels like a low output version of the S55, rather than a high output version of the N55.

THIS! I'm SO happy with the recent news. And no what's even more awesome? The M2 on the 'ring sounds infinitely better than the S55 (not as loud, but way sweeter).

[Iron Man]

Originally Posted by PrematureApex

Just to stir the pot a bit...

For as happy as we are about the crank and block...

The N55 doesn't have block or crank strength issues, even when highly modified.

So while it's nice, I'm not sure there's a huge return on it. Obviously, the bigger tangible benefits likely come when you start pushing bigger numbers out of the M2/X4 m40.

Well, the changes being made should make the engine more durable for the given boost in output. You may not notice them in the short term, but owning one for 100,000 or more miles you might...

[Bamowe]

L O V E T H A T !

Soundfile of the engine. The M2 should sound the same way!

http://www.autobild.de/videos/video-...--6950053.html

(hear at 1:40!)

Compare it with the S55 M4:

I think the N55 M2 sounds much (!) better. Wouldn't ever buy a M4 because of the sound but the M2 sounds great.

[ABPReader]

.

[sth519]

Originally Posted by Iron Man

Yeah, the more I read, the more it feels like a low output version of the S55, rather than a high output version of the N55.

I don't think I'd go that far but it's really nice to see that the M2 will get a substantially reworked engine over the M135i/M235i. I think it's more than many here expected.

Personally, I hope the N55B30T0 is a bit more responsive than the regular N55. It's not that the N55 feels laggy, but for an M car, it could feel a bit more "immediate", so any improvement is welcome.

[W///]

Originally Posted by PrematureApex

Just to stir the pot a bit...

For as happy as we are about the crank and block...

The N55 doesn't have block or crank strength issues, even when highly modified.

So while it's nice, I'm not sure there's a huge return on it. Obviously, the bigger tangible benefits likely come when you start pushing bigger numbers out of the M2/X4 m40.

Considering the M235i Racing have done well according to one of our forum members in a 24h race at Spa, closed deck and forged crankshaft is just the icing on top of the cake for me.

[W///]

Originally Posted by Bamowe

L O V E T H A T !

Soundfile of the engine. The M2 should sound the same way!

http://www.autobild.de/videos/video-...--6950053.html

(hear at 1:40!)

Compare it with the S55 M4:

I think the N55 M2 sounds much (!) better. Wouldn't ever buy a M4 because of the sound but the M2 sounds great.

Trust me when I say that vid does not do the exhaust justice. It's actually much nicer in real life.

Not to mention the car free revving doesn't really tell you anything. If actually heard this thing under load.

[Bamowe]

Originally Posted by W///

Trust me when I say that vid does not do the exhaust justice. It's actually much nicer in real life.

Not to mention the car free revving doesn't really tell you anything. If actually heard this thing under load.

Sure!

Thats the same thing with every car. But this gives a good hint on how the M2 will sound under load. My S54 with CSL Airbox didn't sound very well free revving. Under load ... you know that.

I was very scared if the M2 will sound like the M4 ... now i know it doesn't and thats a great feeling.

[W///]

Originally Posted by Bamowe

Sure!

Thats the same thing with every car. But this gives a good hint on how the M2 will sound under load. My S54 with CSL Airbox didn't sound very well free revving. Under load ... you know that.

I was very scared if the M2 will sound like the M4 ... now i know it doesn't and thats a great feeling.

That's the frustrating for me. BMW obviously proves that they know how to make amazing sounding exhausts. But they insist on adding so much rasp to the S55 as humanly possible, and then add completely necessary farts doing overruns.

I will say, it doesn't sound THAT bad IRL, not to mention exhausts are fixeable with the right combinations. But hands down, the MPA I heard (and might have ridden in ) wins in the exhaust department all day long

[PrematureApex]

Originally Posted by sth519

I don't think I'd go that far but it's really nice to see that the M2 will get a substantially reworked engine over the M135i/M235i. I think it's more than many here expected.

Personally, I hope the N55B30T0 is a bit more responsive than the regular N55. It's not that the N55 feels laggy, but for an M car, it could feel a bit more "immediate", so any improvement is welcome.

Wouldn't necessarily count on that. The N55 is one of the least laggy engines out there. And, if anything, this version may have a bigger turbo and shift the power curve even further to the right. It's more likely it will be a bit more laggy.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Bamowe

L O V E T H A T !
Soundfile of the engine. The M2 should sound the same way! [...]
I think the N55 M2 sounds much (!) better. Wouldn't ever buy a M4 because of the sound but the M2 sounds great.

Originally Posted by jet_00

At the start up, I was like it sounds exactly like the cold start of my M235i.. But then he started the revving and OMG I like it !
Definitely the best sound produced by the BMWs F-series

Originally Posted by W///

Trust me when I say that vid does not do the exhaust justice. It's actually much nicer in real life.
Not to mention the car free revving doesn't really tell you anything. If actually heard this thing under load.

Well, the M2 passing on the Col de Turini (French Alps) this Summer was a good aural appetizer (and the exhaust tweaking was not final yet at that time). Feel free to crank up your speakers:

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Well, the M2 passing on the Col de Turini (French Alps) this Summer was a good aural appetizer (and the exhaust tweaking was not final yet at that time). Feel free to crank up your speakers:

Yup I think for sure the M2 sounds better than the M4. Aftermarket exhaust fitters gnash their teeth

[Artemis]

Slow departure:

[Die ///M Rakete]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

LOL.. you might be the first of many Chicken Littles that comes home to roost.... At Least you came out and admitted it early..

I am still waiting for someone to tell me the last M car that was a total flop...

Hey...I'm just keeping it real!!!

I've been very vocal that I wanted something more from BMW than the 1M I owned and enjoyed so much, not just an exact redo of the concept in a 2 Series body with a somewhat inferior motor.

It now looks like we will all be getting something technically superior. Superior chassis (longer wheelbase), superior brakes (F80/84), superior styling (subjective) and a superior motor (N55B30T0 > N54 > N55).

Now I'm just crossing my fingers that the driving dynamics will follow suit and it's going to be ///M romance all over again

It hasn't happened yet...but a certain Bavarian icon might just be about to be dethroned