Autocar posted an article today showing the new Three-Cylinder engine that is slated to power certain MINIs along with 1 and 3 series BMW's in the near future. Available as both gasoline and diesel varients, the engines, code named, B38 (gas) and B37 (diesel) share about 60% of their parts and can be produced on the same production line. Outputs for the gas powered B38 are slated to range from 40 to 66 bhp per cylinder leading to engines producing between 120 and 200 bhp. Torque figures are 44 to 66 ft/lb with corresponding out puts of 132 to 198 ft/lb. The B37 diesel engine output will range between 100bhp and 181bhp and 166lb ft and 221lb ft of torque. Built on an alloy block with a single turbo, 11.0:1 compression the engine has been designed to be part of BMW/MINIs modular engine design where all engine are based on a 500cc per cylinder formula. And...to all those BMW people that lament the removal of the dipstick in some of today's engine you can plainly see the dipstick is back in the image below. The MINI Cooper S models will be powered by a 4 cylinder variant (B48) that if true to modular form will be 2.0 liters in size and produce in the range of 220 bhp or more. Infra
More information at MotoringFile: http://www.motoringfile.com/2012/09/13/bmw-efficient-dynamics-new-innovations-3-cylinder-engines/
I know the power will be about the same, but from a marketing standpoint a 3cyl just doesn't sound right.
I had a 3cyl Metro as my first car. You want to talk about a horrible power band and poor balancing, hope this does a little better.
So did my sister, I managed to spin the tired in the dry once. I was not even trying. I just needed to turn left on a busy street and I knew I had to floor it.
Regarding odd cylinder counts, I don't know about the driveability of 3 cylinder engines, but the 5-cylinder in my old Volvo 850 turbo wagon was very smooth. Of course, 3 cylinders would be one combustion cycle every 240* of rotation instead of once every 144* for the I5...hell, that's got to at least be better than a 1 cylinder diesel engine, right?
Looks cool, plenty of power considering the size, but I'm not sure...if I hear 3 cylinder, I think Geo Metro. Yuck! On the other hand I also think Triumph Rocket III. An aptly name bike. Damn thing is so fast (for a heavy cruiser) that it should come with a seat belt.
Nice to see they moved the intake to the front of the engine and the exhaust to the back. The exhaust heat won't wash over and heat soak the intake.
Not nice too see that they still refuse to put the oil filter anywhere other than the worst and least accessible position in the engine bay. And yes, I am assuming that if I didn't see it in the picture it's still in the same ridiculous place.
I too have owned a three-cylinder car, a Korean version to the same three-cylinder Suzuki engine in the Geo Metro and I'll say that it is preferable to four cylinders - where a four just buzzes, a three burbles. Lots of nice character. And any Triumph motorcycle owners will tell you what a lovely engine format it is. It's probably not the best layout for the many people whose dream car is something like a refrigerator, that works faultlessly and involves them as little as possible. But for a driver, a three is a win.
I have owned a 3 cylinder car too. Yep 3 cylinders & no valves. A two stroke SAAB & while fun it was a rough noisy old girl. Wonder if the MINI will have a column shift like the SAAB? I know the only thing in common with the little prince is the cylinder count. ostcount
I rode a Triumph Thunderbird for the summer of 2003 (till a buzzard changed my mind about motorcycles and I bought the JCW instead.) I love the sound of the triple. If they do it right in a car engine it will be recognizable from a long way away. The Rocket III is a monster and the triple carries all of its character. Hope they don't blow this...I'll buy one for sure if its done right.
Maybe then the end of the Gen 3's we will see a special 3 cylinder GP III. By then a GP should only cost $75,000 before dealer markup. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
Sounds really nice to me... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GE6SGcT_eI]BMW Dreizylinder-Testfahrt als Turbo-Benziner mit 130 kW, verbaut im 1er F20 - YouTube[/ame]