The inline-six is BMW’s bread and butter. Certainly, the model has been making them since a minimum of the Thirties, with the M78 debuting within the BMW 303. Later, the model acquired acclaim with rock star six-cylinders just like the M88 within the mid-engined BMW M1, praised for its output, sonorous snarl, and race heritage. A lot later, the S54 debuted within the E46 M3, setting a benchmark by churning out over 100 horsepower per liter.
And whereas the BMW M engines deservedly get plenty of the headlines, there are a selection of inline-sixes that type of fly below the radar. One in every of them is the N52 engine, which changed the M54 engine within the mid-2000s. Seems, the one inline-six with no direct M equal is definitely the one you need.
What Makes the N52 Engine Nice
Together with mainstays just like the M54 and M50 engines, the N52 engine is a direct descendant of the unique BMW M30 engine. However solely the N52 sports activities a magnesium and aluminum block, making it lighter than its predecessors. The next redline and introduction of Valvetronic variable valve carry allowed the engine to be extra responsive and extra highly effective than the older M code engines, too.
In the true world, the N52 has different, much less tangible promoting factors. It made its manner below the hood of virtually each mannequin in BMW’s secure on the time. From the Z4 to the X1 to the 740i, there’s an N52-powered automobile for everybody. Which means spare elements are extraordinarily accessible and no scarcity of DIY supplies (movies, walkthroughs, and so on), making N52 possession straightforward and…dare we are saying it, comparatively cheap.
Downsides of the N52
Nothing is ideal, and the N52 is not any exception. For one, the N52 is way from unique. It lacks the character that makes engines just like the S54 really feel really particular. It’s additionally removed from a powerhouse, making simply 255 horsepower in its highest-output N52B30 guise. Examine that to the S54 – which remodeled 330 horsepower – or modern turbo items just like the N54 (300-ish horsepower). Simple to see why the N52 will get missed by fanatics poring over spec sheets.
The one different actual downside the N52 has is its restricted aftermarket assist. Whereas you are able to do the standard tuning, consumption, and exhaust modifications, actual energy beneficial properties are restricted and aren’t a very value-packed proposition. For actual energy, you’ll need to shell out for a supercharger…which will get pricy rapidly, even when doing your personal work. Notably, all these downsides are additionally inadvertent contributing elements to (or byproducts of) the N52’s status for reliability.
The N52 Engine is Crucial to BMW’s Historical past
As we briefly talked about, the N52 by no means acquired an M equal. Whereas the M54 and M52 acquired the S54 and S52, and so forth, BMW by no means invested in an S variant of the N52. The E90 M3 was slated to obtain the rather more unique and highly effective V8 engine derived from the V10 within the E60 M5. So there was no must spend money on a high-output six-pot. Which is a little bit of a disgrace; a magnesium/aluminum M inline-six, whereas presenting some attention-grabbing engineering challenges, is an thrilling prospect.
Certainly, the N52 proved to be the final inline-six with out pressured induction that BMW ever made. Barring, after all, the rest-of-world N53 engine which utilized direct injection as an alternative of port injection. For that purpose alone, it’s essential. The icing on the cake is that the final of the naturally aspirated can also be maybe the most effective BMW ever made.
