Engine Systems & Internals

BMW B38 Three-Cylinder — The Tiny Turbo Overview The B38 is BMW's 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder, part of the modular engine family. It shares the 500cc-per-cylinder…

BMW S58 Engine — The G80 M3/M4 Twin-Turbo Powerhouse Overview The S58 is BMW M's latest 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six, debuting in the X3M/X4M (2019) and then the G80…

BMW N20 Engine — Technical Guide & Timing Chain Issue Overview The N20 is BMW's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, produced 2011-2017. It replaced the naturally aspirated N52…

BMW M52 Engine — The Smooth Operator Overview The M52 (1994-2000) and M52TU (1998-2000) are BMW's aluminum-block inline-sixes that powered the E36 and E39 generations. Known for…

BMW Engine Swaps — What Fits Where Engine swaps are a time-honored BMW tradition. The modular engine design and shared platforms make many swaps surprisingly straightforward…

BMW N47 Diesel Engine — Timing Chain Failure Explained Overview The N47 is BMW's 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, produced 2007-2014. It's a capable and efficient engine, but…

BMW S54 Engine — The E46 M3 Legend Overview The S54 is BMW M's 3.2-liter naturally aspirated inline-six, powering the E46 M3 (2000-2006). It's widely considered one of the…

BMW S65 V8 — The Only V8 M3 Engine Ever Made Overview The S65 is a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 that powered the E90/E92/E93 M3 from 2007-2013. It's the only V8 ever fitted…

Stage 1 vs Stage 2 vs Stage 3 — What's the Difference? You'll see these terms everywhere in the BMW tuning world, but they're not standardized — different tuners define them…

BMW N74 V12 — The Last Twelve-Cylinder Overview The N74 is BMW's 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V12, used exclusively in the 7 Series and Rolls-Royce models. It's the last V12 BMW…