[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW N20 and N13/N18 Engines Win 2013 International Engine of the Year Awards

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Two reasons for the BMW Group to celebrate in the 2013 Engine of the Year Awards.Class victories for the 2.0-litre engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology and the 1.6-litre unit in the MINI Cooper S.

05.06.2013

Munich / Stuttgart. The BMW Group has extended its run of success in the International Engine of the Year Awards by recording two more class wins. The company’s latest distinctions in the globally renowned competition came courtesy of two drive units which bring sporty performance characteristics to current BMW and MINI vehicles in particularly efficient style. In a repeat of last year, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology fitted in models including the BMW 1 Series, BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series finished top of its displacement category. And the 1.6-litre four-cylinder MINI TwinPower Turbo engine from the MINI Cooper S went one better, celebrating its third class win in a row. The Engine of the Year Awards were presented on 5 June 2013 at the Engine Expo fair in Stuttgart.

Instantaneous power delivery and a level of efficiency unmatched by any rival were the cornerstones of the BMW Group’s successful showing in the Engine of the Year Awards. The winners in each category and overall are decided by an international jury, made up this year of 84 motoring journalists from 35 countries. The company’s success in two categories of the International Engine of the Year Awards represents further evidence of its globally recognised development expertise in the area of drive system technology. Since 1999, the BMW Group has racked up over 60 class and overall wins in the competition.

N20

BMW TwinPower Turbo technology once again provided the key to success in the 1.8 – 2.0-litre displacement class. In the winning BMW four-cylinder engine this package of technology comprises a twin-scroll turbocharger, High Precision Direct Injection and BMW Valvetronic fully variable valve control. The 180 kW/245 hp version of the engine is used to power the BMW 328i, BMW 528i, BMW Z4 sDrive28i, BMW X3 xDrive28i and BMW X1 xDrive28i.

N13 / N18

The other class conqueror in the BMW Group’s engine line-up also won over the Engine of the Year Awards jury – for the third consecutive year – with its impressive balance of sports performance and economy. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder MINI TwinPower Turbo unit, again the dominant force in the 1.4 – 1.8-litre category, boasts twin-scroll turbocharging with an overboost function, direct petrol injection and valve control based on the Valvetronic system. Its maximum output of 135 kW/184 hp enables the MINI Cooper S to accelerate from 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.0 seconds and deliver average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle of 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres (48.7 mpg imp). This highly efficient drive unit is now also available for the MINI Cooper S Countryman and MINI Cooper S Paceman, where it can be combined with the ALL4 all-wheel-drive system.

Four BMW engines won last year's Engine of the Year Awards - N20, N54, S65, N18.

Full 2013 International Engine of the Year Awards can be seen at: http://www.ukipme.com/engineoftheyear/

BMW N20 and N13 Engines

[Cl0ud7]

Awwww, The S65 dropped to 2nd after a good run

[Vertigo//SD]

My previous three cars had the S52 inline-6 and I can honestly say that the N20 is impressive.

[kevinlevrone]

The N54 (I6 twin-turbo) engine was again better than the N55 (I6 single turbo twin-scroll), taking second place this year (while the N55 ended up in 5th place).

[300hp]

Originally Posted by kevinlevrone

The N54 (I6 twin-turbo) engine was again better than the N55 (I6 single turbo twin-scroll), taking second place this year (while the N55 ended up in 5th place).

Makes sense
N54 in stnd form in the 1 series M coupe makes more power than the N55 and fuel economy is about the same.

N55 with PPK would be comparable to the stnd N54 in the 1 series M coupe, even then, it doesn't have the extra 5-7s boost of tq available in those trims.

What's important is if you want a great engine, its Porsche or BMW in the 2-3ltr space. That's why I got the N55, twice.

[Kinder]

The N13 predecessor had a lot of problems (same engine as in the DS3), I hope that they solve that.

[blisstik]

Originally Posted by kevinlevrone

The N54 (I6 twin-turbo) engine was again better than the N55 (I6 single turbo twin-scroll), taking second place this year (while the N55 ended up in 5th place).

Whose 1st in that category?

[300hp]

The M3 engine is still hot even in its last year. It's hanging with the McLaren V8

[Sedoy]

Why Porsche won 2.5L-3.0L with its 2.7 DI? BMW N55 (or even N54) got better specs on the paper:

N55 - 302 hp @ 5800 and 300 lb·ft @ 1200-5000
MPG for heavy 335i - 23 city, 33 Hwy

2.7 DI - 265 hp @ 6500 and 207 lb·ft @ 4500-6500
MPG for Boxster - 22 city, 32 Hwy

I also believe that 335i is as fast, if not faster than Boxster...

????

[Peahi]

Originally Posted by 300hp

The M3 engine is still hot even in its last year. It's hanging with the McLaren V8

S65 is a keeper, a hall of famer.

[300hp]

Originally Posted by Sedoy

Why Porsche won 2.5L-3.0L with its 2.7 DI? BMW N55 (or even N54) got better specs on the paper:

N55 - 302 hp @ 5800 and 300 lb·ft @ 1200-5000
MPG for heavy 335i - 23 city, 33 Hwy

2.7 DI - 265 hp @ 6500 and 207 lb·ft @ 4500-6500
MPG for Boxster - 22 city, 32 Hwy

I also believe that 335i is as fast, if not faster than Boxster...

????

+1

I thought they were talking about the one in the Cayman S.

[Sedoy]

I don't think so, here is their description:


Delivering 265ps at 6,700rpm from its flat-six setup, the engine can propel the Boxster from 0 to 100km/h in a 5.5 seconds before reaching a top speed of 264km/h. It produces maximum torque of 280Nm from 4,500rpm to 6,500rpm, which ensures smooth yet rapid progress and plenty of in-gear flexibility.

Originally Posted by 300hp

+1

I thought they were talking about the one in the Cayman S.

[Hedoniste]

Mom's X1 is powered by the N20. I am not impressed... Still too much turbo lag and doesn't sound good.

[ozinaldo]

BMW was the most successful engine producer in these Awards since its inception, not so much this year. In comparison, this year's results are simply weak(er) for BMW Group. Before 2013, BMW won a total of 55 awards, more than double of the second highest winning producer (VW Group).

Of note:

1) BMW-PSA Group's 1.6 l. engine is there since many years and not a novelty, it is an evolving engine with numerous applications.
2) New 2.0 liter turbo N20 is the only new generation BMW engine which scored well obviously.
3) Both N54 (in its most powerful and M tuned version, the N54T) and the S65 had great runs and it is more than respectable that they are still considered as a close runner-up.
4) It is normal that their jury voted more for the 2.7 liter Cayman/Boxster engine than the N54, since it is a heavily modified, almost new engine and these Porsche models are brand new (for 2013 models); doesn't necessarily mean that it is a better or more performant engine than the N54T in absolute, like every jury they had a tendency to vote for a (successful) newcomer instead of an engine who already won in its category more than any other engine in this Award's history plus the overall International Engine of the Year (twice) too.
5) It is particulary interesting that 2.5 to 3.0 liter category is still heavily dominated by BMW engines and the oldest design (N54T) is still considered at the top of others ahead of two versions of 3.0d engine and the N55 which scored least points.
6) It is impossible not to notice that the new M5/M6 4.4 turbo engine took the least of votes against competitors in its category. Might be a first time for a BMW performance engine.
7) Last but not least: overall the awards favor more efficient and green engines vs. others in the same category. For instance, the N54T is anything but green and fuel efficient vs. the new DI 2.7 Porsche engine. McLaren's 3.8 engine is also much more powerful than the S65 and consumes almost the same if not less than the 4.0 liter S65 etc.

Detail info. about the N54 Award run:

It is the second most awarded engine in this Award's history (after 1.4 TSI of VW Group which started its winning streak in 2006); here is the short countdown:
a) 2 times overall winner of International Engine of the Year (2007 and 2008)
b) Also winner of Best New Engine in 2007
c) Winner in its displacement category in every year since its launch (6 times in a row between 2007 to 2012) though admittedly there is a disagreement that 2011 was actually won by N55 not the N54. I don't have enough evidence to say this is indeed true or not, which doesn't change much in the end.

[mkoesel]

Isn't the N13 the BMW 1.6L engine (longitudinal) while the N18 is the Mini engine?

I am having déjà vu - I think I asked the same thing last year.

[Jason]

Yep, N18 for the Mini Cooper S and N13 for BMW applications.

I tend to use the two interchangeably.

[rpagianotto]

The article doesn't actually say n13 or n18, but rather BMW-PSA's 1.6l turbo, which would encompass both iterations from BMW. (but the 1er is strangely not mentioned amongst the cars that come with these engines)

[Asbjorn]

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

Detail about the N54:

It is THE most awarded engine in this Award's history; here is the short countdown:
a) 2 times overall winner of International Engine of the Year (2007 and 2008)
b) Winner of Best New Engine in 2007
c) Winner in its displacement category in every year since its launch (6 times in a row between 2007 to 2012) though admittedly there is an arguement that 2011 was actually won by N55 not N54.

You made alot of good points, but what about the Volkswagen 1.4 L TSI "Twincharger"?

a) 2 times overall winner
b) winner of best new engine award
c) winner in its displacement cat since 2006 (its one year older than the N54), and now again in 2013

Quote from the official website
"By winning this category yet again, the 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger unit from Volkswagen has become the most celebrated powertrain in the history of the International Engine of the Year Awards, winning no fewer than 11 trophies since 2006."

[stuttgartusa]

Originally Posted by Hedoniste

Mom's X1 is powered by the N20. I am not impressed... Still too much turbo lag and doesn't sound good.

You dont know what turbo lag is than, the utter lack of turbo lag in the N20 is amazing.

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by Asbjorn

You made alot of good points, but what about the Volkswagen 1.4 L TSI "Twincharger"?

a) 2 times overall winner
b) winner of best new engine award
c) winner in its displacement cat since 2006 (its one year older than the N54), and now again in 2013

Quote from the official website
"By winning this category yet again, the 1.4-litre TSI Twincharger unit from Volkswagen has become the most celebrated powertrain in the history of the International Engine of the Year Awards, winning no fewer than 11 trophies since 2006."

Right, I should have noticed that; I will correct my post. The 1.4 TSI is the most awarded now, N54 remains second and it is the most awarded BMW engine

[300hp]

Originally Posted by stuttgartusa

You dont know what turbo lag is than, the utter lack of turbo lag in the N20 is amazing.

+1

The N20 is a celebrated engine at this stage. on the way to the Hall of Fame. Its annihilating everything in its path so far.

Do we know if the new M3 engine is a 3 ltr engine or it will have more, 3.2?

[Blubaron79]

Originally Posted by Hedoniste

Mom's X1 is powered by the N20. I am not impressed... Still too much turbo lag and doesn't sound good.

Put it in sport mode.