Photo: BMW
It was 1983 when BMW unveiled the E28 524td model, at the Frankfurt Auto Show and the world was reluctant. At that time, diesels were noisy and uncomfortable and many people looked at them as dirty and polluting.
However, thanks to a recent oil crisis, those that wanted to lower the costs of their travels, adopted the 33 mpg vehicle and overlooked the downside that were limited to just noise and the lack of the petrol engines' refinement.
The car was actually pretty quick for its time. It was all due to the 2.4-liter turbocharged diesel unit under the bonnet that produced 114 HP and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque, numbers that allowed the 524td to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in a respectable 12 seconds (remember it was 30 years ago).
Of course, the diesel 5er was widely popular only in Germany at first, the US market being out of the question. However, only 4 short years after the 524td was launched, it became the best selling 5 Series that the company was building at the time, proving its worth in times of economical distress.
Over the years, BMW's diesels evolved and the innovation in this field is more and more advanced. 30 years later, a diesel is the fastest 3 Series model on the market (the 335d), overtaking the traditional 335i. Furthermore, we now have a high-performance diesel engine that allows the cars it's fitted on to wear the coveted M badge on the boot.
We're talking about the N57S engine, a 3-liter tri-turbo engine that produces no less than 381 HP and 740 Nm (550 lb-ft) of torque and will send a huge car like the X5, for example, to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 5.3 seconds.
Hat tip to MotorAuthority !
The car was actually pretty quick for its time. It was all due to the 2.4-liter turbocharged diesel unit under the bonnet that produced 114 HP and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque, numbers that allowed the 524td to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in a respectable 12 seconds (remember it was 30 years ago).
Of course, the diesel 5er was widely popular only in Germany at first, the US market being out of the question. However, only 4 short years after the 524td was launched, it became the best selling 5 Series that the company was building at the time, proving its worth in times of economical distress.
Over the years, BMW's diesels evolved and the innovation in this field is more and more advanced. 30 years later, a diesel is the fastest 3 Series model on the market (the 335d), overtaking the traditional 335i. Furthermore, we now have a high-performance diesel engine that allows the cars it's fitted on to wear the coveted M badge on the boot.
We're talking about the N57S engine, a 3-liter tri-turbo engine that produces no less than 381 HP and 740 Nm (550 lb-ft) of torque and will send a huge car like the X5, for example, to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 5.3 seconds.
Hat tip to MotorAuthority !
Google News