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67 HP/Cylinder for the new BMW 1.5-liter Engine

Tuesday we’ll watch the official unveiling of the BMW i8, a car that was built to change the way we look at sport cars overall. The new plug-in hybrid will also feature BMW’s new 1.5-liter engine and its new 6-speed automatic gearbox.There’s been a lot of talk lately about this new engine family dubbed B38 and we were just as curious as you as to what exactly recommends a 3-cylinder 1.5-liter unit over a more traditional 1.6-liter 4-pot one. We asked BMW about it and they kindly replied.
BMW B38 Engine 1 photo
Photo: Autoblog
 
It seems like the new engine will be part of the BMW Group’s EfficientDynamics engine family. This means that it will be built on the same production lines as all other 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder units, therefore reducing costs.
Furthermore, it will have a proportion of commonality between petrol and diesel engines of up to 40%, whilst for the same combustion type, the percentage of shared parts goes up to an impressive 60%. Another advantage is that having one less cylinder, the friction will also be reduced, therefore increasing fuel economy.

Last, but not least, optimum part logistics will be ensured and the production process will be more cost effective, as the engine will be built at the factories in Munich, Steyr, Hams Hall and Shenyang, with a high degree of flexibility. 
The most important thing about this engine though, is that it will be having a specific output of 67 HP/cylinder, meaning that it will max out at 200 HP. Sure, some variants will have more power (like the one on the i8) but those will be limited runs.

“The max. power output of the new 1.5-litre TwinPower Turbo will be 50kW/cylinder (500cc). This sums up to approx. 200 HP for the engine max. The 3-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine with the BMW i8 will produce slightly more power (231hp). As it is combined with an electric engine we will have extra boost at low end torque and therefore can use a slightly bigger turbo charger,” our source over at BMW said.

However, variable power outputs are expected, of course, and we have been reassured that all the cars that will be fitted with this engine will have sufficient power for their respective needs, so no BMW will ever feel underpowered.
This comes as great news to some people that were concerned that the Bavarian vehicles might turn into slow cars with disappointing dynamic abilities, unlike those that made BMW the company that is today.
 
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