BMW and MINI named in 2011 Ward's 10 Best Engines

In yesterday's announcement of Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2011, BMW’s new 3.0L N55 Turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine and the 1.6L Turbocharged 4-cylinder engine in the MINI Cooper S were both included on the prestigious list. The Ward’s 10 Best Engines competition is designed to recognize powertrains that set new benchmarks in their respective vehicle segments.

BMW’s well-regarded 3.0L N54 twin-turbocharged inline-6 earned Ward’s 10 Best Engines honors in 2007, 2008 and 2009. For 2011, the N55 inline-6 replaced the two individual turbochargers with a single twin-scroll turbocharger that saves weight, improves throttle response, boosts fuel efficiency and reduces friction. It is the first engine to combine turbocharging and high-pressure direct injection with BMW’s Valvetronic throttleless intact system.  “For drivability and smoothness, the N55 is unparalleled,” said Ward's Editor, Tom Murphy.

The Ward’s 10 Best Engine’s award was given for the 2011 335i.  The N55 engine also appears in the 2011 135i, as well as the new 535i.  It can also be found under the hood of the 2011 X5 xDrive35i and X6 xDrive35i Sports Activity Vehicles, as well as the all-new X3 xDrive35i SAV.

As an example of EfficientDynamics in action, the 2011 335i matches the 2010 model in the 0-60 mph sprint at 5.4 seconds but delivers a ten percent improvement in fuel efficiency according to EPA estimates.

A new engine on this year’s list was the 1.6L turbocharged direct-injection I-4 in the Mini Cooper S, which now integrates the BMW Group’s Valvetronic fully variable valve timing system, enhancing power and fuel efficiency. "With a specific output of 113 hp/L, this package quickly rose to the top of a crowded field of new small-displacement 4-cylinder engines in this year’s competition," wrote Murphy. 

Ward’s editors spent October and November driving the vehicles in their routine daily commutes around metro Detroit and scored each engine based on power, technology, observed fuel economy and noise, vibration harshness. To be eligible for the competition, each engine must be available in a regular-production U.S.-specification model on sale no later than first-quarter 2011, in a vehicle priced no more than $55,000, a price cap indexed to the average cost of a new vehicle.