In an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Frankfurt General Newspaper), BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer said that the BMW-PSA Prince engines currently used in BMW’s MINI products and Peugeot products will be used in future BMWs.
There are three variants, a normally aspirated 1.4 litre engine with variable valve timing and variable valve lift producing 95 PS and 140Nm of torque, a normally aspirated 1.6 litre engine with variable valve timing and variable valve lift producing 120 PS and 160Nm of torque, and a turbocharged 1.6 litre engine with variable valve timing, and gasoline direct injection producing power outputs of between 150 PS to 175 PS and 240Nm of torque.
The 1.6 litre inline-4 N45B16 engine currently used in the BMW 116i produces between 115 PS / 150Nm to 122 PS / 160Nm depending on model year. It has variable valve timing but not Valvetronic variable valve lift, which the N46 inline-4 engine family has.
This could either mean two things – the BMW-PSA Prince engine will be adapted for a longtitudinal, rear wheel drive installation, or front-wheel drive BMWs, but the first option is way way more likely. We could also see the next generation 120i and 320i be powered by the Prince 175 PS turbocharged 1.6 litre engine instead of the current normally aspirated 2.0 litre engine.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
The engine sharing is on gasoline engine only?
Thats good news if the 320i will get a new engine. The curreny engine is hopelessly underpowered for the chassis.
Will probablt give the C-180K a run for the money.
so soon the 320i will get new engine… no wonder they promo 320i few months back… clear stock. haha. ya, the 150ps on current 320i is way too low for the car chassis.
haiya… paying 250k… there are lots more choice of car to select from.
Bigger CC is always better to drive, at least it wont let u down when u need more power.
Moral of the story is, even big palyers are collobrating in developing their engine for better cost to result ratio. How about the small player then? Think about it.
azrai said,
May 8, 2008 @ 6:45 am
Moral of the story is, even big palyers are collobrating in developing their engine for better cost to result ratio. How about the small player then? Think about it.
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Yeah. How about Proton?
Looks like the French ‘s latest C5 is a German wannabe, and yet the Germans don’t mind putting a French engine in its German vehicles.
Yahoo.
smaller engines =better power..hmm…tats good news i assume..
The NAP is against us. Look at today Bernama report. “Honda Invests In Building Vehicle R&D Center In Thailand”. Pity on our country.
everybody is downsizing engine displacement and using forced induction to vary power outpout throughout model range. a good example is the MB M271 1.8l which is used in C160 up to C230K. now BMW will be putting 1.6l in their next 320 but with increased power output. proton should do the same with the campro CPS for their next perdana or MPV. this will help to keep costs down rather than developing a whole new bigger engine.
something i wonder just for the sake of wondering,…..why call an engine Prince? Wacko Jacko named his son Prince, there was a weird singer in the 80s called Prince; seems like a weird engine name.
cause smaller engine is ‘seem’ more attractive ma… younger buyer can afford them. Lower road tax in mind.
but the fact is that, small engine will less efficient if you try to drive faster.
And worst resell price.
It will be very nice to drive on the low speed range. But, when the low rpm already producing high NM… dont expect it will use little petrol. Cause you will need to burn petrol in order to get the pressure/NM.
NA engine is the best optimised for efficiency.. cause their compression ratio had been set to best ratio for maximum combustion.
Paul,
I don’t think the Prince engine can be easiiy modified front longtitudinal rear wheel drive installation. In fact BMW has already stated they will be making FWD cars in the future so the latter is more likely.