Review of the BMW N20 4-Cylinder Turbo

The N20 appears to have combined the best of BMW design and engineering. This new Twin Turbo 4 Cylinder should quickly become a new benchmark for BMW with performance that equals or even surpasses the inline 6 Cylinders.

The N20 has accomplished two meaningful goals, better fuel consumption and power output. It will debut soon in the 528i and the Z4 sDrive 28i Roadster with 240 horses at 5,000 RPM (1,600 RPM less than the naturally aspirated inline 6 cylinder. Most noticeable will be that the useable peak torque band is wider than the inline 6 (2,600-3,000)

In addition to increased power numbers the estimated fuel economy numbers of 21/33 (Z4 sDrive28i) and 25/36 (528i) show a 15-20% potential reduction in consumption when compared to N52 outputs of 18/28 (Z4 sDrive3.0i) and 22/32 (528i). This amazing development is made possible by the use of several BMW proprietary technologies, namely TwinPower turbocharging, Valvetronic, Double VANOS, and High-Precision Direct Injection. These technological enhancements, combined with an all-aluminum crankcase, make the N20 engine lighter, more compact, and more efficient than its predecessors.

Depending on the model, the N20 works in tandem with one of several BMW transmissions.. The Z4 sDrive28i comes equipped with the 6-speed manual transmission as standard, with the 8-speed Sport automatic transmission as an available option. 0-60 times are 5.5 seconds (manual) and 5.6 seconds (automatic), representing a noticeable improvement, especially considering the reduction in engine size. For the 528i Sedan, available transmissions include the standard 8-speed STEPTRONIC automatic and the optional 8-speed Sport automatic.