The BMW M54 is a modern straight-6 engine, debuting in 2001. It is an evolution of the BMW M52. The engine has Double VANOS variable valve timing to adjust timing of both intake and exhaust valves.
M54B22
2.2 L
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M54B25
The M54B25 is a 2.5 L (2494 cc) engine with an 84 mm bore and 75 mm stroke. It is all-aluminum with cast iron cylinder liners, fracture-split forged steel connecting rods, a one-piece cast camshaft, and a reinforced plastic intake manifold. Output is 184 hp (137 kW) at 6000 RPM with 175 ft.lbf (237 Nm) of torque at 3500 RPM. It is built in Steyr, Austria .
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M54B30
The M54B30 is a 3.0 L (2979 cc) update of the 2.8 L BMW M52. Bore remains the same at 84 mm, but stroke is increased 5.6 mm to 89.6 mm. Power is 231 hp (170 kW) while torque is 221 ft.lbf (300 Nm).
It is an all-aluminum engine (block and DOHC heads) with cast iron cylinder liners. It uses SFI fuel injection, has 4 valves per cylinder with VVT and features fracture-split forged steel connecting rods, a one-piece cast camshaft, and reinforced plastic intake manifold. It is produced in Steyr, Austria .
The M54B30 was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 2001 through 2003.
Applications:
S54B32
The S54B32 is a high-performance version of the M54, done in cast iron rather than aluminum. It is a 3.2 L (3246 cc) engine; bore is 87 mm and stroke is 91 mm. Power output is 333 hp (248 kW) at 7900 RPM with 262 ft.lbf (355 Nm) of torque at 4900 RPM with an 8000 RPM redline. This engine has the second-highest specific output of any production naturally aspirated piston engine.
The S54 won the International Engine of the Year award overall for 2001, and also claimed the "Best New Engine" that year as well as winning the 3-4 L category for four straight years from 2001 through 2004. The S54 was also on the Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 2002 through 2004.
The S54 is also known as the Engine of Damocles because of the tendancy of early production M3s to explode spectacularly at elevated engine speeds as a result of oiling issues. BMW attempted to blame vehicle owners for the failures early on but eventually started replacing rod bearings, oil pumps, and whole engines under warranty.
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See also
