Automotive

BMW's amazing new 381 bhp 740 Nm 45 mpg triple turbo diesel (and four cars that will get it)

View 95 Images
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW X6 M50d
The BMW X6 M50d
The BMW X6 M50d
The BMW X6 M50d
The BMW X6 M50d
The BMW X6 M50d
The BMW X6 M50d
The BMW X6 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW M550d xDrive Touring
Muscular and environmentally friendly
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW M550d xDrive Touring
The BMW M550d xDrive Touring
The BMW M550d xDrive Touring
The BMW X6 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive Touring
The performance figures for the new triple-turbo predict a real driver's car
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW M550d xDrive
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
The BMW X5 M50d
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
BMW M Performance TwinPower Turbo Engine Six-Cylinder Diesel - (N57S)
View gallery - 95 images

BMW M Performance is adding four new models to its product range, all powered by a new triple-turbocharger, piezo direct injection, three liter diesel motor that looks to be a contender for the engine of the year already - 280 kW, 740 Nm, instantaneous response, very economical, low emissions. The new BMW M550d xDrive, M550d xDrive Touring, X5 M50d and X6 M50d models will be seen first at the Geneva Motor Show in March with availability just a few weeks later.

The engine in BMW's new diesel M cars appears to be a ripsnorter - 3.0-litre six cylinder with three turbochargers, common-rail direct injection with piezo injectors, a very healthy maximum power output of 280 kW (381 bhp), but with abundant torque (740 Newton metres - 546 lb-ft) and instantaneous response

The performance figures for the new triple-turbo predict a real driver's car

The dyno charts say it all. Look at that flat torque plot between 2000 rpm and 3000 rpm - 740 Newton meters of torque is almost an obscene amount of torque. It will give you goose-bumps. It is a performance motor that will almost certainly power next year's Dakar cars.

The key to the incredible performance of the engine is inaptly named M Performance TwinPower Turbo technology. That's because they found that two turbochargers worked so well together, that they have now employed three for the first time.

The system uses two smaller turbochargers and one large one, with the right diameter turbo being used at precisely the time when it is most efficient. Another reason why three turbos is better than two is that the low moment of inertia of the small turbochargers means they do not suffer from the lag of a larger single turbo.

if the interplay between the strategy of the turbos are designed to guarantee maximum power delivery across a wide rev band. The system comprises two relatively small turbochargers and one large turbo, which join forces precisely to deliver the amount of power required.

In the machines that are being released, the 280 kW engine delivers very respectable figures. All cars are electronically limited to 250 km/h, but the acceleration figures tell the tale.

The BMW M550d xDrive

The BMW M550d xDrive Sedan will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds - that's rapid for a car of this price that can still inspire confidence and safety when dropping the kids at school.

The M550d xDrive Touring does the 100 km/h dash in 4.9 seconds, the heavier X5 M50d and X6 M50d in 5.4 seconds and 5.3 seconds respectively.

The performance of the six-cylinder in-line diesel is only half the equation though.

Extensive application of BMW EfficientDynamics technology including an auto Start-Stop function have yielded some excellent fuel consumption and CO2 emission figures.

The BMW M550d xDrive Sedan with its lighter weight and lower frontal area, returns the best of the bunch with 6.3 litres/100 kilometres (44.8 mpg imp) and CO2 emissions of 165 g/km.

The BMW M550d xDrive Touring

It's interesting to note the rapid fuel consumption dropaway with the extra weight - the similarly sized BMW M550d xDrive Touring returns consumption of 6.4 litres/100 kilometres (44.1 mpg imp) and CO2 emissions of 169 g/km, while the heavier BMW X5 M50d returns 7.5 litres/100 kilometres (37.7 mpg imp) and 199 g/km. The slightly sleeker and marginally lighter BMW X6 M50d fares little better at 7.7 litres/100 kilometres (36.7 mpg imp) and CO2 emissions of 204 g/km.

These cars come with a significant boost in performance and hallmark M precision in the interplay of the powertrain, chassis and aerodynamics - coupled with unrestricted everyday utility and high levels of efficiency.

The new powerplant strikes the most effective balance between output and fuel consumption of any series- produced unit of its kind.

View gallery - 95 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
34 comments
Ct
A three turbo BMW? Buy More Warranty!
mrhuckfin
I LOVE the fact that this gets great mileage, low emissions, and lots of power but I\'m about sick to death of CO² being talked about like it\'s a pollutant! I wish there was some one out there that could purposely tune a motor to make more CO² and show it to get better fuel economy for doing it? I would love to see what the hard core environmentalists would say to that! Oh well still a nice engine I hope we can get it here in the U.S. :-)
Aaron Metcalfe
And I am sick to death of people making out like CO2 is not a pollutant. CO2 is a pollutant - read the science and stop peddling misinformation
Scion
But the less fuel burnt per km driven will result in less pollutants (or by product if that\'s how you want to call it) per km. Exhaust gasses are caused by burning fuel. Less fuel = less out the tail. I\'m not sure how you would propose to produce more exhaust and yet consume less fuel. That sounds like it ignores some fundamental physics unless you can somehow use fusion or fission to alter the fuel components at an atomic level and convert some carbon to oxygen or sulphur.
Here is another set of cars that I can\'t afford but do what I want from a car.
Australian
Nice work BMW, just a shame this will only belong to the uber-rich.
Iosif Olimpiu
The 7.5l/km is impossible for the X5, maybe for the highway, but this is not fare to anounce that way. It\'s a tipical german fake. X5 need about 13l/km in a medium circle and the new one will have just half? Imposible.
Stanley Kwiecien
When I moved to Panama I first drove the typical Hyundai/ Toyota/Nissan offerings. I tried a diesel BMW X5 after moving to the mountain area. I now understand the meaning of \"Ultimate Driving Machine\" Phenomenal. I now lust for the triple turbo version.
mrhuckfin
Aaron, CO2 is not now or has ever been a pollutant! Read a book some time. You do know you breath out CO2 don't you? Just say'n! LOL! :-)
MK23666
You do know why you breath out CO2 right, If not try taking deep breaths of it for a change of pace.
Stanley Owens
Fantastic!!I hope they make a Coupe version.