Quote:
Originally Posted by 530iDriver
Drive a C300 or E300 and you will be constantly reminded, at all times, that you are driving a gutless and noisy 4 pot turbo. Not so with the BMW and Audi engines.
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Emission standards have greatly influenced the evolution 4 cylinder engines. I agree with earlier comments that the current generation of 4 cylinder engines are perhaps operating beyond the intended design envelope: harsh, "gutless", over boosted, noisy. In 1975, Mitsubishi was the first to add balance shafts to its 4 cylinder 4G5 engine. The biggest 4G5 version displaced 2.6 liters and featured fuel injection and turbo charger. Not much has materially changed since other than more sophisticated DME software, injectors, intercoolers - in other words optimize fuel mixture, add boost while allowing computers to manage the risks.
Direct injectors are wonderful when they work. When they fail (N20 has a history of failing injectors), the fuel dumped into the cylinder erases any fuel economy goals.
I drove every vehicle in F3x class with a 4 cylinder engine and could not see myself driving the car. No amount of electronics would hide it. B58 is my engine of choice now while N55 was in my previous vehicle.