How the inline 1,5-liter “four” of 1962 at BMW was modified to 1450 hp. With.

This is neither a leap nor a breakthrough from a modest 74 to 1450 “horses”. The process was gradual, the evolution of the engine took more than half a century. But it was based on the BMW M10 engine. For 1962, the unit is not bad: volume 1,5 liters, power 74 hp. With. at 5800 rpm. Road cars tested the M10, proving its reliability. Then the designers decided to modify the installation for the participation of the factory team in Formula 2.


All further modernization was aimed at formula cars. First, the engine with a cast iron block and aluminum head was brought to a volume of 2,0 liters. We installed titanium connecting rods, 4 valves per cylinder, and increased the compression ratio to 13:1. The output power was 307 hp. With. at 9600 rpm. The unit was labeled BMW M12/7.

At the same time, to participate in touring car championships, the company's developers installed turbocharging. The victories of the cars in Formula 1 testified: in 1973-1984, the German engine was the best. In the era of universal turboization and the worship of V6 and V8 engines, BMW remained faithful to its inline four. What happened next, when the electronics came into play, how the unit was brought to 1450 hp. p., watch the short video. The material was kindly provided by the Big Look Auto channel. Thanks to its author, we can not only hear a detailed story about the engine, but also see exciting footage from auto tracks.