BMW celebrates their 30th anniversary in offering diesel engines. Inside, see the original model.
BMW celebrates their 30th anniversary in offering diesel engines.
Diesels are quite common these days, especially in Europe. However, diesels were viewed as noisy and dirty in the 1980’s. BMW wanted to change this partly because of the oil crisis of 1970.
BMW determined that the engine had to be fuel efficient and durable. It also needed to have “high performance, spontaneous energy delivery, and optimum smoothness.” Engineers created a turbocharged, 2.4-liter engine with 115 HP (85kW) and 220 Nm (155lb-ft).
The engine was installed to the 1983 524 tD, which quickly became the fastest diesel vehicle in the world. It could accelerate from 0-100 km/h (in 12.9 seconds) and reach a maximum speed of 180 km/h (112 mph). The model was also efficient at consuming 7.1 L/100 km (33.1 mpg US/39.7 mpg UK).
As they say, the rest is history. BMW continued to improve their diesel engines and create the tri-turbo engines that power the today.