News: Torque Lift
04/01/2008
Not to be outdone by rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz, Munich-based automaker BMW plans to dispatch its acclaimed diesel technology to American showrooms this fall. The 335d sedan and the X5 xDrive35d sport-utility vehicle feature a 3-liter in-line 6-cylinder engine that balances exceptional efficiency and cleanliness with prodigious power. Already popular with European buyers, the diesel-fed engine employs twin sequential turbochargers: a small one that spools up quickly for off-the-line power and a larger one that follows with the bulk of the boost. The result: 265 hp and a Herculean 425 ft lbs of torque—42 more ft lbs than the 5-liter V-10 in the M5 and M6, and enough to launch the 335d to 60 mph in about 6.1 seconds—while returning an impressive 23 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. Even the X5 xDrive35d should attain fuel economies of 19/25 mpg in city/highway use. Moreover, because a sophisticated three-part exhaust system reduces 99 percent of harmful emissions, without sapping the engine’s power, the only smoke will be coming from the tires.BMW, www.bmwusa.com