BMW POWER TRIO

Bs IN THEIR BONNETS

Three different shapes, one superstar engine. STEPHEN DOBIE celebrates the BMW B58 motor in an eclectic trio of its hosts

PHOTOGRAPHY MAX EDLESTON

A funny thing happens while we’re driving in formation for these photographs. I subconsciously identify which gear each of our cars is in. The Ineos and Morgan are audibly rumbling along in third, balancing high torque and low revs to maintain the smooth, consistent speed needed for Max’s camera. I’m perched comfortably in the BMW, holding it in second at higher, more sonorous tones to ensure the drop-top keeps up with the car in front and thus avoids messing up the composition.

It’s the first time I’ve truly appreciated what’s assembled here. The idea emanated from an idle chitchat with friend of Autocar Nick Stafford on a previous shoot; he had not long purchased a BMW 340i and was clearly proud of the flexibility of its engine. The Munich firm’s ‘B58’ 3.0-litre straight-six turbo was launched in 2015 with the F30-generation 3 Series and has gone on to propel a truly diverse bunch. The cars assembled before you are just three of its beneficiaries.

The B58 replaced BMW’s old N55 and brought with it higher boost pressure from its single, twin-scroll turbocharger, a closed-deck block design and a higher compression ratio, not to mention a minor increase in capacity to 2998cc. A 7000rpm redline serves the sensibly shaped saloons and SUVs in BMW’s own line-up and broadly hits the spot in sportier stuff like the recent A90 Toyota Supra – unless you’re hooked on YouTube videos of loopily tuned 2JZs of old. Smokey Nagata might have struggled bumping up against that limiter…

While it’s a modular engine, related to 1.5-litre threes and 2.0-litre fours used in Minis and smaller Bimmers – plus M division’s punchier S58 spin-off – it’s always exuded a character of its own. It has lusty low-down torque, a zinger of a top end and remarkably friendly fuel economy in everyday use. I’ve previously run a BMW Z4 M40i and almost always beat its claimed MPG figure, bombilating around the mid-30s even when I took the long route home. I was only too happy to pick up on Nick’s appreciation of the B58 and bring together three of its most eclectic homes.