BMW’s four-cylinder B48 engine doesn’t all the time share the highlight its massive brother, the B58 inline-six, enjoys. Regardless of noteworthy reliability and effectivity – largely shared with the larger engine – the B48 typically goes neglected. That’s a tragedy, because it powers some absolute gems inside and out of doors the quick BMW lineup. Discuss in regards to the little 2.0-liter that would.
MINI John Cooper Works GP (JCW GP)
It’s a well-known feeling. You learn these three phrases, and your coronary heart begins to flutter. Instantly after studying “John Cooper Works,” you recognize you’re a Mini with massive efficiency potential. When Mini’s efficiency division breathed upon the F56 chassis Cooper, in addition they threw within the highest-performing B48 engine they may discover. Right here, the two.0-liter mill makes 301 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Notably, it made extra on a dyno. MINI claimed the loopy Cooper completes the zero-to-60 sprint in simply 4.7 seconds.
The F56 JCW GP touted a ton of additional gear that made it a fair higher driver’s automobile than the common Cooper of the day. Greater wheels and brakes, a litany of weight saving initiatives together with a rear seat delete and eliminated insulation, and absurd carbon fiber fender flares made the automobile dwell as much as its badging.
BMW G20 330i
It’s a staple of the BMW lineup and nonetheless probably the greatest vehicles you should purchase in the present day, full cease. The G20 3 Sequence is the newest 3 Sequence to depend on the B48 engine. Nowadays the B48 makes 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque within the G20 330i. Low peak torque – 1600 rpm – ensures the 330i all the time feels as fleet-footed as potential. The B48 touts an incredible mid-range, too – all 255 ponies can be found at simply 4,700 rpm.
Whereas the 330i’s efficiency metrics fall flat in comparison with the B58-powered M340i fashions, it isn’t too dangerous once you take a look at the specs in a vacuum. BMW says xDrive fashions speed up from zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, and unbiased testing has inched that point down even additional.
Morgan Plus 4
The one option to get right into a “new” B48-powered automobile with a handbook, the Morgan Plus 4 is the connoisseur’s choose. Touting old-timey bodywork – a glance that weighs solely 2,233 kilos – and counting on a 2.0-liter B48 tuned to ship 255 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque (295 with automatic-equipped fashions) means the little man severely scoots. Morgan claims zero to 60 mph takes simply 4.8 seconds on the best way to a 149-mph prime pace (when you dare).
Though the Plus 4 has been round in a technique or one other since 1950 – which the automobile’s physique work actually brings to the forefront – the “newest” redesign occurred in simply 2024. Chances are you’ll – however most likely received’t – discover such incremental enhancements over the outgoing mannequin as a headlight that’s one inch bigger in diameter, a brand new typeface for the badge, and new wing mirror housings. That’s okay – nobody accused the Morgan Plus 4 of being too trendy. It’s some of the distinctive methods to drive the B48.
BMW Z4 sDrive30i and Toyota Supra
The B48 positive exhibits up in some nice vehicles, doesn’t it? Sadly, Toyota dropped the two.0-liter for 2025, and it wasn’t accessible with a handbook. However the BMW-designed coupe – and its drop-top properly-badged brother, the Z4 – nonetheless offers distinctive efficiency. In each the Z4 and the Supra, the B48 engine develops 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.
Most already know, however the Z4 and Supra are mechanically equivalent, sharing virtually every thing apart from their sheet metallic and badging. They’re even produced in the identical manufacturing unit in Graz, Austria. The two.0 Toyota dashed from zero to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds, however BMW claims the Z4 sDrive30i wants 5.2 seconds – probably because it weighs roughly 300 kilos extra.
BMW G42 230i
The 230i is likely one of the most pleasing BMWs to drive on sale in the present day, even when it doesn’t include a handbook transmission. The B48 is a peach right here as it’s elsewhere, making a well-known 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and pairing with xDrive all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive for a extra conventional driving expertise. Whereas not as sprightly because the Z4 or Supra – or, clearly, the Morgan, which it provides distinct benefits over in different arenas – it’s nonetheless loads tossable. Plus, BMW estimates a zero to 60 mph time at a good 5.3 seconds for xDrive fashions.
The 230i is a superb center floor between the G20 3 Sequence and the two-seater twins. A backseat makes it eminently sensible by comparability to the Z4 and Supra, however it nonetheless trims a little bit size and weight relative to the three Sequence. And naturally, with the pleasant little B48 purring away underneath the hood, energy is only a squeeze of the throttle away.
