The BMW four-cylinder B48 engine from BMW does not always share the spotlight of its big brother, the B58-inline-Six. Despite remarkable reliability and efficiency – largely shared with the larger engine – the B48 is often overlooked. This is a tragedy because it supplies some absolute gemstones inside and outside the immediate BMW line -up. Talk about the little 2.0 liter that could.
Mini John Cooper Works GP (JCW GP)
It is a familiar feeling. You read these three words and your heart fluttering. Immediately after reading “John Cooper Works”, you know that you can see a mini with great performance potential. When Mini’s performance division inhaled the F56 chassis Cooper, she also threw the B48 engine with the highest performance that you could find. Here the 2.0-liter mill makes 301 hp and 332 pound foot torque. Remarkably, it did more on a dyno. Mini claimed that the Crazy Cooper completed the zero-to-60 dash in just 4.7 seconds.
The F56 JCW -GP has advertised a lot of additional equipment that made it an even better driver car than the regular cooper of the day. Larger wheels and brakes, a litany of initiatives for weight saving, including a back seat, deleted and removed insulation and absurd carbon fiber -Fender flares lived up to the badge.
BMW G20 330i
It is a staple of the BMW series and still one of the best cars you can buy today, full stop. The G20 3 series is the latest 3 Series that rely on the B48 engine. Nowadays the B48 has 255 hp and 295 pound foot torque in the G20 330i. Low torque-1600 U / min cares that the 330i always feels as much as possible. The B48 also advertises for a great mid-range alle 255 ponies at only 4,700 rpm.
While the power metrics of the 330i fall flat compared to the B58 M340I models, it is not bad if you look at the specifications in a vacuum. According to the BMW, XDRIVE models accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds, and the independent tests have dropped this time further.
Morgan plus four
The only way to get into a “new” B48 car with a manual is the Morgan Plus Four the choice of the connoisseur. The announced old body a look, which only weighs £ 2,233 and relying on a 2.0-liter B48 that is tailored to 255 hp and 258 pound foot torque (295 with automatically equipped models) means that that means that The little guy seriously scoots. Morgan claims that on the way to a top speed of 149 miles per hour (if you dare) it takes only 4.8 seconds.
Although the plus four have been there in one way or another since 1950 – which certainly brings the body work of the car to the fore – the “latest” redesign in only 2024 instead of the outgoing model as a headlight, the one centimeter diameter, one has new font for the badge and new wing mirror housing. This is okay – nobody has accused Morgan and four of being too modern. It is one of the most unique opportunities to drive the B48.
BMW Z4 Sdrive30i and Toyota Supra
The B48 certainly appears in some great cars, right? Unfortunately, Toyota dropped the 2.0 liter for 2025 and was not available with a manual. But the coupé and its drops designed by BMW, the brother Z4-packed properly, still offers an extraordinary performance. The B48 engine develops 255 hp in both Z4 and Supra and 295 pound foot torque.
Most already know, but the Z4 and Supra are mechanically identical and share almost everything, apart from their sheet metal and badge. They are even produced in the same factory in Graz, Austria. The 2.0 Toyota hurled from zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.0 seconds, but BMW claims that the Z4 SDRIVE30I needs 5.2 seconds – probably because it weighs about £ 300 more.
BMW G42 230i
The 230i is one of the most pleasant BMWs that can be offered for sale today, even if it is not equipped with a manual gear. The B48 is a peach here, since it does a familiar performance of 255 hp and 295 pound foot torque and combination with XDRIVE all-wheel drive or rear wheel drive for a traditional driving experience. Although it is not as lively as the Z4 or Supra – or obviously the Morgan, which offers different advantages in other arenas – it is still plentiful. In addition, BMW estimates a time from zero to 60 km / h with a respectable 5.3 seconds for XDrive models.
The 230i is a great middle ground between the G20 3 series and the two-seater twins. A back seat makes it practical compared to the Z4 and above, but it is still a little length and weight compared to the 3. And of course power is just a press of the water.
