225 bhp-215 bhp

[Ranger_Vet68]

Question, what year did the Z4 3.0i drop to 215 bhp from 225 bhp?

Thank You.

[GuidoK]

The facelift 3.0i (with detuned n52b30 engine) has 215hp.
That was probably introduced around beginning 2005. Facelifts have a different front&rear bumper and different rear lights, so easy to recognise.

The 225hp engine (actually 228hp) is the m54b30 engine and was only fitted in the pre facelift models.

[Sterling Roadster]

Does anyone know why they did this? I'd guess reliability or something along those lines, but I can't remember BMW every dropping power from an engine for a facelift. Usually they find and extra 10 or 15 hp somewhere in the higher end and make it rev a touch higher. Strange.

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

The facelift 3.0i (with detuned n52b30 engine) has 215hp.
That was probably introduced around beginning 2005. Facelifts have a different front&rear bumper and different rear lights, so easy to recognise.

The 225hp engine (actually 228hp) is the m54b30 engine and was only fitted in the pre facelift models.

The changeover was model year 2006.

Originally Posted by Sterling Roadster

Does anyone know why they did this? I'd guess reliability or something along those lines, but I can't remember BMW every dropping power from an engine for a facelift. Usually they find and extra 10 or 15 hp somewhere in the higher end and make it rev a touch higher. Strange.

It wasn't simply a facelift. The 2006-08 Z4 used a different engine (N52) than the 2003-05 Z4 (M54). The 06-08 3.0i with 215hp and 180ft-lb torque replaced the 03-05 2.5i with 189hp and 181ft-lb torque. The 06-08 3.0si with 265hp and 232ft-lb torque replaced the 03-05 3.0i with 228hp and 220ft-lb torque. BMW made it confusing by renaming the 06-08 3.0i entry level model with the same trim name as the 03-05 3.0i high end model.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

The changeover was model year 2006.

According to Realoem the facelifts already started production as early as october 2004, probably taken deliverance somewhere in 2005. That is probably a production run for 'introduction purposes'.
The bulk of the production started in april 2005. If models like that take deliverance after the summer (like in october or so) they are sometimes designated as '2006 model'.

BMW made it confusing by renaming the 06-08 3.0i entry level model with the same trim name as the 03-05 3.0i high end model.

Indeed confusing. But it is a US model only.
Europe got the 2.5si (no 3.0i) with similar power, but probably in the US a lower cost (detuned) 3.0i (so a 3 litre engine) was more sellable.

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

According to Realoem the facelifts already started production as early as october 2004, probably taken deliverance somewhere in 2005. That is probably a production run for 'introduction purposes'.
The bulk of the production started in april 2005. If models like that take deliverance after the summer (like in october or so) they are sometimes designated as '2006 model'.


Indeed confusing. But it is a US model only.
Europe got the 2.5si (no 3.0i) with similar power, but probably in the US a lower cost (detuned) 3.0i (so a 3 litre engine) was more sellable.

Yep, I should've clarified this information is for US models only. I made sure the OP was American before I chimed in because Europe got different engines and I'm not familiar w/those.

[pokeybritches]

They did it to provide separation in the models. The 3.0si comes with more standard features. BMW forces the customer to buy the extra features to get the added power. You can swap intake manifolds and achieve 3.0si power on the 3.0i.

FWIW, the prefacelift 3.0i (M54B30) was arguably overbuilt with its forged crank and 10.2 static compression ratio. The 3.0si (N52B30) makes more power out of the box, but has less ultimate potential.

[Sterling Roadster]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

The changeover was model year 2006.



It wasn't simply a facelift. The 2006-08 Z4 used a different engine (N52) than the 2003-05 Z4 (M54). The 06-08 3.0i with 215hp and 180ft-lb torque replaced the 03-05 2.5i with 189hp and 181ft-lb torque. The 06-08 3.0si with 265hp and 232ft-lb torque replaced the 03-05 3.0i with 228hp and 220ft-lb torque. BMW made it confusing by renaming the 06-08 3.0i entry level model with the same trim name as the 03-05 3.0i high end model.

Oh well that makes sense, but BMW is definitley at an elite level of confusing people. I drove my cousin's F30 328i, which is not a 2.8-six but a 2.0-turbo. I guess it makes for a smoother transition into turbo-fours, to keep the designation and change the engine.

[GuidoK]

Mercedes does that too..

the 63amg's also arent 6,3liter anymore...

But bmw already did this in the 90's on some models (the very low end ones, not sold in the US, but some got a lower designation than their capacity and it was a detuned base model).
Oh wait a minute... that's the other way round

[chickdr]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

The changeover was model year 2006.



It wasn't simply a facelift. The 2006-08 Z4 used a different engine (N52) than the 2003-05 Z4 (M54). The 06-08 3.0i with 215hp and 180ft-lb torque replaced the 03-05 2.5i with 189hp and 181ft-lb torque. The 06-08 3.0si with 265hp and 232ft-lb torque replaced the 03-05 3.0i with 228hp and 220ft-lb torque. BMW made it confusing by renaming the 06-08 3.0i entry level model with the same trim name as the 03-05 3.0i high end model.

Minor correction- the Z4 2.5 made 184hp and 175 ft-lbs from 03-05 so the 3.0i was a big upgrade for '06 with 31 extra hp in the base model. The 3.0 also gave a much flatter torque band. On top of this, the 3.0i and 3.0si are really the same motor with a different intake so you can convert an "i" to an "si" for under $1k by fitting the better intake and get 255hp/220ft-lbs out of your motor...