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 outdoors the rapid BMW lineup. Discuss in regards to the little 2.0-liter that might.
MINI John Cooper Works GP (JCW GP)
It’s a well-recognized feeling. You learn these three phrases, and your coronary heart begins to flutter. Instantly after studying “John Cooper Works,” you recognize you’re taking a look at a Mini with massive efficiency potential. When Mini’s efficiency division breathed upon the F56 chassis Cooper, additionally they threw within the highest-performing B48 engine they might 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 good higher driver’s automotive 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 automotive reside as much as its badging.
BMW G20 330i
It’s a staple of the BMW lineup and nonetheless among the best vehicles you should buy right now, full cease. The G20 3 Sequence is the most recent 3 Sequence to depend on the B48 engine. As of late 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 unhealthy while 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 impartial testing has inched that point down even additional.
Morgan Plus 4
The one option to get right into a “new” B48-powered automotive 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 significantly scoots. Morgan claims zero to 60 mph takes simply 4.8 seconds on the way in which to a 149-mph prime velocity (when you dare).
Though the Plus 4 has been round in a technique or one other since 1950 – which the automotive’s physique work actually brings to the forefront – the “newest” redesign occurred in simply 2024. You might – however most likely gained’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 certain exhibits up in some nice vehicles, doesn’t it? Sadly, Toyota dropped the two.0-liter for 2025, and it wasn’t out there with a handbook. However the BMW-designed coupe – and its drop-top properly-badged brother, the Z4 – nonetheless supplies 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 nearly every thing other than 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 – doubtless because it weighs roughly 300 kilos extra.
BMW G42 230i
The 230i is likely one of the most pleasant BMWs to drive on sale right now, even when it doesn’t include a handbook transmission. The B48 is a peach right here as it’s elsewhere, making a well-recognized 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 affords distinct benefits over in different arenas – it’s nonetheless a lot 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, nevertheless it nonetheless trims a bit of size and weight relative to the three Sequence. And naturally, with the pleasant little B48 purring away below the hood, energy is only a squeeze of the throttle away.
