Levi
Well-Known Member
It is not the first time BMW and Toyota collaborate on engines, even if that is fairly recent and did not happen many times. North Americans might be unfamiliar with European diesel engines and its implication.
Toyota has been well known for making heavy duty diesel engines for trucks, and these remain for the foreseeable future, but Toyota has clearly indicated not having any interest in producing diesel engines for passenger cars, the last ones being the ND and AD, and focus on hybrids, now not taking into account battery electrics and hydrogen fuel cells. The ND diesel engine was used for small city cars and hatches, and the AD for passenger cars. These engines were designed for FF-T cars, but the 2.0-2.2l diesel (AD) was also to be be had for a FR-L car, the IS200d/IS220d. Toyota never made diesel engines with more than 4 cylinders for passenger cars, 5, 6 and 8 cylinders were and are only reserved for BOF trucks, unlike the Germans that make I6, V6, V8 for there luxury passenger cars.
As Toyota phased out non-heavy duty diesel engines, but there still was need to sell diesel in Europe, beside their gasoline and hybrids, (all this before #dieselgate) Toyota uses the WW engine as 1.6l for its small hatch Auris and MPV Verso, and 2.0l for its sedan Avensis and SUV RAV4. This engine is modified BMW N47 engine. It has a 84 mm bore and 90 mm stroke, as its predecessor the M47 and its successor the B47. Unlike the M47 that was iron, the N47 is alloy. Sidenote: BMW I4 and I6 engines share many parts, difference being primarily the number of cylinders. BMWs engines were mainly built for RWD cars, but even the M47 was modified for FWD, namely for Rover and and Land Rover. Finally this engine was used in the Mini. It made financial sense to use this BMW motor in European Toyota diesels.
But this partnership (project based) dates even further back. Before anything BMW-Rover, BMW always only made engines for RWD cars. With the Mini, this changed and they needed engines for FWD. Mini gasoline engines were Tritec engines, not directly BMW engines, and for diesel needed another one, it was the Toyota ND, yes BMW used a Toyota diesel engine. The engine was chosen for being compact and light to fit in the Mini. But it was unreliable and had problems. Next generation Mini, BMW went with PSA both for diesel and gasoline, but they also added the transverse N47, found later at Toyota as WW. Finally the third (present) generation Mini, introduced BMWs new modular FWD platform as well a new modular engine family for both transverse and longitudinal mounting, with diesel engines B37/B47/B57 and gasoline engines B38/B48/B58, 3, 4 and 6 cylinders, 6 only longitudinal mounting for obvious reasons.
The new Supra is in fact nothing new or shocking for the automotive industry, it is simple business.
For those interested in more detail:
https://kaizenfactor.wordpress.com/2012/07/22/the-toyota-alliances-bmw-part-1-the-first-volley/
https://kaizenfactor.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/the-toyota-alliances-bmw-part-2-the-alliance-deepens/
Toyota has been well known for making heavy duty diesel engines for trucks, and these remain for the foreseeable future, but Toyota has clearly indicated not having any interest in producing diesel engines for passenger cars, the last ones being the ND and AD, and focus on hybrids, now not taking into account battery electrics and hydrogen fuel cells. The ND diesel engine was used for small city cars and hatches, and the AD for passenger cars. These engines were designed for FF-T cars, but the 2.0-2.2l diesel (AD) was also to be be had for a FR-L car, the IS200d/IS220d. Toyota never made diesel engines with more than 4 cylinders for passenger cars, 5, 6 and 8 cylinders were and are only reserved for BOF trucks, unlike the Germans that make I6, V6, V8 for there luxury passenger cars.
As Toyota phased out non-heavy duty diesel engines, but there still was need to sell diesel in Europe, beside their gasoline and hybrids, (all this before #dieselgate) Toyota uses the WW engine as 1.6l for its small hatch Auris and MPV Verso, and 2.0l for its sedan Avensis and SUV RAV4. This engine is modified BMW N47 engine. It has a 84 mm bore and 90 mm stroke, as its predecessor the M47 and its successor the B47. Unlike the M47 that was iron, the N47 is alloy. Sidenote: BMW I4 and I6 engines share many parts, difference being primarily the number of cylinders. BMWs engines were mainly built for RWD cars, but even the M47 was modified for FWD, namely for Rover and and Land Rover. Finally this engine was used in the Mini. It made financial sense to use this BMW motor in European Toyota diesels.
But this partnership (project based) dates even further back. Before anything BMW-Rover, BMW always only made engines for RWD cars. With the Mini, this changed and they needed engines for FWD. Mini gasoline engines were Tritec engines, not directly BMW engines, and for diesel needed another one, it was the Toyota ND, yes BMW used a Toyota diesel engine. The engine was chosen for being compact and light to fit in the Mini. But it was unreliable and had problems. Next generation Mini, BMW went with PSA both for diesel and gasoline, but they also added the transverse N47, found later at Toyota as WW. Finally the third (present) generation Mini, introduced BMWs new modular FWD platform as well a new modular engine family for both transverse and longitudinal mounting, with diesel engines B37/B47/B57 and gasoline engines B38/B48/B58, 3, 4 and 6 cylinders, 6 only longitudinal mounting for obvious reasons.
The new Supra is in fact nothing new or shocking for the automotive industry, it is simple business.
For those interested in more detail:
https://kaizenfactor.wordpress.com/2012/07/22/the-toyota-alliances-bmw-part-1-the-first-volley/
https://kaizenfactor.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/the-toyota-alliances-bmw-part-2-the-alliance-deepens/
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