[7] Bmw 528i | [+] MANTIS TILLER

Just in time for the Fourth of July holiday here in the land of freedom, BMW is announcing a 5-series with four cylinders. (That is the tie-in, right?) For 2012, the 528i will trade its naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-six for the company’s new N20 turbo four. Including the recently announced M5, this makes the 5-series engine lineup all-turbo.

The 2.0-liter will produce 240 hp at 5000 rpm and 260 lb-ft of torque from 1250 rpm. That matches the horsepower figure for the old six and surpasses it in the torque department with 30 additional lb-ft, peaking 1350 rpm earlier. The engine is direct injected and uses BMW’s Valvetronic variable-valve-lift system. A ZF-supplied eight-speed automatic will be the only transmission available, although the 2012 528i will see the addition of xDrive all-wheel drive as an option. BMW estimates a 0-to-60-mph run of 6.2 seconds, or 0.4 second better than it quoted for the 2011 car. We netted a 6.4-second run with the inline-six, and expect the turbo four to drop that time to around 6.0.

View PhotosPATRICK M. HOEY, THE MANUFACTURER

The engine will be equipped with a stop/start system, something BMW usually leaves out of U.S. products because of its limited effect in EPA fuel-economy testing. The EPA hasn’t yet tested this new engine, but BMW expects a 15-percent increase in mileage over the 2011 528i—figure on something like a 2-mpg increase over that model’s 22/32 city/highway ratings.

We know this engine will show up in the Z4 sDrive28i, and you can expect it to show up in the rest of BMW’s 28i offerings, including the next 3-series. You also can expect us to go enjoy the Fourth with a big American V-8.

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