E34 vs E39 bhp

[whiskychaser]

Have to admit that of late I have been having rather naughty dreams about E39s. But I am startled in the night by a wise man saying:
E34 525i is 192 bhp. E39 525i is only 174bhp E39 528i only produces 191bhp. So has BMW got it backwards? Do the newer motors produce less power? Or should I be taking more water with it?

[Sam-Son]

my father's E46 325 is rated at 184 hp while my 525 is rated at 189

[repenttokyo]

It's because the number on the back stopped relating to the exact size of the engine. For example, a number of 2.5, 2.0 and 3.0 liter engines are used in the cars, but the car might still be known as a 525 or a 528. It all depends on the year of the car.

Also - new cars have their horsepower rated differently than when our cars were released. It changed around 2005 - meaning that new cars have their power rated in a stricter fashion than our cars. It's explained here:

http://motortrend.automotive.com/364...gue/index.html

So the cars don't really have much less power than ours at all.

[whiskychaser]

It's because the number on the back stopped relating to the exact size of the engine. For example, a number of 2.5, 2.0 and 3.0 liter engines are used in the cars, but the car might still be known as a 525 or a 528. It all depends on the year of the car.

Also - new cars have their horsepower rated differently than when our cars were released. It changed around 2005 - meaning that new cars have their power rated in a stricter fashion than our cars. It's explained here:

http://motortrend.automotive.com/364...gue/index.html

So the cars don't really have much less power than ours at all.

Hang on! You cant call a car a 528 when its got a 2 litre engine! You can call it a 523 if its got a 2.5 for 'historical' reasons and I will go with that. I'm not being an arse but that link didnt have anything to do with bhp. As my friends in the south would say, ' you're 'avin' a larf'.

[repenttokyo]

Hang on! You cant call a car a 528 when its got a 2 litre engine! You can call it a 523 if its got a 2.5 for 'historical' reasons and I will go with that. I'm not being an arse but that link didnt have anything to do with bhp. As my friends in the south would say, ' you're 'avin' a larf'.

we don't use terms like bhp in north america....

[Omega]

The e39 m52 engine is rated at 174hp due to the restrictive inlet manifold. Swap it for the M50 manifold and add the M50 AFM while you're at it and you're back to 191hp.

Although the power is down you don't really notice it, especially in the Auto, as the tiptronic box is better than the e34 5HP auto. If you get an early e39 auto, swap the microswitch wires for the manual shift so that pulling towards you is "+" and pushing away is "-". Much more intuitive that way.

I always understood that the 2.5 e39 was called the "523" as BMW Europe wanted the "525" to be the tags on a diesel only variant.

The e39 is a better drive in all respects to the e34, shame that e34 still looks so much nicer......

[Ferret]

I always understood that the 2.5 e39 was called the "523" as BMW Europe wanted the "525" to be the tags on a diesel only variant.

The e39 is a better drive in all respects to the e34, shame that e34 still looks so much nicer......

I've seen plenty of early/late E39's driving around in this country with a 525i badge on...?

[Jon K]

we don't use terms like bhp in north america....

yes we do

and no if its a 2.0 its a 320 or 520...

if its a 523 or 323 its a 2.5L detuned for economy

if its a 525 its got a 2.5L except for the E30 which could have the 325e motor at 2.7

But every 330, 530, etc., is a 3.0L

[repenttokyo]

yes we do

and no if its a 2.0 its a 320 or 520...

if its a 523 or 323 its a 2.5L detuned for economy

if its a 525 its got a 2.5L except for the E30 which could have the 325e motor at 2.7

But every 330, 530, etc., is a 3.0L

sorry, but I don't use British horsepower when I talk about cars (bhp = 1 hp = 746 W). Even if he was talking about brake horsepower, no one has been using that for a long time, not since we started using SAE in 1971. Horsepower in in North America is reported in SAE net, and then corrected in 2005.

And regarding engines in the 5 series, you are also wrong - the current 528 is a 3 liter. It's not as cut and dry as you make it out to be.

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...n/default.aspx

I'm a professional automotive writer, and I just covered BMW's entire lineup. The 3-series also shifted to having the 328's use 3.0's.

[e34.535i.sport]

[QUOTE=repenttokyo;309394]
And regarding engines in the 5 series, you are also wrong - the current 528 is a 3 liter. It's not as cut and dry as you make it out to be.

QUOTE]

I think you have him mistaken... What he means is the 'normal' varieties (i.e. Multiples of 5!) tend to be descriptive of what engine they have: a 520 has a 2L, 525 has a 2.5L, 530 has a 3L etc etc... However, when you get a 523 it is the 2.5L engine with reduced brown sauce... as is the 528 (3L with less HP) [detuned]... Saying that, the newer 5's are a little funky... After a certain date the 525d had the 3L engine rather than the 2.5L, so it can be a mistake to 'assume' what engine is in a particular model unless you do your homework.

They've been throwing in some funky ones in for a while though, as my e46 316i had a 1.9L detuned engine in from a 318i... (That or it was a cut 'n' shut!)