BMW V-8

Peak Auto BMW

BMW claims that in the 1980’s the only reason the made a V8 was for the American market. Before that time BMW was making straight 4 cylinder and straight 6 cylinder engines. BMW floated a rumor that it was buying used 4 cylinder motors to use in their Formula 1 program. The claim was that after hundreds of thousands of miles on a motor the piston rings had worn so smoothly into the cylinder bore it had created a fine polished wall. BMW claimed the higher the mileage the better. BMW F1 was putting a turbo on these blocks (if the rumor is true) and pumping out over 1,500 horse power. As a comparison, today’s Formula 1 engine put out around 850 horse power plus the electric motor system adds about 200 horse power when fully charged and engaged.