[chassis]

I’m doing some digging on this and the BMW data isn’t easy to find. MB and VAG/Porsche/Audi produce tech docs which explain the engine design details in depth.

Are any modern BMW engines using iron blocks or iron cylinder liners? Modern means a current production engine or its direct predecessor.

Reason for the question is to understand if any iron block or iron sleeved engines experience cylinder scoring, like the many MB and Porsche aluminum block engines that use Lokasil, Nikasil, Alusil or Nanoslide technologies. Porsche’s flat six and several MB V8s have well documented cylinder scoring reputations. What is the BMW summary on this?

VAG examples include the iron block EA390 3.6V6 and the sleeved EA839 3.0/2.9 V6.

[KevinC]

S54 was iron block. Last seen in 2008 Z4 M Coupe. E46 M3 and Z3M prior to that.

[chassis]

Originally Posted by KevinC

S54 was iron block. Last seen in 2008 Z4 M Coupe. E46 M3 and Z3M prior to that.

Thanks. Looks like the contemporary M54 had aluminum block with iron liners and the successor N52 had an Mg block with Alusil liners.

Any bore scoring stories with the M54 or S54?