There’s one in the Bimmer. Horaitu’s article scratches the “comprehensive” surface. I have to admit falling into the M57 purely by chance. We needed another car after the girls started driving. Perusing Car-and-Driver one day, I happened across a gushing review of the then new 6-pot diesel BMW had recently foisted upon an un-suspecting driving public here in the USA. Found a good used example down in Castle Rock, initially appalled and eventually amazed after finishing up the roadworthy mods it needed, because BMW nearly choked it to death with emissions controls.
I’ve become more-or-less familiar with a few engines over the years, certainly nothing near a representative cross-section of what all’s available. But there’s a feel for the moving parts and clatter emanating from one of these things, regardless of who designed it. The M57 exudes the most buttery smooth quiet (for a diesel!) mechanical serenade I’ve ever come across, with unparalleled efficiency and power wholly uncharacteristic of an oil-burner. Properly tuned sans emissions equipment, the car runs 42MPG at 70MPH nominal, pumping out around 600 foot-pounds of torque with zero twin-turbo lag – a true wolf in sheep’s clothing. Best part: After tooling around down in Texas for a week last month, clocking 160k miles now, feels like it’ll probably outlast me, at this point.
