BMW M10

BMW M10 engine
Overview
Production1962–1988
Layout
ConfigurationInline-4
Displacement
  • 1.5 L (1,499 cc)
  • 1.6 L (1,573 cc)
  • 1.8 L (1,766 cc)
  • 1.8 L (1,773 cc)
  • 2.0 L (1,990 cc)
Cylinder bore82 mm (3.23 in)
84 mm (3.31 in)
89 mm (3.5 in)
Piston stroke71 mm (2.8 in)
80 mm (3.15 in)
Cylinder block materialCast iron
Cylinder head materialAluminum
ValvetrainSOHC
Combustion
Fuel systemSolex carburetor
Stromberg carburettor
Kugelfischer mechanical FI
Bosch Jetronic manifold injection
Fuel typePetrol
Chronology
PredecessorNone
SuccessorBMW M40

The BMW M10 is an SOHC inline-4 gasoline engine that was produced by BMW from February of 1962 to July of 1988. It was BMW's first four-cylinder engine since the BMW 309 ended production in 1936 and was introduced in the New Class sedans.

The M10 was used in many lower-end BMW models during the 1960s throughout the 1980s, with over 3.5 million engines being produced during its 26 year production run.

The turbocharged BMW M12 engine— used in the Formula One racing— was based on the M10 engine block and produced up to 1,400 PS (1,030 kW) in qualifying trim.[citation needed]

BMW began phasing out the M10 in 1987 with the introduction of the M40 engine, with the final carbureted E30 316's still using the M10 being produced in July of 1988 .

Development

Baron Alex von Falkenhausen, an engineer and race car driver, designed the M10 in the late 1950s. He was asked by BMW to design an engine with a displacement of 1.3 L (79 cu in), but felt that a displacement of 1.3 L would be insufficient for the company's future needs. He convinced BMW management that the minimum displacement should be 1.5 L (92 cu in), and offered an engine design that could be expanded to a maximum displacement of 2.0 L (122 cu in).

BMW debuted the M10 in 1.5 L format inside the BMW 1500 in September of 1961 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, and began production for the consumer market in February of 1962.

Design

The M10 has a cast iron cylinder block and an aluminum alloy cylinder head with hemispherical combustion chambers and two valves per cylinder. The cylinder block is a closed-deck design with siamesed cylinder bores. The cylinder head is a cross-flow design with manually-adjustable rocker arms. It features a forged crankshaft, counterbalance weights, five main bearings and a chain-driven camshaft. The engine is canted sideways at 30 degrees to reduce the vehicle's overall center of gravity.

The initial version of the M10 had a bore of 82 mm (3.2 in) and a stroke of 71 mm (2.8 in), resulting in a displacement of 1,499 cc (91.5 cu in). The peak power rating was 59 kW (80 PS; 79 hp).

Naming conventions

The engine was initially known as the "M115" (the last two digits representing the 1.5 L displacement). Over the years, variants of the engine were given various codes (most of them starting with "M1" and the remaining digits relating to the displacement). In 1975, the engine became known as the "M10", then in 1980 it was given the standardised BMW engine code of M10B18 (where "M10" represents the series, B represents gasoline (Benzin in German) and the "18" represented its then 1.8 L displacement).

The M115 and all related engines have become retroactively known as the "M10" family.

Variants

VariantDisplacementPowerTorque Compression Ratio Fuel Delivery Applications
M115 1,499 cc (91.5 cu in) 59 kW (80 PS; 79 hp)
at 5700 rpm		118 N⋅m (87 lb⋅ft)
at 3000 rpm		 8.8:1 Solex 38 PDSI carburetor 1962-1964 1500
M1161,573 cc (96.0 cu in)61 kW (83 PS; 82 hp)
at 5500 rpm		130 N⋅m (96 lb⋅ft)
at 3500 rpm		 8.6:1 Solex 36 PDSI carburetor 1964-1966 1600

1966-1975 1600-2

77 kW (105 PS; 103 hp)
at 6000 rpm		141 N⋅m (104 lb⋅ft)
at 4500 rpm		 9.5:1 2x Solex 40 PHH carburetor 1967-1968 1600ti
M4166 kW (90 PS; 89 hp)
at 6000 rpm		167 N⋅m (123 lb⋅ft)
at 4000 rpm		 8.3:1 Solex 32/32 DIDTA carburetor 1975-1980 E21 316
M9855 kW (75 PS; 74 hp)
at 5800 rpm		110 N⋅m (81 lb⋅ft)
at 3200 rpm		 9.5:1 Pierburg 1B2 carburetor 1981-1983 E21 315
M42 1,766 cc (107.8 cu in) 66 kW (90 PS; 89 hp)
at 5500 rpm		 142 N⋅m (105 lb⋅ft)
at 3500 rpm		 8.3:1 Solex 32/32 DIDTA 1976-1980 E12 518
72 kW (98 PS; 97 hp)
at 5800 rpm		 142 N⋅m (105 lb⋅ft)
at 4000 rpm		 1975-1980 E21 318
M118 short stroke 66 kW (90 PS; 89 hp)
at 5250 rpm		 146 N⋅m (108 lb⋅ft)
at 3000 rpm		 8.6:1 Solex 38 PDSI carburetor 1971-1975 1802
M92 77 kW (105 PS; 103 hp)
at 5800 rpm		145 N⋅m (107 lb⋅ft)
at 4500 rpm		 10.0:1 Bosch K-Jetronic 1980-1983 E21 318i

1982-1987 E28 518i

M10B18 75 kW (102 PS; 101 hp)
at 5800 rpm		 135 N⋅m (100 lb⋅ft)
at 4500 rpm		 8.8:1 Bosch K-Jetronic with Lambda 1980-1983 E21 320i (US-spec)
M1181,773 cc (108.2 cu in)66 kW (90 PS; 89 hp)
at 5,250 rpm		144 N⋅m (106 lb⋅ft)
at 3000 rpm		 8.6:1 Solex 36 PDSI carburetor 1963-1968 1800
81 kW (110 PS; 108 hp)
at 5800 rpm		148 N⋅m (109 lb⋅ft)
at 4000 rpm		 9.5:1 2x Solex 40 PHH carburetor 1964-1968 1800ti
96 kW (130 PS; 128 hp)
at 6100 rpm		157 N⋅m (116 lb⋅ft)
at 5100 rpm		 10.5:1 2x Weber 45DCOE carburetor 1800tiSA
M051,990 cc (121.4 cu in)74 kW (100 PS; 99 hp)
at 5500 rpm		157 N⋅m (116 lb⋅ft)
at 3000 rpm		 8.5:1 Solex 40 PDSI carburetor (manual)

Solex 32/32 DIDTA carburetor (automatic)

 1966-1972 2000

1966-1970 2000C

1968-1976 2002

88 kW (120 PS; 118 hp)
at 5600 rpm		167 N⋅m (123 lb⋅ft)
at 3500 rpm		 9.3:1 2x Solex PHH carburetor 1965-1970 2000CS

1966-1971 2000ti

M1596 kW (130 PS; 128 hp)
at 5800 rpm		177 N⋅m (131 lb⋅ft)
at 4500 rpm		 9.5:1 Kugelfischer PL-04 mechanical fuel injection 1972-1974 2002tii
M1785 kW (115 PS; 113 hp)
at 5800 rpm		165 N⋅m (122 lb⋅ft)
at 3700 rpm		 9.0:1 Stromberg 175 COET

carburetor

1972-1977 E12 520
M43/180 kW (109 PS; 107 hp)
at 5800 rpm		160 N⋅m (118 lb⋅ft)
at 3700 rpm		 8.1:1 Solex 32/32 DIDTA carburetor 1975-1979 E21 320
M6492 kW (125 PS; 123 hp)
at 5700 rpm		175 N⋅m (129 lb⋅ft)
at 4350 rpm		 9.3:1 Bosch K-Jetronic continuous injection system 1975-1979 E21 320i (euro-spec)

1975-1979 E12 520i

M10B2081 kW (110 PS; 109 hp)
at 5700 rpm		152 N⋅m (112 lb⋅ft)
at 4350 rpm		 8.8:1 Bosch K-Jetronic continuous injection system 1977-1979 E21 320i (US-spec)
M311,990 cc (121.4 cu in)
turbo		125 kW (170 PS; 168 hp)
at 5800 rpm		245 N⋅m (181 lb⋅ft)
at 4000 rpm		 6.9:1 Kugelfischer PL-04 mechanical fuel injection

and KKK BLD turbocharacter @ 7 psi

 1973-1975 2002 turbo

1499 cc engines

The M115 version has a displacement of 1,499 cc (91.5 cu in) and produces 55–60 kW (75–82 PS; 74–80 hp). It has a bore of 82 mm (3.2 in) and a stroke of 71 mm (2.8 in). Lower power models have a compression ratio of 8.0:1, while higher power models have a compressions ratio of 8.8:1. Fuel is supplied via a Solex 38 PDSI carburettor.

Applications:

1573 cc engines

The M116 version has a displacement of 1,573 cc (96.0 cu in) and produces 63–77 kW (86–105 PS; 84–103 hp). It has a bore of 84 mm (3.3 in) and a stroke of 71 mm (2.8 in). The standard specification has a compression ratio of 8.6:1 and uses a Solex 38 PDSI carburettor. The 1600 ti version has a compression ratio of 9.5:1 and uses twin Solex 40 PHH carburettors.

Applications:

The M41 version produces 66 kW (90 PS; 89 hp), has an 8.3:1 compression ratio and fuel is supplied by a Solex 32 DIDTA carburettor.

Applications:

The M98 version produces 55 kW (75 PS; 74 hp), has a compression ratio of 9.5:1 and uses a Pierburg 1B2 carburettor.

Applications:

1766 cc engines

The M10B18 version has a displacement of 1,766 cc (107.8 cu in) and produces 66–77 kW (90–105 PS; 89–104 hp), depending on specification. The bore is 89 mm (3.5 in) and the stroke is 71 mm (2.8 in).

Applications:

1773 cc engines

The M118 version has a displacement of 1,773 cc (108.2 cu in) and produces 66–96 kW (90–130 PS; 89–128 hp), depending on specification. The bore is 84 mm (3.3 in) and the stroke is 80 mm (3.1 in).

Applications:

1990 cc engines

The M05 version has a displacement of 1,990 cc (121.4 cu in) and produces 74–88 kW (100–120 PS; 99–118 hp), depending on specification. It has a bore of 89 mm (3.5 in) and a stroke of 80 mm (3.1 in).

Applications:

The M15 version used the Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection and produced 96 kW (130 PS; 128 hp). It was also known as the tii engine.

Applications:

The M17 version produces 85 kW (115 PS). It has compression ratio of 9.0:1 and uses either a Stromberg 175 CDET or a Solex 4A1 carburettor.[citation needed]

Applications:

The M43/1 version has a compression ratio of 8.1:1 and produces 81 kW (110 PS; 109 hp).

Applications:

The M64 version produces 92 kW (125 PS). It has a compression ratio of 9.3:1 and uses Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection.

Applications:

The M31 version uses a KKK BLD turbocharger operating @ 7psi and produces 125 kW (170 PS). It has a compression ratio of 6.9:1 and uses Schafer PL 04 mechanical fuel injection.

Applications:

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "BMW World - M10 Engine". www.usautoparts.net. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012.
  2. ↑ "BMW 316 Production Numbers — E30 — RealOEM.com". www.realoem.com. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
  3. ↑ "BMW 1500 Production Numbers — NK — RealOEM.com". www.realoem.com. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
  4. ↑ "M10 - E30 Zone Wiki". www.e30zone.net. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "BMW M10 Four Cylinder Engines". www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  6. ↑ Zal, Pawel (ed.). "1963 BMW 1500 (for Europe North America ) specs review". Automobile Catalog.[permanent dead link]
  7. ↑ Everett, Andrew (1 May 2016). "The inner working of the long lived BMW M-10 Engine". Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "BMW M115 automotive engine". BMW Group Archive.
  9. ↑ "BMW M116 automotive engine (83 hp)". BMW Group Archive.
  10. ↑ "BMW M41 car engine". BMW Group Archive.
  11. ↑ "BMW M98 automotive engine". BMW Group Archive.
  12. ↑ "BMW M42 car engine (90 hp)". BMW Group Archive.
  13. ↑ "BMW M42 car engine (98 hp)". BMW Group Archive.
  14. ↑ "BMW M92 automotive engine". BMW Group Archive.
  15. 1 2 "The U.S. E21 320i & 320iS". BMWE21.net - Jeroen's BMW E21 Network. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
  16. ↑ "BMW M118 automotive engine (90 hp)". BMW Group Archive.
  17. ↑ "BMW M118 car engine (110 hp)". BMW Group Archive.
  18. ↑ "BMW M118 automotive engine (130 hp)". BMW Group Archive.
  19. ↑ "BMW M05 automotive engine (100 hp)". BMW Group Archive.
  20. ↑ "BMW M05 automotive engine (120 hp)". BMW Group Archive.
  21. ↑ "BMW M15 automotive engine". BMW Group Archive.
  22. ↑ "BMW M17 automotive engine". BMW Group Archive.
  23. ↑ "BMW M43/1 car engine". BMW Group Archive.
  24. ↑ "BMW M64 car engine". BMW Group Archive.
  25. ↑ "BMW M31 car engine". BMW Group Archive.
  26. ↑ "1961 BMW New Class 1500 Specs". www.ultimatespecs.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  27. ↑ "1975 BMW Type 114 1502 Specs". www.ultimatespecs.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  28. ↑ "1981 BMW E21 3 Series 315 Specs". www.ultimatespecs.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  29. ↑ "1962 BMW 1800 specifications, information, data, photos". www.carfolio.com. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  30. ↑ "BMW M99 Automobilmotor". BMW Group Archiv (in German). Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  31. ↑ "3 Series – E30". BMW History. Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2012-11-07.