Why BMW's B58 Is a True Successor to the Toyota 2JZ
I remember being fairly skeptical when first hearing the
MkV Toyota Supra
would use a BMW straight-six. Obviously, BMW was the keeper of the straight-six flame when other automakers embraced V-6s, but in supplying Toyota, its turbo 'six would have big shoes to fill. The MkIV Supra's 2JZ twin-turbo engine is legendary for its durability, with tuners regularly getting 1,000 horsepower.
But over the years, I learned an important lesson—never count out
Bayerische Motoren Werke
when it comes to matters of, uh, motors. The B58 3.0-liter single-turbo straight-six in the Supra and so many other BMW models is a legend in its own time. A more than worthy successor to the 2JZ, and one of the best engines on sale today.
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"There are tuners that are making 700-plus horsepower on stock engines, maybe with some camshafts, turbo upgrade, a tune and some stuff, with stock rods and pistons," says Papadakis Racing founder Stephan Papadakis, who builds 1,000-hp B58s for Formula Drift. "They definitely overbuilt the engine."
It's the same deal with the 2JZ. This was a product of Japan's bubble era, where automakers like Toyota had so much extra cash on hand that they went straight into development. And this was Toyota, a company that did (and does) reliability like no one else.
The 2JZ's iron block is, in the truest sense of the word, a lump, ready to handle whatever amount of boost you want to throw at it. It also has a super-strong three-piece head gasket, a forged steel crank, and a girdle bolted to the block to improve rigidity. In many ways, it's a lot more like a diesel truck engine than a gas car engine.
Photo by: BMW
The B58's aluminum block looks almost wispy in comparison to the 2JZ's, but looks can be deceiving. 'It's very elegantly designed,' Papadakis says. The difference between the bottom of a 2JZ and a B58 reflects decades of progress in the auto industry. Toyota developed the 2JZ in the 1980s, when computer-aided design (CAD) was still in its infancy.
Papadakis points out that CAD is so advanced now, and along with tools like finite element analysis (FEA), and better metallurgy helps in creating components that are ultra-weight-optimized, but still incredibly strong. Which is why the B58's block looks almost shrink-wrapped by comparison to the 2JZ's, yet it also has the strength to support 1,000-hp builds.
Like so many automakers, BMW worked a lot of modularity into the B58. It's closely related to the B38 three-cylinder and B48 four-cylinder used extensively in the BMW and Mini lineup, but it also has a lot in common with B57 diesel six-cylinder, an engine designed for compression ratios of up to 16.5:1. The basic castings of the B57 and B58 block are the same, and both share a 'closed-deck' construction, where the openings for the coolant passages around the cylinders are largely closed off.
In a technical training manual for the B58, BMW says a closed-deck design 'is mainly reserved for BMW diesel engines. Due to the high combustion pressures in the diesel engine, a greater degree of rigidity is required in order that the forces can be safely absorbed.' But because the basic casting of the B58 is the same as the B57, it benefits from the closed-deck construction, too. The 2JZ also used a closed-deck design for strength. Both B57 and B58 use a similar forged steel crankshaft, and also of note, the B58 gets forged connecting rods too.
Sharing components between diesel and gas engines is a win-win-win for BMW. It saves costs, reduces manufacturing complexity, but also makes for a much stronger gas engine. And that's why, like with the 2JZ, you see tuners pushing monster outputs on B58s.
Photo by: BMW
The B58 has a good head on its shoulders, too. Like a lot of modern BMW engines, the B58 uses Valvetronic, BMW's unique infinitely variable intake valve-lift system, paired with Double VANOS variable valve timing.
Valvetronic uses an electric motor to rotate an eccentric shaft, which, via rocker arms, changes intake valve lift. What's very clever—though not unique to the B58—is that Valvetronic allows so much variability in lift, it allows the intake valves to function as the engine's throttle. BMWs with Valvetronic have a traditional throttle body, but it mostly stays wide open—when you put your foot down, you're actually controlling the Valvetronic system.
Papadakis was skeptical of the system at first, with some of the components appearing fragile. "We looked at that and we're like 'Oh man, this looks like it's going to be very RPM limited. Should we figure out a way to remove it?'" But it ended up working fine. In fact, Valvetronic has proven to be 'extremely reliable' up to 9,000 rpm, Papadakis says. For his Formula Drift engines, Papadakis uses billet camshafts from Kelford Cams and stronger valve springs and retainers from Supertech. That's all you really need for a bulletproof head on a 1,000-hp B58 build.
The engine builder also highlights the stock oiling system. It's a traditional wet sump with a variable-displacement pump, which essentially gives you oil volume on demand. Papadakis says it's another stock component good for a season of 9,000-rpm drift runs. He does change a number of components for reliability at the horsepower levels a Formula Drift car needs. There's the aforementioned cams and valve springs, plus pistons, a larger turbo, and a custom exhaust manifold, and port instead of the standard direct fuel injection. Plus, new engine management.
BMW has also updated the B58 in the 10 years it's been in production. In 2018, BMW introduced a "Technical Update" with revised fueling and cooling systems, plus an exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head, and a simpler timing system. This helped boost power while reducing emissions.
Photo by: BMW
The second update, which came in 2022, went even further. BMW adopted a dual-fuel injection system with both direct and port injection, and implemented a new electric actuation for the VANOS system. The Valvetronic system also got major updates, and BMW standardized a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. I recently had a chance to drive this engine in the X3 M50, and performance improvements are immediately noticeable. And it delivered much better fuel economy than its predecessor.
BMW told
Motor1
, "[the] focus in the latest [B58] was to meet as many global requirements as possible with as few technical variants as possible. Still: you can also expect performance enhancements in the future of this engine. Stay tuned."
Papadakis believes that the B58 is a true successor to the 2JZ. It's also a very interesting way to show how much engines have evolved in the last 30-some-odd years. The B58 does basically everything a 2JZ does, but in a smaller, lighter, more efficient package, while also conforming to increasingly strict and distinct regulations around the globe.
The moral of the story? Don't count BMW out. Not when it comes to straight sixes.
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