Awhile back, we made a bold claim that the B58 engine was the best overall internal combustion engine in BMW’s history. As great as many BMW engines have been in the past, we said that the B58’s combination of traits; power, performance, refinement, durability, and tuning potential made it the most well-rounded BMW engine ever. This new video from Driven Media takes it a step further, comparing it to Toyota’s legendary 2JZ.
It’s ironic that the BMW B58 would be compared to the Toyota 2JZ, as the latter was famously used in the Mk4 Toyota Supra, a car whose successor is now co-built by BMW and uses a B58 engine. However, it’s more than just irony that brings them together. The two engines are actually quite similar.
Both are 3.0 liter turbocharged straight-six engines, both can be tuned to make incredible power without upgrading any main internal components, and both are surprisingly durable; you can beat both engines up on track and they handle it with ease.
The similarities go a bit deeper, too. One of the reasons why the BMW B58 engine is so durable, even after heavy tuning, is its bottom end. The B58’s crankcase and crankshaft are immensely durable and one of the reasons why is it has a crank girdle — essentially a massive brace that mounts to the bottom of the crank assembly. What other engine had that? You guessed it, the Toyota 2JZ. Both engines also spray oil onto the bottom of the pistons to cool them.
Toyota’s 2JZ is a legendary engine, one that’s been tuned to make absurd power over and over again and used in countless engine swap builds. It’s about as durable an engine as they come, while also being superb to use and easily tunable. The BMW B58 hasn’t been on sale long enough to truly be called as legendary as the 2JZ but it certainly has potential. Taking it one step further, BMW’s B58 engine is sort of like today’s 2JZ. It even powers a Supra.
