BMW’s four-cylinder B48 engine doesn’t always share the spotlight its big brother, the B58 inline-six, enjoys. Despite noteworthy reliability and efficiency – largely shared with the bigger engine – the B48 often goes overlooked. That’s a tragedy, since it powers some absolute gems inside and outside the immediate BMW lineup. Talk about the little 2.0-liter that could.
MINI John Cooper Works GP (JCW GP)
It’s a familiar feeling. You read those three words, and your heart starts to flutter. Immediately after reading “John Cooper Works,” you know you’re looking at a Mini with big performance potential. When Mini’s performance division breathed upon the F56 chassis Cooper, they also threw in the highest-performing B48 engine they could find. Here, the 2.0-liter mill makes 301 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Notably, it made more on a dyno. MINI claimed the crazy Cooper completes the zero-to-60 dash in just 4.7 seconds.
The F56 JCW GP touted a ton of extra gear that made it an even better driver’s car than the regular Cooper of the day. Bigger wheels and brakes, a litany of weight saving initiatives including a rear seat delete and removed insulation, and absurd carbon fiber fender flares made the car live up to its badging.
BMW G20 330i
It’s a staple of the BMW lineup and still one of the best cars you can buy today, full stop. The G20 3 Series is the latest 3 Series to rely on the B48 engine. These days the B48 makes 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque in the G20 330i. Low peak torque – 1600 rpm – ensures the 330i always feels as fleet-footed as possible. The B48 touts a great mid-range, too – all 255 ponies are available at just 4,700 rpm.
While the 330i’s performance metrics fall flat compared to the B58-powered M340i models, it isn’t too bad when you look at the specs in a vacuum. BMW says xDrive models accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, and independent testing has inched that time down even further.
Morgan Plus Four
The only way to get into a “new” B48-powered car with a manual, the Morgan Plus Four is the connoisseur’s pick. Touting old-timey bodywork – a look that weighs only 2,233 pounds – and relying on a 2.0-liter B48 tuned to deliver 255 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque (295 with automatic-equipped models) means the little guy seriously scoots. Morgan claims zero to 60 mph takes just 4.8 seconds on the way to a 149-mph top speed (if you dare).
Although the Plus Four has been around in one way or another since 1950 – which the car’s body work certainly brings to the forefront – the “latest” redesign occurred in just 2024. You may – but probably won’t – notice such incremental improvements over the outgoing model as a headlight that is one inch larger in diameter, a new typeface for the badge, and new wing mirror housings. That’s okay – no one accused the Morgan Plus Four of being too modern. It’s one of the most unique ways to drive the B48.
BMW Z4 sDrive30i and Toyota Supra
The B48 sure shows up in some great cars, doesn’t it? Sadly, Toyota dropped the 2.0-liter for 2025, and it wasn’t available with a manual. But the BMW-designed coupe – and its drop-top properly-badged brother, the Z4 – still provides exceptional performance. In both the Z4 and the Supra, the B48 engine develops 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.
Most already know, but the Z4 and Supra are mechanically identical, sharing almost everything aside from their sheet metal and badging. They’re even produced in the same factory in Graz, Austria. The 2.0 Toyota dashed from zero to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds, but BMW claims the Z4 sDrive30i needs 5.2 seconds – likely as it weighs roughly 300 pounds more.
BMW G42 230i
The 230i is one of the most enjoyable BMWs to drive on sale today, even if it doesn’t come with a manual transmission. The B48 is a peach here as it is elsewhere, making a familiar 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and pairing with xDrive all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive for a more traditional driving experience. While not as sprightly as the Z4 or Supra – or, obviously, the Morgan, which it offers distinct advantages over in other arenas – it’s still plenty tossable. Plus, BMW estimates a zero to 60 mph time at a respectable 5.3 seconds for xDrive models.
The 230i is a great middle ground between the G20 3 Series and the two-seater twins. A backseat makes it eminently practical by comparison to the Z4 and Supra, but it still trims a little length and weight relative to the 3 Series. And of course, with the delightful little B48 purring away under the hood, power is just a squeeze of the throttle away.
