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Three Cylinder Engine - 2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited October 2014 in MINI
imageThree Cylinder Engine - 2014 Mini Cooper Hardtop Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds conducts a long-term test of a 2014 Mini Cooper and we share our impressions of its three-cylinder turbocharged engine.

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  • bishopxbishopx Member Posts: 3
    Because its a twin scroll turbo.
  • stangmatt66stangmatt66 Member Posts: 16
    In BMW-speak, TwinPower = "innovative" turbocharging + DoubleVanos technology. It's a bad name when most people associate "twin" with twin-turbochargers, which many BMW engines no longer have. That being said, other automakers also have trademarked names for this stuff (Ford's EcoBoost).
  • darexdarex Member Posts: 187
    edited October 2014
    Funny. I, and most other reviewers, like the sound this engine emits. It's artificial/synthesized, however.

    As for the A.S.S. system, mine's deactivated. It's too rough, but worse still, it's flawed. I may try it again once there's a software patch available in December, but it's cause stalling too many times, in scary ways (I have a manual). Since turning it off, I have had zero stalling issues, and life with this car has been easy-breezy.
  • throwbackthrowback Member Posts: 445
    because they are trying to down play the 3 cylinder engine, and imply it has a four.
  • jkavanaghjkavanagh Member Posts: 26
    @bishopx, it is not a twin-scroll turbo. Remember, 3-cylinder.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited October 2014
    There's nothing like the older supercharged MINIs--they punch right through the redline, have good low-end grunt and sound terrific when the SC winds up. Downside? Not all that great MPG (about 25 mpg if your foot is in it) and premium fuel required. I might buy a new MINI once my old one is worn out. Time for a test drive?

    As for "twin power"---clever marketing. Actually real twin-turbos are best suited to V engines, and IMO, to engines with higher displacement.
  • s197gts197gt Member Posts: 486
    ????

    "Both engines share technology with the rest of the BMW turbocharged engine family. TwinPower turbo technology is BMW-speak for a single, twin-scroll turbocharger.

    Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/future/future_vehicles/1309_2015_mini_cooper_s_motors_see_upgrades/#ixzz3Fg1bJaBP
    jkavanagh said:

    @bishopx, it is not a twin-scroll turbo. Remember, 3-cylinder.

  • cobrysoncobryson Member Posts: 110
    @jkavanagh what the heck does it being a three-cylinder have to do with it being a twin-scroll turbo? not twin-turbo, twin-scroll...they're different. See "turbocharging" here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_BMW_engines#Technologies_in_modern_engines
  • jkavanaghjkavanagh Member Posts: 26
    @s197gt, Motor Trend is mistaken. The twin scroll turbo is only on Mini's four-cyl engine. The three-cyl uses a single-scroll turbo.

    Which, if you think about it, makes sense -- twin-scroll turbos and three-cyl engines are essentially incompatible.
  • bankerdannybankerdanny Member Posts: 1,021
    @cobryson: unless you understand that the car has a twin scroll turbo (if it in fact does), and what that actually means, just seeing Twin Power on the valve cover would indicate to me two turbos.
  • cobrysoncobryson Member Posts: 110
    Fair points by all, and I guess I'll admit my lack of knowledge here then-why are twin-scroll turbos virtually incompatible? That was really my initial question...

    Upon further research, I think I see the answer now, so I apologize. The uneven # of cylinders results in the inability to evenly split exhaust gases into separate scrolls-is that correct?
  • s197gts197gt Member Posts: 486
    you sir, are CORRECT!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_B38

    "The BMW B38 is a DOHC 1.5 litre 3 cylinder petrol engine with a mono-scroll turbocharger and an 11:1 compression ratio. It is the first use of BMW's modular engine strategy all using the same 500cc cylinders."
    jkavanagh said:

    @s197gt, Motor Trend is mistaken. The twin scroll turbo is only on Mini's four-cyl engine. The three-cyl uses a single-scroll turbo.

    Which, if you think about it, makes sense -- twin-scroll turbos and three-cyl engines are essentially incompatible.

  • agentorangeagentorange Member Posts: 893
    Twinpower Turbo sounds like something Honda should have put on the CX500 Turbo back in the day.
  • allthingshondaallthingshonda Member Posts: 878
    edited October 2014
    Twinpower is the marketing term BMW uses for their turbocharged engines I don't think it has nothing to with the design of the turbo or how many turbos are present. Confusing.

    A comparison of the BMW turbo 3 and Ford's turbo 3 would be very interesting. Ford, surprisingly, has gotten very good at making turbocharged engines.
  • darexdarex Member Posts: 187
    s197gt said:

    you sir, are CORRECT!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_B38

    "The BMW B38 is a DOHC 1.5 litre 3 cylinder petrol engine with a mono-scroll turbocharger and an 11:1 compression ratio. It is the first use of BMW's modular engine strategy all using the same 500cc cylinders."

    This makes the 3-cylinders absolute lack of any turbo-lag whatsoever, all the more remarkable!
  • jkavanaghjkavanagh Member Posts: 26
    @darex, 3-cyl engines are actually really well suited for turbocharging. The three cylinders have complete pulse separation, unlike a 4-cyl engine. As a result the turbine sees strong exhaust pulse energy and there is no impact on the scavenging of other cylinders. So, less lag and better engine performance.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Nissan entered a 3 cylinder turbo producing 400 HP at Lemans, in a non-competing category.

    So this 3 cylinder technology is marching.
  • tigertimtigertim Member Posts: 1
    Mine keeps stalling at slow speeds in traffic if you don't make sure your in first gear which is odd as all the torque is at the lower end. There are quite a few now needing new cylinder heads as they are leaking oil into the manifold and producing volumes of blue smoke on start up
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