Legendary Motor Matchup #8
Every Tuesday for 10 weeks, starting March 3, 2020, we will present one head-to-head challenge. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to cast your vote on each matchup. The results will tally on the Top 10 Legendary Motors page every week.
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APRIL 22–27
For this head to head, we have chosen another straight six shoot out. Why not, we say—the Inline six configuration design has long been revered for its bottom-end torque and smooth operation.
BMW
M88 3.5 Inline
Produced from 1978–1989, the M88 was the very first M engine BMW produced—the grandaddy of M motors. It made its debut in the exotic, super rare M1 sports car that only saw three years of production from 1978–1981. It produced 268 hp at 6,500 rpm and 243 lb/ft at 5,500 rpm. That may not sound like a lot by today's measure, but considering that it was developed in 1978, those "able" numbers licked most v8s of its time.
After the M1, the M88 was carried over to the first M6, a sleek, luxurious German muscle car that could corner and crest the 150 mph barrier with ease. And then, in 1985, it was squeezed into the iconic E28 M5, at the time the best performing sedan in the world.
One aspect of BMWs that is often overlooked is the incredible quality of engines that BMW has produced. We could easily add five more to this list. The M88 3.5 litre is not only one of the most legendary inline-six of all time, but could it be one of the most significant engines of all time? Let us see what the Brits have to say about that.
Jaguar
XK6 inline
It's a testament to the design of the XK motor that it was last fitted to a production car some 39 years after its debut. In production from 1949 until 1992, it came in various displacements ranging from 3.4 litres to 4.2 litres powering C-Types, D-Types, the XKSS, the XK120, XK140, XK150 and many others including the E-Type, touted by Enzo Ferrari himself as the most beautiful car ever made.
Equally beautiful, the motor came with long and lean rocker covers, a robust cast-iron block and a seven-bearing crankshaft. Developed during the Second World War by William Lyons and his small team, the XK was Jaguar's first authentic in-house design. Featuring advanced features such as a twin overhead camshaft and hemispherical combustion chambers, the XK unit was among the most high-tech power plants of its day.
Although it powered sedans, wagons and even hearses, Jaguar's iconic XK6 inline six-cylinder engine made its performance bones under the hood of the brand's legendary sports cars of the 1950s and 1960s. The XK would debut in the XK120 Super Sports in 1948, making it the fastest production car in the world. In this initial 3.4 litre guise, the XK was rated at 160 bhp and offered 195 lb/ft of torque.
Oh yeah, and it also won Le Mans. Three times in a row.
1956. 1957. 1958. Yeah, this is a bonafide MOONRCKT.