Can 4 of a Kind Beat a Straight 6? BMW’s N20 Enters the Chat

►BMW has had plenty of time in the spotlight; celebrated for its engine offerings and sublime chassis balance. But what if certain models don't get as much credit as what's due? The S54s, S65s, and S85s are beloved by all for their power and sound, but their seldom-seen characteristics overshadow the backbone of the sports sedan: the humble, turbocharged inline-four.
Cue our F30 328i and its N20 engine. You can't talk about BMWs these days without hearing that they're not what they used to be, and the F30 is a driving force behind those sentiments. Those cries are cheap answers to a complex discussion, and FCP Euro's BMW faithful were tired of hearing it.
To show just how good a modern "base" model 3-series can still be, we decided to buy a rwd base 328i for ourselves, and with the help of our full BMW catalog, and some special partners to help us along the way - our team set out to assemble the ultimate four-cylinder F30
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00:00 What makes the Ultimate Driving Machine?
00:44 F30 328i and BMW's 4 cylinder motorsport heritage
02:04 BMW's 4 cylinder history in both street cars and motorsport
03:38 BMW 2002 variants
04:00 BMW E30 M3 and 318is
04:23 BMW's IS badging
05:04 BMW E90 320si WTCC
05:26 BMW F30 328i 4 cylinder N20
05:50 Comparing the F30 328i to it's 4 cylinder predecessors
06:17 F30 328i common issues
06:43 We bought an F30 328i
07:20 Introducing our F30 328i project car and our plans for it
08:35 A preview of all the parts we're installing on our F30 328i

[@fcpeuro-media]

Learn More About Our 328si Build: info.fcpeuro.com/328si

[@stuffandjunkandthings364]

love it. big fan of using cars that the community sees as disposable, and doing something cool with them.

[@fcpeuro-media]

Hard to root against an underdog!

[@code54crunchy50]

The n20/n26 is so slept on X drive car fbo can hurt feelings from a dig

[@SmokeySingh101]

Having come from the small N20 community i loved working on the N20 during rhe first 2020 summer lockdown i had so much fun being off work ordering parts ans installing on my 125i and spoke to good people on the N20 groups in the process

[@8vfury]

Having had the pleasure of driving this car, it is an absolute riot, and legitimately difficult not to drive it like an absolute goon.

[@NeeKoLah]

Very good video man! Even just a few minutes in, I can appreciate and compliment the content, editing, information presentation and everything. First time encountering your channel, but will be on the lookout

[@JohnnyDaines]

Awesome video guys, that’s a lot of work to get together the cars and shoot them and give the historical perspective on the four cylinders. I’m very excited for the series.

[@fcpeuro-media]

It wasn't easy to source em' all but lucky for us our customers and community always come through when we need it! New episodes every Sunday!

[@brianfilko]

Awesome video, I’m ready for this series!

[@fcpeuro-media]

Glad you dig it - new Episodes drop Sunday!

[@vira4032]

Awesome just did a full refresh of my 328i. Love this car. Wish this video would have come earlier but FCPeuro was definitely a big help in getting the knowledge and parts to do the job. Including timing chain replacement

[@DirtBikeSessions]

Awesome…looking forward to all the content 😎

[@JMO237]

Super pumped for this build G!

[@fcpeuro-media]

We're pumped you're pumped!

[@ngwanaoshiwa]

Drop those episodes quickly

[@fcpeuro-media]

Every Sunday! Unless that's not quickly enough....🤔🤔

[@ngwanaoshiwa]

That’s perfect

[@034motorsport]

Excited to be a part of this project!

[@maziarzarea2540]

FBO n20 was my first modern bmw. Extremely reliable after the timing chain replacement from FCP. I got the car at 169k. The next owner is still enjoying it at 180k.

[@fauzansheikh4382]

Cant wait for a fcpeuro build on an n20. Great job guys. I personally am looking forward to this series. Take it to the next level guys, high hp, reliable n20. Build the motor!!!!

[@BigHumz155]

The N20 is pretty good, if not a slightly fragile engine on the timing side.. the B48 is what you want. Again, look at Vehicular DIY for his exploration into the N20/B48

[@fcpeuro-media]

We'd be lying if we didnt say we have a massive sweet spot for the B48... but that's for a later day 😅

[@user-ki8zf1rp1e]

Cool to see the F3X 328i getting some love. I love the performance and sound of both the B58 and N55 but with limited front tire clearance, you definitely feel a little bit of the weight over the front axle.

[@fcpeuro-media]

No spoilers... but this has been hands down everyones favorite car to drive here since we finished it 😶

[@hexagonosaurus5848]

X drive 28i A rwd 35/40i weighs less 😂

[@user-ki8zf1rp1e]

@@hexagonosaurus5848 lol the weight penalty from the xdrive is ridiculous. Nearly 300lbs somehow

[@fcpeuro-media]

@@user-ki8zf1rp1e that weight penalty is indeed obnoxious.

[@mommaduck79]

This is so cool. I was really looking forward to doing something similar and buying a 430i (b48 with lower compression ratio) to do a build with - but unfortunately here in the UK i can't yet get insured on it. However, I can get insured on the B48 420i - but i'm not sure if it's worth it or not. I don't know if there are other differences besides the higher compression ratio that might cause me problems, so not sure if i'd be making a bad investment. Any ideas?

[@OGDDAWG_951]

Had a stage 2 e30 n20 loved it

[@gwapo3927]

I just upgraded from my E9x 328 to a F30 328i looking forward to this

[@tylera5010]

Why did you steer away from the SULEV N26? Anything about this vs N20?

[@carbonfiberpizza5739]

Stage 2 N26 owner here, glad my 50/50 weight distribution is getting some love 🥰 Unfortunately gotta sell it since I’m moving to Japan but should be a lot of fun!

[@NOBODY-hj6qd]

What part of Japan are you moving to

[@Akac3sh]

good luck in the future !!

[@brianj6314]

OH MY GOSH FINALLYY I HAVE N N20 I need more n20 CONTENT

[@fcpeuro-media]

Lots of N20 incoming!

[@Akac3sh]

i miss my n20 so much. such a fun car.

[@justinp2993]

Congrats on finding a car, I have had similar thoughts about a 328i set up for handling with the added benefit of a 30+ MPG daily but finding a car that isn't already dead or too expensive because it is actually still running is proving to be difficult.

[@fcpeuro-media]

We honestly had a harder time than we expected finding anything within the base base spec that we were looking for. That said , they are out there!

[@rd2die1]

Well done FCP Euro! 💥💥💥 I think it's the perfect time for F30 to be used as a track car, especially given that you can't find a decent E90 let alone E46 anymore. Looking forward to seeing the full build!

[@fcpeuro-media]

We couldn't agree more - the time is now, these are about to be in their sweet spot, and in our opinion have been absolutely slept on!

[@codyrebelcb]

I own a 2012 N18 in a Mini R57. It's more closer to a Peugeot engine but is a BMW made. I wonder how much it shares in common with the N20. Both engines struggle with timing chain issues but I've been pretty impressed with the torque and sound of my N18. Truly a wonderful car and engine if taken care of.

[@OrlandoMGarcia]

I really wanted the new 2 series to had a 4cyl sports variant (call it 228 si/is/ti/tii) with the same engine of the 128ti and a few extras because while the 220i is more balanced than the m240 or M2, but is very porky for its power and the brakes are not sporty enought. Cool build you are getting yourself into, i just subbed to see your following updates.

[@fcpeuro-media]

Thanks for the Sub! New episodes on this series every Sunday, we don't think you'll be dissapointed.

[@sizla8837]

🎉😂❤Can't wait for the next episode, I have the N20 and this car has so much potential to be great.

[@fcpeuro-media]

We don't think you'll be dissapointed, new eps on Sunday!

[@sizla8837]

@@fcpeuro-media please also list down the parts for the project build once ready so we can also copy for our own.

[@DannysGarage]

These cars are getting quite cheap, and the manual ones aren't too hard to find, so I definitely see a second life for these as enthusiast cars once all the normies move on to newer stuff. Yeah they've got timing chain issues, but the tools and parts are readily available and it's fairly DIY-able if you've got a little bit of wrenching know-how. Turbos are super easy to swap too, I did one not too long ago on a customer car and I recall it being one of the easiest turbo replacements I've done. They have fuel tank leaking issues but the BMW TSB is replacing a lot of them for free, so in the future most of them will have new tanks. Beyond that, the F30 is an incredibly easy chassis to work on.

[@fcpeuro-media]

Just like you mentioned Danny - we've got the parts and DIYs for people to follow on those harder to tackle jobs on the N20 Like Timing Chain and Turbo. Once you get past some of those initial problem areas, the F30 as a platform becomes something super special.

[@Lesparta]

How would the N20 fare up against the B48? Interested to see the difference in potential between those engines. Very excited about the build series!

[@fcpeuro-media]

We are going to need to do a B48 vs N20 video 🤔

[@NavardiTuned]

If you guys need any assistance please let us know

[@fcpeuro-media]

Will do!

[@pasheyeswimmer]

arent these newer 4 inline engines from the PSA group?

[@jpsolares]

the 328 what rims have 17 or 18? nice video!! :)

[@nonenone2191]

Those are 18

[@jonathanhernandez6264]

Fbo big turbo n20 is a blast to drive with decent mpg

[@renzopancorvo]

Why didn’t you want a n26 to work with ? I didn’t get that ? Ps super interested in this build, especially after you gave some history 🤔

[@nonenone2191]

Most "problems" that N20 had were fixed on N26, and I'm not sure but N20 is more common than N26

[@quiksr20]

This video couldn't of come at a better time... ive really been on the fence about selling my car ( 2013 328i ) with a semi rare build Sport Package 6MT / RWD / Slick top with HK / HID ... It was either ( get rid of it as is running fine ). Or keep and redo suspension / chains and possibly a new turbo to get rid of that wastegate rattle.. This series might be what I needed to start doing some updates vs selling a perfectly looking car that I dont owe $1 on.

[@fcpeuro-media]

Hold onto it for a few more weeks at the very least.... let us show you the way, we promise this playbook will make you never want to sell yours - you've got a proper spec!

[@quiksr20]

@@fcpeuro-media Cant wait! Looking fwd to the build.

[@SupraSav]

The N20 was good for it's time. For me, I can't help but keep an eye on what the tuning scene is doing with the B48.

[@Caplax40]

I own arguably the least liked F30, a 328i Gran Turismo, and am greatly looking forward to this. I'd love to create a 328si GT, or 328i GTsi, however it would be described.

[@fcpeuro-media]

Oh ya you get allll the hate - excited to hear what you think with where this car ends up!

[@Caplax40]

@@fcpeuro-media Thanks, I'll own it, both literally and figuratively.

[@immortal4942]

i used to own a 2014 328xi. it was such a little fun car, dyno tuned the engine and transmission myself. you could even disable the AWD and leave it in RWD mode for a bit of drifting

[@fcpeuro-media]

What did you get rid of it for?

[@immortal4942]

@@fcpeuro-media​​⁠ Because of timing chain failure, a common issue with the N20. RIP my baby.

[@sjoroverpirat]

How are you gonna address oil starvation? I've been looking at them, but haven't dared to buy one yet.

[@fcpeuro-media]

We came up with a solution that we really look forward to bringing to market soon 😁 stay tuned

[@Sqwin_n20]

Navardi tuned has a baffled oil solution you can buy off the shelf + weld into a Uro aluminum pan. this fixed the RWD varient, AWD has a hump in the oil pan and doesn't see the same oil starvation issue

[@guidogori8002]

aaaahhh . I would love to do it to my 1 series 125i N20B20 manual

[@fcpeuro-media]

We also think you should do it haha

[@hydarail6477]

i had a n20 328i and the reason why i havent touch one again it`s cuz i lost to a lexus f sport i mean it was stock but it broke my heart of how slow it was 😮‍💨

[@Ward413]

A Lexus F Sport what though? You can get almost every model in F Sport trim with every engine variant. My buddy has an IS250 F Sport and the 328 crushes him. But I could see a 350 being tougher to beat.

[@monunyabidness5949]

Soldiers returning from WW2 only had ... Mustangs for sportscars?

[@cooperlong5413]

What's a couple decades between friends?

[@WayApp]

BMW elegance

[@ramadhanisme7]

This is interesting

[@fcpeuro-media]

Glad you find it an interesting topic , more to come!

[@thomasstiglich3484]

Looking forward to this

[@fcpeuro-media]

New Episodes every Sunday for the next few weeks, stay tuned!

[@mbradea]

Stoked!

[@Diesel92]

My F30 been in the shop for a week for a coolant issue I miss my baby so bad 😩

[@Krezo200]

I just bought my first turbo four cylinder ever last week The n20 My first 4cyl bmw as well

[@fcpeuro-media]

Good timing (no pun intended) - hope you follow along to see the full potential!

[@Krezo200]

@@fcpeuro-media yes i will mate! Whats your experience on when the timing chain needs replacement? After how many miles? Mine has 52k miles

[@fcpeuro-media]

@@Krezo200 we had to do it on this car, and basically any other N20 in our lot - sometimes as early as 60k if poorly maintained but usually around 100k 😕

[@Krezo200]

@@fcpeuro-media alright, thanks for the feedback I hope mine stays strong for a while

[@glennc7201]

​@fcpeuro-media My experience has been around 80k,but I am thinking it is a time issue also now. I just did two 2013 X3s,one had 55k,the other only 43k. Both had the usual broken guides,and the 43k one needed rod bearings as well.

[@Cybrons]

I own a 2016 328i and I see the hate it gets but its honestly not that bad. I plan to own f80 m3 or a 2021 m550i next but I'm glas to see 4 cylinders get more love I got stage 2 tune on mines and people say it picks up and theses are people with already fast cars.

[@fcpeuro-media]

We just picked up an F82 , so we will have to do some comparisons between our built 328si and that 🤔

[@omer9572]

what about the B48

[@brianlachapelle8757]

I'll take the bread and butter!😊

[@XclusiveAaron]

Never heard a Z4 called a zeee 4 before :')

[@Sqwin_n20]

curious to see what you guys do, but Pocono for MPact is in august. right now its the last week of march/first week of April per the videos comments at around the ~9 minute mark...

[@fcpeuro-media]

We mayyy have been sitting on this content for while 😊

[@fulltonefulltone]

I have owned four new BMWs before buying a new F30 328i with manual transmission and M-sport package. It was a nice looking car that was roomy but was the most boring BMW I have ever owned. When it comes to the engine, it is okay in terms of power but it had poor response due to the turbo lag and made the engine have less character than the previous responsive engines. I really hope you can make it fun without braking the bank but I doubt.

[@GeoDayrit1]

N20 ftw

[@fcpeuro-media]

New trend 😅

[@TheCinderellaman10]

Stick to a B48 4Cyclinder instead.

[@K9V1]

Amazing that the lowest spec F30 you could find comes with a full leather interior in red, Harman/Kardon sound, a sunroof, M-sport pack (even if added by previous owner), the larger display and the fact that it's a 328i and not a lower model. What the actual fuck lmao. You'd be hard pressed to find any F30 in Denmark that was this nice - or even to find anything that isn't a base 320d with cloth interior and the tiny display. Don't even get me started on ones with sunroofs. That's so crazy. How can Denmark be connected directly to Germany yet we have the absolute worst selection of BMWs, and at exorbitant prices?

[@K9V1]

That being said, really interested to see how this turns out. Might be time to find one of those shitty 320i's or maybe an F10/F11 with the N20.

[@fcpeuro-media]

@@K9V1 Sounds like we would have found what we were actually looking for had we looked in Denmark!!

[@Driving_Somewhere]

Bloody good looking car. But the reliability frightens me

[@fcpeuro-media]

It'll need a little love to feel like you can trust it, but once you get past that, its a worth platform to love!

[@MG-Alexandrovich]

Loved my 16 428, but closer to 50k miles I got drivetrain malfunction message after flooring it out of the corner. In that case it didn’t comeback after restarting, but I got rid of the car for different reason soon after.

[@evelynsahoe8896]

Hope it can take the power but working for BMW I've seen a decent amount of straight 4's grenade themselves stock for god knows what reason. They're decent little motors but BMW straight 6's blow them out of the water reliability and performance wise.

[@EndriuGolara247]

reliable N20? I want to see this, meybe this cars will present some value

[@fcpeuro-media]

We think they'll have a second wind with 3rd owners, sure they take some maintenance and care, but that's what we are for haha We have the parts and DIYs!

[@code54crunchy50]

They aren’t bad at all not quite the n52 but definitely better then the n54

[@fazeobama8872]

shame that non m package 3 series have that fugly steering wheel

[@AurelSer]

The e46 is 343 hp, not 333hp tho.

[@PinkGuy120]

Music over dialogue could be a bit lower

[@fcpeuro-media]

Noted!

[@chefjefe68]

As a 2013 328i ZSL, ZPP, ZMT owner I am very much looking forward to this video series. I got my car with 34K miles on it in 2016; eight years later, I still love driving it. Yes, steering is muted, and, argh, I just had the timing chain update done. Even with oil changes every 5K miles, my chain was stretched at 157K miles. Also just had to replace the dual mass flywheel; yet, I am so happy that, despite the expense, my car is back to me and ready to go for many more miles. When I have the guts to DIY, FCP Euro has helped me so much keep my car in tip top shape at 158K miles. As for your car search, I don't think you looked hard enough. I just found a 2013 328i in Massachusetts that is spec'd out like my car: ZSL, ZPP, ZMT, and it is an N20. I feel like the F30 328i becomes a proper BMW with a manual and driven exclusively in sport mode. It is too late to swap cars?

[@crazy4gta1]

FCP euro: parts distributor by day, car reviewers by night

[@fcpeuro-media]

On to us!

[@brianj6314]

WHERE IS THE VIDEO IT'S SUNDAY I HAVE AN N20 AND I BEEN WANTING MORE ATTENTION ON IT BUT COME THE FRICK ON POST IT ALREADY

[@thatbimmertho]

Si or is?

[@fcpeuro-media]

BMW used both in the past - we felt SI was right on this one!

[@3xcelsi0r10]

1 April joke? N20 engine is the worst... I have the N20B20. Timing chain issues comes as a oem mod.

[@fcpeuro-media]

Once its done atleast youre good for..... 60k miles at least! 😐

[@3xcelsi0r10]

@@fcpeuro-media im getting a entire new engine since mine is broken already. Car hasn't seen even 60k miles

[@InsaneBimmer]

The N20/26 will forever be chain throwing garbage. Should've used the B48. Said what I said. The N20 will NEVER be on the same level as the M42.

[@fcpeuro-media]

The B48 is superior - but we still think with TLC the N20 has a place in our hearts.

[@benvaldovinos1612]

Do frequent oil changes on n20 so the plastic chain guides don't snap (85% of the time that's what causes the timing chain issue in those engines). Ir just to preventive maintenance and replace the guides all together when u buy a 4 cylinder. The n20 is reliable bro I'm on my 2nd daily 3/428i well over 100k miles and not a single issue . Its absolutely not a garbage engine so long as u maintain it and don't drive it like an M6

[@paulomoniz7326]

Why replace so many parts? Just buy the M2/M3 instead.

[@bimmerschemer]

The n20b20 is terrible, it has timing chain/chain guide issues, premature rod bearing wear issues, and issues with the ecu and tcu communicating properly, requiring constant resets to get it back to normal, not to mention cooling and proper oil lubrication issues under load. Its not worth it for the power that the engine can handle.

[@harleyross1975]

you read to much online, its not that bad - every engine has its issues... mines 160k kms still going strong no chain issues (2013)

[@bimmerschemer]

@harleyross1975 ive had one, i had a 2013, it made it to 76k miles and had all of the mentioned issues. I had to have the engine replaced in it at 70k miles because of the rod bearings wearing prematurely.

[@bruh_machine]

6:46 BMW joke

[@C0rvette454]

These are trash engines you might as well get a civic

[@uisperfectemail9720]

VehicularDIY beat you guys to raising the N20 flag, go give him a view.

[@sjoroverpirat]

Doesn't he have a b48?

[@osagyefoghanaba]

I agree! Shame Musa is producing less content now….Vehicular DIY is great channel for BMW enthusiasts

[@uisperfectemail9720]

@@sjoroverpirat he has more than a few cars, the last I understood, he started a dealership with a partner.

[@aztecvspec002]

He got 500hp out of a B48

[@andyMutale]

Er okay...

[@visiongarage277]

Being a 328i owner, I’m tuning in for this.🤌🏽

[@fcpeuro-media]

Don't think youll be dissapointed for sticking around. New episodes every Sunday!

[@BPF80MCar-vi1pg]

Hey hey .ill smoke both

[@marvinzhang3734]

no