After making its appearance last October at the Malaysian MotoGP race, the F82 BMW M4 Coupé will yet again be leading the Safety Car fleet in this year’s MotoGP season, but this time with a twist – it will be featuring the Munich carmaker’s latest water injection technology.
QUICK FACTS
Name | BMW M4 Coupé |
Segment | 2-Door Coupé |
Engine | 2,979cc, inline-6 cyl, M TwinPower Turbo |
Max Power | 431hp @ 5,500-7,300 rpm |
Max Torque | 550Nm @ 1,850–5,500 rpm |
Price | RM 748,800 |
The words “water injection” must not be confused with direct injection, because the former is simply used to improve cooling efficiency, especially in the high-performing vehicle lineup. What’s new under the bonnet are supplementary radiators for the gearbox, turbocharger and circuitry.
More specifically, the production version of the M4’s turbocharger gets the conventional intercooling setup, whereas this MotoGP Safety Car gets an additional electric water pump to further improve the cooling process. The engine also reaps the benefits of this technology by substituting the supercharged air cooling system with water injection technology.
So, how does water injection work? The keyword here is ‘vaporisation’. Water is injected (fine spray) into the intake module’s collector, cooling the exhaust air during the vaporisation process. It effectively lowers the discharge temperature in the combustion chamber, reducing knocking tendencies. The resulting effect is that the engine can now run on a higher boosting pressure and earlier ignition point.
If water injection does prove its worth and is yet another efficient system in the uptrend realm of forced induction, then your regular BMW 3 Series may just come with this feature some good few years down the road. Sounds promising, right?
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BMW M4 Coupé MotoGP Safety Car & Bike
BMW M Division’s Water Injection Technology