BMW 328 Roadster Set The Pace For Modern Engines

Precise Engineering That Set The Ground Work For Modern Cars

At a time when just a numerable population owned a car in Germany, the 328 became a hallmark of performance for the renowned marque. Luckily, from the onset, it did several things right to win a place in history books.

The development of the six-cylinder engine was done through a competition between BMW engineers. This ended up producing one of the best performing engines of that era.

It ended up producing 80 hp at 4500 rpm, which back then was exceptionally reliable. However, in modern arithmetic, this would out rightly be too little.

To pay tribute to this car from the 1930s, BMW recreated this famous racing car by incorporating modern concepts. In the modern car, the body which was previously made from aluminum got a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP).

It was also given a wedge shape to cater for aerodynamic needs and utilize modern technology. The engine used is a 3.0-liter straight-six that producing up to 340bhp.

Estimates show that around 400 examples of the 328 were made and about 200 of them can be traced around the globe, 120 of which still call Germany home. This was a time when performance more than profits informed engineering needs for several automakers.

It was also a time when the ground for modern engineering was being laid through experimental ideas. Today’s machines have a lot to thank their predecessors for.