The BMW

BMW

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...

 M52 is a Straight 6 piston engine. Displacement ranges from 2000 cc to 3200 cc. It is a DOHC 24-valve engine, originally introduced with VANOS

VANOS

VANOS is an automobile variable valve timing technology developed by BMW in close collaboration with Continental Teves. VANOS varies the timing of the valves by moving the position of the camshafts in relation to the drive gear...

 Variable Valve Timing

Variable valve timing

In internal combustion engines, variable valve timing , also known as Variable valve actuation , is a generalized term used to describe any mechanism or method that can alter the shape or timing of a valve lift event within an internal combustion engine...

. It replaced the BMW M50

BMW M50

The BMW M50 is an I6 piston engine. It was introduced in 1990 to replace the BMW M20 in the new 3-series and was replaced by the BMW M52 in 1995. Displacement ranges from 2.0 L to 3.2 L. It is a DOHC 24-valve engine...

 engine in 1994 and was replaced in 2001 with the BMW M54

BMW M54

The BMW M54 is a straight-6 engine, debuting in the year 2000. It is an evolution of the BMW M52. The engine has Double VANOS variable valve timing to adjust timing of both intake and exhaust valves.-M54B22:...

 engine. The world market engine used Nikasil

Nikasil

Nikasil is a trademarked electrodeposited lipophilic nickel matrix silicon carbide coating for engine components, mainly piston engine cylinder liners. It was introduced by Mahle in 1967, initially developed to allow rotary engine apex seals to work directly against the aluminum housing...

 lined aluminium cylinders instead of a cast iron sleeves used in the Americas market engine. The reason for this is Nikasil is eroded by the higher sulfur content fuel used in Americas.

In markets with low-sulfur fuel this engine was very highly regarded and the M52 was on the Ward's 10 Best Engines

Ward's 10 Best Engines

Ward's 10 Best Engines is an annual list of the ten "best" automobile engines available in the U.S. market, that are selected by Ward's AutoWorld magazine. The list was started in 1994, and has been drawn every year since then....

 list for 1995 through to 1998.