Back in June, we reported on BMW and Jaguar Land Rover joining forces for future models with electrified drivetrains. More specifically, BMW’s forthcoming fifth-generation eDrive technology will be shared with Jaguar Land Rover, a British marque formerly owned by BMW (in part) and now Tata Motors. BMW’s latest electrical motors boast the advantage of requiring no rare-earth metals, and the fifth-generation eDrive setup will debut later this year in the iX3, which is scheduled for production to commence next year in Shenyang, China.
Last month, in another development, Autocar reported that BMW and Jaguar are looking to take things a step further, with BMW potentially supplying four- and six-cylinders for use in Jaguar and Land Rover branded vehicles. This latest news follows speculation that the next-gen F-Type will use a BMW V8, something that is one step closer to becoming reality after earlier this year, when BMW began deliveries of 4.0-liter units to Jaguar according to Automobile.
There are numerous advantages and serious potential cost savings that may be realized as a result of such cooperation, but the motivation for Jaguar pursuing an agreement with BMW is pretty obvious. Because emissions standards are so high, and only growing more difficult to meet with each new model year, it is becoming incredibly expensive for smaller automakers to continue developing their own internal combustion engines. Jaguar Land Rover likely does not have the volume to support development of next-generation engines, technology that BMW has already brought to bear in the form of its latest modular designs. Not to mention, Jaguar has been using similar eight-speed ZF automatic transmissions for some time now, just like BMW.
For the long term BMW aficionado, it’s difficult to not be reminded of when BMW owned the Rover Group from 1994 until 2000, or 2006, when Ford officially purchased the Rover brand from BMW. From 2002 until 2006, BMW engines were used in the L322-generation Range Rover, including the M62 4.4-liter V8, even though BMW had already ended its relationship Range Rover, and released a new V8, the N62.
Since 2018, multiple sources have reported that the 2020 Jaguar F-Type will be powered by a BMW V8. If this is the case, the F-Type will be the first of other Jaguar models that will most certainly follow suit, with BMW’s B48 four-cylinder and B58 six-cylinder engines potentially later replacing the AJ133 supercharged V6 and Ingenium four. Those following along with the latest engine developments will also remember that recently, Jaguar Land Rover followed Mercedes-Benz in unveiling a brand-new inline-six, this time with an integrated 48-volt electrical system. This new Ingenium six displaces three liters, and also uses an electrical supercharger in addition to the hybrid system. Slated to debut in the Range Rover sport, it’s unclear what will happen to this engine with BMW inline-six units potentially in the mix.
It’s also unclear what specific V8 BMW is supplying Jaguar with, but if it’s a four-liter, it’s likely similar to the China-exclusive N63B40A offered from 2012 until 2017, which makes 443 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 479 pound-feet of torque from 1,750 to 4,500 (more than the first 4.4-liter N63) despite having a reduced stroke of 80mm.—Alex Tock
[Photos courtesy BMW AG, Jaguar Land Rover.]
