[ovekvam]

I used to have a 116i with N13 (four cylinder 1.6) engine, and now have a 118i LCI with B38 (three cylinder 1.5) engine. Both engines are rated at 136 hp from BMW. I have had both on dynos to see how strong they actually are, running 95 octane fuel with no engine modifications.

The N13 had 139 hp on the rear hubs, and the B38 had 136 hp on the rear wheels. The dynos are different, the difference being that rolling resistance is included for the B38. Unlike the N13 dyno run, an estimate of the flywheel power was also indicated, at 150 hp @ 4400 RPM.

Seems like the power is rather even between the two, and significantly higher than stated by BMW.

The B38 seems to be marginally less thirsty than the N13, which is impressive, since the N13 was not thirsty at all. The B38 sounds better (but is overall too quiet), and vibrates a bit more at low (under 1500) RPM.