BMW is reimagining a classic innovation from the days of the E39 M5, which featured a rev counter with illuminated lights that limited the redline to 4,000 rpm on a cold start gradually increasing it as the engine warmed up. In a patent filing with the European Patent Office, BMW is introducing a modern-day version of that system that goes beyond visual cues, physically restricting how the vehicle can be used under certain conditions to extend its service life.
BMW Introduces Smarter Engine Protection
This time around, it’s not simply about limiting engine revs when the engine is cold to reduce wear and tear. BMW’s system is fully integrated with vehicle computers to monitor many parameters, including:
- The age of the vehicle
- Intended use
- Temperature
- Other operating conditions
Based on the above data, the system can limit engine speeds, acceleration, power output, and other metrics. Merely limiting revs is insufficient to preserve excessive loads on a modern, turbocharged engine when it’s cold, as a large throttle opening at low revs can quickly build boost and send the turbocharger spinning to well beyond 100,000 rpm while it’s still cold.
This puts maximum torque output through the engine, which is not advisable in the interests of longevity and limiting wear and tear. The fact that the system can limit acceleration and power output suggests that it can limit throttle opening and turbo boost as well. It is, furthermore, intelligent enough to take vehicle age and engine condition into account, so it will protect the engine more as it ages.
Intelligent Performance
BMW’s patent certainly seems like a smart idea to promote the gentle treatment of a vehicle’s mechanical parts under certain conditions to improve their longevity. This is especially useful in the modern era, where refined and powerful turbocharged powertrains deliver strong performance so effortlessly that it’s easy to treat them with little mechanical sympathy without even noticing.
