MT Auto Parts Blog | Expert Tips for BMW enthusiasts on BMW Parts, Accessories, Engines and More

Photo by Vladyslav Lytvyshchenko on Unsplash The N63 is BMW's twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8. On paper, and in person, if you're honest about it, it's a magnificent thing. Four hundred horsepower in a 5 Series. Five hundred in the right M Sport trim. A sound that makes a grey Tuesday feel like something worth being alive for. It is also, particularly in its early years, a bit of a nightmare. BMW put the turbos in the V-engine valley, between the cylinder banks, tucked right into the hottest part of the engine. The engineering term for this layout is 'hot-V'. It helps reduce turbo lag. It also generates extraordinary heat in places where rubber seals and gaskets were never really designed to live. The early N63s, roughly 2008 to 2013, burned oil, leaked everywhere, ate timing chains, and sometimes failed fuel injectors before the car had done 30,000 miles. BMW eventually acknowledged all of this. More on that shortly. The good news is that if you own a BMW N63 engine...

  Image: BMW N63 Engine for sale at mtautoparts.com  BMW owners tend to care about engines a lot. Even people who swear they “don’t” usually do. The moment reliability, running costs, smoke from the exhaust, or a £2,000–£5,000 repair bill enters the chat, the engine suddenly becomes the topic. That’s exactly where the BMW N63 engine sits. It’s a proper BMW V8 on paper: 4.4 litres, twin-turbocharged, hot-vee layout, huge torque, effortless motorway pace. But it also has a reputation and not all of it is fair. Early N63s built the legend (and the fear). Then BMW quietly refined the engine again and again, which is where the N63TU comes in. So, if you’re asking: Which BMW has the N63TU? What does “TU” actually mean in real life? And why do some people say it’s “better”, but still not “cheap” to own? Let’s go through it properly. Like you’d explain it to a mate over a glass of beer. First things first: what is the N63TU? What does “TU” mean? N63TU means N63 Technical Update — B...