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BMW Group Plant Hams Hall: Twenty years. Twelve milestone products. One UK manufacturing success.
Mon Feb 08 00:59:00 CET 2021 Press Release
As BMW Group Plant Hams Hall celebrates 20 years of production in the Midlands, we explore twelve pivotal moments and the products that put this North Warwickshire plant on the map as a centre of engine manufacturing excellence.
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Kate Bird
BMW Group
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BMW Group Plant Hams Hall: Twenty years. Twelve milestone
products. One UK manufacturing success.
Hams Hall. As BMW Group Plant Hams Hall celebrates 20
years of production in the Midlands, we explore twelve pivotal moments
and the products that put this North Warwickshire plant on the map as
a centre of engine manufacturing excellence.
Today, the latest generation of three and four-cylinder petrol
engines roll off the line at more than one per minute, and are
supplied to nine different vehicle plants across the world from
Oxford, UK, to Germany to the USA. More than five million BMW and MINI
cars have been powered by a Hams Hall engine, since the plant first
started production in 2001.
Engines aren’t the only thing this plant does well, with key
engine components also machined at the site, in a high-tech and
complex operation. This area of the business produces more than one
million components a year and supplies other BMW Group engine plants
in Germany and Austria, as well as Hams Hall engine assembly.
Let’s take a look at the plant’s history and some key moments
through a selection of products powered by Hams Hall-built engines.
2001 – 2004:
Revolutionary technology launches with the
BMW 3 Series
Compact.
Production first started at Plant Hams Hall
with BMW's brand-new generation of four-cylinder petrol engines,
entering the market with the launch of the BMW 316ti Compact. The
naturally aspirated NG4 engine was the first to feature BMW Group’s
revolutionary VALVETRONIC technology, which reduced fuel consumption
by at least 10%.
It was the first Hams Hall-built power unit to pick up an
International Engine of the Year Award. The plant became BMW Group’s
‘centre of competence’ and sole supplier of the four-cylinder petrol
engines, between 1.6 and 2.0 litres, that went on to power a number of
BMW models.
2005 – 2008:
Exports to North America ramped up.
2005 marked
a pivotal moment for the plant, as the first engines destined for BMW
Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina were exported to the United
States. These 2.0-litre engines powered the BMW Z4 Coupe.
2006:
From the racetrack to the road.
A special
production facility was installed at Plant Hams Hall in 2006 to
manufacture engines for the homologation of the BMW 320si for the FIA
WTCC. In total, 2,600 units of the in-line four-cylinder engine were
produced, built by hand on a dedicated production line. The high
revving 2.0-litre unit delivered 173hp at 7,000rpm (before reaching
its red line at 7,300rpm) and 200Nm of torque at 4,250rpm.
In a direct link with BMW Motorsport’s programmes of the time,
before arriving at Hams Hall, the cylinder heads were cast at BMW's
Landshut foundry alongside Formula One engine blocks. The cylinder
head cover was made of carbon fibre, reducing weight by approximately 10kg.
From 2006: A new generation of engines for
MINI.
In September 2006, the Hams Hall plant expanded
its remit with production of an additional, second engine family,
supplying the MINI brand and the Oxford production plant for the very
first time. An all-new production facility was installed to produce
this brand-new engine family, internal code name ‘Prince’, alongside
existing NG4 engine production.
This new family of engines - an International Engine of the Year
award-winner for eight consecutive years - featured a wealth of
innovative technical features which dramatically improved fuel consumption.
A 1.6-litre petrol engine variant powered the new MINI Cooper
Hatch to produce 120hp, acceleration from 0-62mph in 9.1 seconds and a
top speed of 126mph. Powered by a turbocharged and intercooled version
from this engine family, the MINI Cooper S Hatch produced 175hp,
covered the 0-62mph sprint in 7.1 seconds and achieved a top speed of
140mph. MINI One Hatch was powered by a 1.4-litre engine derivative
with a maximum output of 95hp, that followed in 2007.
From 2010: New and improved engines for the growing MINI
family.
Plant Hams Hall powered the ever-growing MINI
family, including the all-new MINI Countryman, followed by MINI
Roadster and MINI Coupé.
New and improved MINI engines offered more power and torque with
reduced emissions and improved fuel consumption. MINI First and One
models were fitted with a 1.6 litre engine, replacing the 1.4 litre
unit. The iconic Cooper S model was powered by a unit that for the
first time, saw the twin-scroll turbocharger and petrol direct
injection system offered together with fully variable valve control.
2011: Rear-wheel drive ‘Prince’ engines added to the
portfolio.
With the introduction of the new second
generation BMW 1 Series in 2011, Plant Hams Hall introduced a
longitudinal version of the Prince engine. These units powered a new
generation of rear-wheel drive BMW models, including the 114i, 116i
and 118i.
2014: Hams Hall became the sole provider of the combustion
unit contributing to the electrifying BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports
car.
The purpose-built and technically brilliant BMW i8
plug-in hybrid sports car featured many firsts from the BMW and BMW i
brands and the engine was no exception. The BMW i8 Coupé was the first
BMW production vehicle to be powered by a three-cylinder petrol engine.
This 1.5 litre three cylinder engine developed 231hp, equating
to an exceptional specific power output of 154hp/litre. Combined with
BMW eDrive technology together they formed the vehicle’s hybrid
system, with a power output of 266kW/362hp achieved and a sprint from
0‒62 mph in just 4.4 seconds.
Both the overall drivetrain and the three-cylinder engine picked
up International Engine of the Year awards, including overall winner,
best new engine and best in class accolades.
A brand-new and highly flexible production facility was
installed for the production of this engine. Hand-built by an
experienced and specially trained team, the plant was the only
manufacturer of this engine for BMW i8.
2015: A new generation of engines power MINI into the next
decade.
Significant investment in the plant came to
fruition when a brand-new, high-volume engine production facility
started to build BMW Group’s latest generation of three and
four-cylinder petrol engines. Plant Oxford was the key customer, with
these petrol engines powering the third-generation MINI.
2016: Latest-generation three-cylinder engines for plug-in
hybrid models.
Upgraded facilities saw Plant Hams Hall
introduce a three-cylinder engine derivative for plug-in hybrids with
the BMW 225xe Active Tourer plug-in hybrid the first vehicle to
receive this latest-generation engine. The plant continues to produce
these engines, and has now integrated production of a four-cylinder
derivative. Around a fifth of engines produced at the plant in 2020
were for plug-in hybrid models.
2018: A new high-powered derivative of the four-cylinder
Baukasten engine.
BMW Group Plant Hams Hall was the
first BMW Group production plant to build a new high-powered
derivative of the latest generation four-cylinder Baukasten engine. It
was introduced in the BMW X2 M35i, delivering 306hp and setting new
benchmarks. The two-litre TwinPower Turbo engine was the very first M
Performance series production four-cylinder engine and the most
powerful BMW four-cylinder engine ever built.
2019: Supply resumes to BMW Plant
Spartanburg.
Another upgrade to assembly facilities
enabled Plant Hams Hall to introduce a longitudinal version of the
latest generation of four-cylinder engines into production. This
engine is supplied for the range of BMW X models and Plant Spartanburg
in the USA is the key customer.
2020: Plant Hams Hall builds high-power engines for the MINI
John Cooper Works GP.
A rarity with racing genes!
Plant Hams Hall built 3,000 power units for the limited edition MINI
John Cooper Works GP, the fastest MINI that has ever been approved for
road use. A 306hp four-cylinder turbocharged engine accelerates this
special two-seater model – based on the MINI 3-door Hatch – from 0-62
mph in just 5.2 seconds.
Plant Hams Hall continues to contribute to BMW Group’s Power
of Choice. Production of three and four-cylinder petrol
engines, including engines for plug-in hybrid vehicles continues at
the Hams Hall plant. Preparations are also underway to take on
production of the BMW Group’s prestigious V8 and V12 engine family
ENDS.
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI,
Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading
premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides
premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production
network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15
countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles
and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in
the financial year 2019 was € 7.118 billion on revenues amounting to €
104.210 billion. As of 31 December 2019, the BMW Group had a workforce
of 126,016 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. www.bmwgroup.com
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For further information please contact:
Kate
Bird
Communications Manager, BMW Plant Hams Hall
Tel: 07815 375 843
Email:
Kate.Bird@bmwgroup.com
Helen Wilson
BMW Group Media Relations Executive
Tel:
07815 372 480
Email: Helen.Wilson@bmw.co.uk
Chris Overall
BMW Media Relations Manager
Tel: 07815
370 990
Email: Chris.Overall@bmw.co.uk