The best BMW engines of all time | BMW.com

BMW stands for “Sheer Driving Pleasure” – on two wheels or four. They could have used “Sheer Flying Pleasure” originally, because shortly after the foundation of the Bavarian Engine Works – or “Bayerische Motoren Werke,” better known to us by the acronym BMW – engineers developed the company’s first engine in 1917: the BMW IIIa aircraft engine. The engine is characterized by its sophisticated technical design, which prevents loss of performance at great heights. With the enhanced Motor IV model, BMW even set an unofficial altitude record of 32,021 feet (or 9,760 meters) in 1919. This pioneering work and the reliability of the assembly enabled the young BMW to take up a leading position right from the start.

Facts and figures: 
Water-cooled, inline 6 cylinder engine with carburetor
Engine displacement of 1,163 cubic inches (19.1 liters)
Power output 140 kW (185 hp)