BMW has chosen NGK spark plugs as original equipment on its three new MINI turbo-charged 1.2 litre, 1.5 litre and 2.0 litre engines.

The  SILZKGR8B8S is supplied on the 1.2 and 1.5 litre power units which are BMW’s first 3 cylinder engines. The 1.5 turbo-charged direct injection engine, available with power levels from 122bhp to 220bhp, is intended to replace BMW's small capacity six-cylinder in-line engines and will also power the 1 Series and the i8.

Tim Ward, Deputy General Manager – Sales & Marketing at NGK Spark said, “It is a great achievement for NGK spark plugs to be selected as original equipment for BMW’s new engines. This is yet again more evidence of how the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers look to NGK to provide the ignition expertise they require when introducing new innovative engines.”

SILZKGR8B8S is a M12 bi-hex double precious-metal type spark plug with an iridium tip on the centre electrode and a platinum chip on the ground electrode. The plug also features an extended insulator and a cup-shaped terminal. The precious metal electrodes safeguard highest ignition reliability and engine efficiency even at high charging rates and extreme mixture turbulences, while the insulator design and the new terminal result in improved resistance against flashovers and electrical failure even at extreme ignition voltages.

The NGK plug will also feature in MINI’s new top of the range model that features a 2.0-litre turbo-charged 192bhp four-cylinder engine. This replaces the 1.6-litre turbo-charged engine that previously featured in the Mini Cooper S.