The BMW M12/13 turbo Formula One engine had a displacement of 1,499 cc. Its precise listed capacity was 1,499.8 cc, usually rounded to 1.5 litres or 1,499 cc in racing references.
The engine was a turbocharged 1.5-litre inline-four developed from BMW’s M10 engine, a production-based design introduced in 1961. BMW adapted the architecture for Formula One’s turbo regulations and supplied teams including Brabham, Arrows and Benetton during the 1980s.
The M12/13 became famous when Nelson Piquet won the 1983 Formula One Drivers’ Championship in a BMW-powered Brabham BT52. It was the first turbocharged engine to power a driver to the championship. In qualifying trim, later versions were reputed to produce roughly 1,400 horsepower.
The common mix-up is confusing displacement with power output or with naturally aspirated engines from the same era. The M12/13’s dramatic horsepower figures came from turbocharging; its actual swept volume remained just under 1,500 cc.