[2]: 48  The layout of the engine is a 90° V8 with cast iron wet liners and stiffening webs between the cylinders.

Initially, this engine used a two barrel Solex 30 PAAJ carburettor, a compression ratio of 7.0:1[4]: 91 [2]: 49  and had a power output of 75 kW (100 bhp).

The larger engine initially used a single 32 mm (1.3 in) Zenith carburettor, a compression ratio of 7.2:1 and produced 89 kW (120 bhp).

The highest power output version of the BMW OHV V8 produced 119 kW (160 bhp) and was used in the 3200 S released in 1961.

With this upgrade, the 2.6 became the 2600 and the 2.6 Luxus became the 2600 L. These cars continued in production until December 1963[5] In 1963, the 2600 L was produced with the gearbox directly mounted to the engine.

Applications: BMW's V8 sports models, the 503 and 507, used M503/1 and M507/1 engines respectively, each with a pair of Zenith 32 NDIX two-barrel carburetors.

The tuning of the 507's engine went further, with high-lift cams, a different spark advance curve, polished combustion chamber surfaces, and a compression ratio of 7.8:1, producing 112 kW (150 bhp) at 5000 rpm.

In 1957, due to reliability problems, Talbot switched over to the BMW OHV V8 and renamed the car the Talbot-Lago America.