BMW 4 Cylinders Coming to US
 

Bloomberg is reporting that BMW NA may be bringing some of its stellar four cylinder powerplants to the US in the future. However we can exclusively report (as we have mentioned previously) that there is no maybe about it. BMW NA has definitely given the go ahead to bring the at least one 4 cylinder power-plant to the US as soon as 2011. Destined for either the E90 3 Series or the a 1 Series model, the power-plant could either be a current engine or one of the two new 1.8L turbos (producing 204 or 240 hp). While there’s an outside chance four cylinder diesels could also make it, we wouldn’t hold our breath unless there are some drastic fuel price shifts

Here’s an excerpt from the Bloomberg piece:

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world’s biggest maker of luxury cars, probably will bring back four-cylinder engines to meet tougher U.S. fuel-economy standards, the company’s top North American engineer said.

The automaker, which hasn’t offered the smaller engines in the U.S. since 1999, wants to boost fuel efficiency without hurting its reputation for performance vehicles, said Tom Baloga, BMW’s vice president of engineering for the U.S.

“The biggest challenge will be maintaining the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ performance,” he said in an interview today, referring to the Munich-based company’s marketing motto.

SWEET!!! :dance::mrhappy:

Would be cool if we could get a e81.

What bullsh!t. Like a 4cyl performance car is somehow difficult. Perhaps they've not heard of Caterham or Lotus in Munich. You would think that if the Brits can do it, the Germans should be able to. Perhaps BMW has also forgotten something called the 2002tii, or the E30 M3.

Poor, poor BMW NA may have to finally put their bloated US market cars on a much needed diet. It's been a long time since BMW has rightfully been able to call itself the 'Ultimate Driving Machine'. I've had quite enough of the 'Ultimate Overbig, Overheavy, Overpriced, Overpowered, Overluxury, Image Concious (but Uberfuggly) Land Yacht' that they've been pushing here for the last 10 years. Would it kill them (and/or their precious image) to make a sports car?

123td FTW!

These turbo engines are the ones that were supposed to rev to 11k rpm, according to speculation last year. That would be mind blowing, I doubt it will happen though.

I'm with you Steven, send over the 123d, they would sell like hot cakes if they got 45 or more mpg.

Great news!!!

I got to drive a 118td in Italy 2 summers ago.
Was very nice and had ALOT of pull.
The auto engine stop feature was weird, I kept thinking I had stalled.

Dang straight. Maybe they even forgot about their 4 cylinder formula 1 motors producing around 1000hp.

well they sure weren't concerned about that when they released the ti, sure it handles good but 0-60 in 8.9 seconds isn't the ultimate anything :rolleyes:

I would buy a 1 series diesel hatch (120d) or coupe (123d) if they brought them over. I would much rather drive one of those than a Prius, Yaris, Civic, etc. Right now I'm waiting for the 335d or X5 3.5d to be available as a CPO.

Slushbox only :mad:

i would buy a 120d in a hearbeat.

not because it's deisel.... because its a hot hatch.

Agreed.

Fuel price shifts? Are they talking about up or down? Around here, Diesel is cheaper than reg. gasoline! Besides, even if it weren't, The Mini diesels get upwards of 60 MPG, so I doubt the 1 series is too far behind that and that would more than offset any price differential.

WTH?! Really?! :eek: Our diesel is 10 cents more than our high grade gas!

Around here diesel runs from 20c above top grade gas to 15c below depending on the station and city you are in. The Chevron one town over is chaper than the Costco where I live.