BMW 4 Cylinders Coming to US

[Jean H.318TI]

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.

[Maverix]

SWEET!!!

Would be cool if we could get a e81.

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by Jean H.318TI

“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.

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?

[ZEK]

Originally Posted by MPWR

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?

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

[RAiMA]

Originally Posted by ZEK

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

They actually produced 1400bhp, but keep in mind, these were not street engines. They were throw away engines. They'd do one or two races, then they'd replace the motor.

I do agree with how BMW has lost it's bearing with creating over weight cars. Bigger isn't always better and it's the one reason why I've stuck with the E36. They're much lighter than the current cars of the industry, and they've got the potential to create some amazing power.

BMW has done a few good things, the advancement in engine technology, driver train, and handling have all been great. I only wish they made the cars lighter and smaller, but without much or very little sacrifice to being able to put larger tire sizes. This is the biggest limitation I've got on the E36s atm, without doing some serious flaring of wheel arches.

[bullmand]

Originally Posted by MPWR

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.

The Germans do it. It's called a VW GTI .
BMW knows how to do it as well, since they're not having any problems with the Mini here or selling all those different 4 cylinder cars all over the rest of the world. What that chief engineer meant to say was that the BMW NA marketing department hasn't figured out how to convince wealthy but car ignorant lawyers and their wives that a puny 4 cylinder can still give them joy or the ultimate driving experience or whatever they decide to call it. I'm not sure why they're so hung up on this "4 cylinder isn't sporty" nonsense anyway. With a sufficiently large hp number in the ads (which they can easily do with a turbo) the average BMW driver will still buy the car because they don't really care or even know what's under the hood.

[tiFreak]

Originally Posted by bullmand

With a sufficiently large hp number in the ads (which they can easily do with a turbo) the average BMW driver will still buy the car because they don't really care or even know what's under the hood.

definitely, plenty of BMW drivers think they have a V6 under the hood

[1996 328ti]

123td FTW!

[zoner]

Originally Posted by 1996 328ti

123td FTW!

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.

[Maverix]

Originally Posted by zoner

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?! Our diesel is 10 cents more than our high grade gas!

[Kilijan]

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.

[zoner]

Up until about the end of last year, Diesel was always $.10-.15 higher than premium grade gas but since then, for some reason, it has been $.05-.10 less than regular grade. Guess people just aren't buying large diesel trucks anymore!

[vsonix]

Originally Posted by Maverix

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

Diesel used to be cheaper than unleaded here in the UK, it now sells for about 10 pence more. Apparently the increase is because they are unable to meet demand for the much larger number of diesel cars now in circulation but to me it just seems like a cynical attempt to milk the same amount of profit from drivers who prefer a more economical fuel.

[spidertri]

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.

[amancuso]

Great news!!!