BMW has just realized that using a big high-revving V8 in the E92 M3 was a bad mistake! And now they’ve admitted that next version of the car will get a turbocharged 6. Back to basics…
You see the E46 series used to have a compact straight six engine and that was brilliant. It was matched with the agile character of the car and while delivering the performance, it was efficient as well. V8 engines work if they are low-revving and rumbling, they are naturally a bit lazy. But BMW, following the fact that more is better, was determined to give the E92 M3 a bigger engine than its predecessor, and then to make it nimbler to cope with M3’s reputation, they gave it a very high-revving setup. That means to really make it go you have to rev the nuts of it, to get what another car, say Audi RS4, has already gained in much less rpm. That ruins the economy, the pleasure, the performance, that ruins everything. Worst of all, the M3 which always has been the ultimate sporty coupe, is now confused between being a lazy muscle or a noisy family saloon.
The engine downsizing will extend to other M division engines as well, reportedly the V10 in the M5 and M6 will be replaced with a twin-turbo V8. This engine delivers the same power while it’s lighter on fuel.