And now, a moment of silence, for a passing legend. BMW has finally killed off the engine that once brought it to greatness: its venerable inline-six.
Due to fuel efficiency concerns, the straight-six is being phased out in favor of turbocharging and four-cylinder engines, like in the next 1-Series. The six was known among enthusiasts for its aural allure and smooth power delivery, being one of the most regarded naturally-aspirated engines in production.
But now, "it is more about fuel economy more than anything else," says Piers Scott, a BMW spokesman. "From a performance perspective obviously we've had some enormous success with naturally aspirated engines. But now we're able to achieve comparable performance but with far greater fuel economy through smaller, more compact turbochargers."
Within a few years, BMW hopes to move to an all-turbocharged lineup, like a Teutonic Saab. BMW continues to offer turbocharged versions of its 3.0-liter six-cylinder powerplant like in the 335i.
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BMW Axes Legendary Straight-Six Engine on AutoGuide.com
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