BMW: Four cylinders are not enough

The Bavarians rejected the idea of ​​reducing the number of cylinders in the M3 model and decided not to follow their sworn rival, Mercedes-AMG.

BMW has often been criticized for its unconventional modern design style, but the Bavarian premium brand has made some good decisions. It has promised to keep its large-capacity engines for as long as the law allows, while manual transmissions will continue to be available in some M models and the Z4 M40i roadster.

Despite a fully electric version of the M3 being on the way, the petrol version will continue to exist in the next generation of this model.

In an interview with Australian magazine Drive, the head of BMW M's department rejected the idea of ​​reducing the number of cylinders, deciding not to follow arch-rival Mercedes-AMG.

Instead of the new M3 getting a four-cylinder engine, like the Mercedes-AMG C63, the next generation of the sports sedan from Munich will retain the inline 6-cylinder engine.

Frank van Meel explained that a four-cylinder engine cannot offer consistent performance on the track like a larger 3-liter engine.

"We are moving in the direction of electrification, but at the same time we will keep our inline-six engine in the next generation. We always explore all possibilities, but when it comes to reducing power, it is all about performance on the track. The constant power required would make reducing the engine to four cylinders very difficult for race conditions," he said.

Like BMW M, Audi Sport also rejected the idea of ​​four-cylinder engines in RS models.

BMW and Audi have another reason to avoid four-cylinder engines in their top-of-the-line sports models – the AMG C63 has lost traction after switching to a 2-liter engine, according to Motor1.

Mercedes has yet to release sales figures, but some sources suggest demand has been weak since the model switched to a complicated plug-in hybrid system with a four-cylinder petrol engine. /Telegraph/