Photo: bmw
The trend some manufacturers go by today when creating new sport or supercars is not the most efficient at all times. Increasing the horsepower figure doesn’t always guarantee a better product. That’s something BMW had to learn the hard way but it seems like things are going to change for the entire line-up pretty soon.
In a recent interview for German magazine Sport Auto, the current Motorsport Division boss, Mr. Friedrich Nitschke has some very interesting things to say, going over almost all the most important topics regarding the future of the most powerful letter in the world.
As you probably already know, he’s going to step down from this position at the end of the year, leaving Franciscus van Meel to take over after the ex-Audi RS CEO moved to BMW earlier this year. At the moment, Nitschke is teaching van Meel the ropes.
The stringent laws and the purity of the fact that we simply can’t ignore the environmental changes around us, make NA units a sort of unicorn. Even M models will keep on using turbocharged plants which is a good thing if you ask me. As long as there’s no turbo lag, of course, as is the case with the newest turbo they made, the S55.
In the interview (which is in German by the way) the CEO says that for the current M5 and M6 models a naturally aspirated engine was considered, a further development of the 5-liter V10 on the previous gen models but in the end, they had to go with the S63Tu model.
As we told you a while back, the engineers in Munich found that the perfect size for a cylinder is 500 cc for all purposes: modularity, consumption, efficiency, power and sound. However, the lower limit used could go as far down as 400 cc so we could expect to see a 2.4-liter inline 6-cylinder engine replacing the 3-liter one in the future.
As far as the manual transmission goes, it will be kept on for cars with less than 600 Nm (442 lb-ft) for now. For cars that have more, it becomes harder to use, taking away some of the fun you’re supposed to have with your car. For more potent models, the DCT will be the way to go.
Sales reflect this choice as well. In Europe, the take rate of the manual transmissions is under 20% while the US prefer it a little more. For such sales, it’s hard to justify keeping a separate production line open, keep a different gearbox supplier on the line and so on.
In this interview, Dr. Nitschke all but confirms these rumors saying that the M3 and M4 will surely remain rear-wheel drive due to their torque figure but the M5 and M6 that have more twist will have to migrate and offer all-wheel drive but only as an optional feature. Even then, they would be seriously rear-wheel drive biased! However, for all this to come to fruition, the AWD system would have to add as little weight as possible.
Other subjects included the rumored FWD migration of the 2 Series which Nitschke graciously denied and the possibility of a front-wheel drive M model that was also quickly dismissed. As for a possible i8 M version things were left in the dark as he neither denied the rumors nor confirmed them.
He did however say that the hybridization of M cars would be possible but only if the right balance between the added weight of the batteries needed for the electric motor and the torque gains was found. We could be in for a surprise in 2016! The interview is available in the attached screenshots but it is in German.
As you probably already know, he’s going to step down from this position at the end of the year, leaving Franciscus van Meel to take over after the ex-Audi RS CEO moved to BMW earlier this year. At the moment, Nitschke is teaching van Meel the ropes.
No more naturally aspirated engines
You felt it just as we did when BMW put an end to the M3 Convertible a year ago. The naturally aspirated engines disappeared from BMW’s line-up and they did so with the amazing S65 4-liter V8. Some still wonder if that age is ever going to make a comeback. According to Nitschke, it won’t and the reasons are obvious.The stringent laws and the purity of the fact that we simply can’t ignore the environmental changes around us, make NA units a sort of unicorn. Even M models will keep on using turbocharged plants which is a good thing if you ask me. As long as there’s no turbo lag, of course, as is the case with the newest turbo they made, the S55.
In the interview (which is in German by the way) the CEO says that for the current M5 and M6 models a naturally aspirated engine was considered, a further development of the 5-liter V10 on the previous gen models but in the end, they had to go with the S63Tu model.
Inline 6-cylinder and manual transmissions will be kept on for now
Speaking about the displacement size of new engines and their characteristics, Nitschke also confirmed that the inline 6-cylinder architecture is safe and sound at BMW as it is one of their trademark features. The size of the units might vary but the architecture will remain the same.As we told you a while back, the engineers in Munich found that the perfect size for a cylinder is 500 cc for all purposes: modularity, consumption, efficiency, power and sound. However, the lower limit used could go as far down as 400 cc so we could expect to see a 2.4-liter inline 6-cylinder engine replacing the 3-liter one in the future.
As far as the manual transmission goes, it will be kept on for cars with less than 600 Nm (442 lb-ft) for now. For cars that have more, it becomes harder to use, taking away some of the fun you’re supposed to have with your car. For more potent models, the DCT will be the way to go.
Sales reflect this choice as well. In Europe, the take rate of the manual transmissions is under 20% while the US prefer it a little more. For such sales, it’s hard to justify keeping a separate production line open, keep a different gearbox supplier on the line and so on.
All-wheel drive will be available as an optional feature in the M5/M6 range
Speaking of the 600 Nm (442 lb-ft) torque limit, the question that immediately come to mind includes the M5 and M6 models and their transmission. A lot has been said about them in the past and how xDrive might be offered as an optional on the new models when they come out.In this interview, Dr. Nitschke all but confirms these rumors saying that the M3 and M4 will surely remain rear-wheel drive due to their torque figure but the M5 and M6 that have more twist will have to migrate and offer all-wheel drive but only as an optional feature. Even then, they would be seriously rear-wheel drive biased! However, for all this to come to fruition, the AWD system would have to add as little weight as possible.
Other subjects included the rumored FWD migration of the 2 Series which Nitschke graciously denied and the possibility of a front-wheel drive M model that was also quickly dismissed. As for a possible i8 M version things were left in the dark as he neither denied the rumors nor confirmed them.
He did however say that the hybridization of M cars would be possible but only if the right balance between the added weight of the batteries needed for the electric motor and the torque gains was found. We could be in for a surprise in 2016! The interview is available in the attached screenshots but it is in German.
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