This possible outcome was made public by Tom Baloga, the company's vice president of engineering for North America. He told in a interview with Bloomberg that this would indeed be a taunting task. "The biggest challenge will be maintaining the 'Ultimate Driving Machine' performance," he was quoted as saying by the source.
The problem is that it would be very difficult for BMW to comply with the new regulations if they do not take this course of action, as now they are focusing their American business on the compact, powerful models in the current line-up.
A rumor surfacing earlier this year already said that BMW is planning a new line-up of engines, including both four-cylinder units and even three-cylinder ones. Although unconfirmed by the manufacturer, even a list of possible engines for the European market emerged"
- 116i/316i - 1.35 liters I3
- 118i/318i - 1.35 liters I3
- 120i/320i - 1.35 liters I3
- 123i/323i - 1.80 liters I4
- 125i/325i - 1.80 liters I4
Even now, about 50 percent of the manufacturer's engine line-up is made up of I4s, most of them fitted on the 1 and 3 Series. Furthermore, should BMW bring its European fleet to the US, they would have no problem complying with the new mileage regulations, as 67 percent of BMW's vehicles are diesel-powered.
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