Photo: X-Tomi Design
There have been previous rumors about the M division going all-wheel-drive before and the officials always were careful to deny anything of the sort. However, things changed in the meantime, the competition growing more powerful and faster as time went by.
Case and point: Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division. They are now offering 4Matic versions on almost every performance model and intend to keep on doing so in the future, of course. Since rear-wheel-drive can only go so far, the people in charge of the M division have to look for alternatives.
Another tabu subject on this matter is a 4-cylinder engine. Over the years, BMW only used one such unit inside one of their M cars and that was the legendary E30 M3, the first of its kind. The way that car drives and responds to commands is still held up as a benchmark.
With new regulations and the competition (once again, AMG) already going for such engines, the M division might also look into it, especially for its smaller offerings like the 1 Series.
However, here’s where the two meet. A 2-liter, 4-cylinder, 350+ HP engine is easy to do. What’s harder to do is use it on a front-wheel-drive car, as the 1er is going to become in the future.
That’s because the front axle will be overworked and won’t be capable of controlling all that power, torque steer becoming a more than often sight. With all-wheel-drive though, things would be a little different. The car would be controllable and, given the weight is kept in check, it would also be blazing fast from a standstill.
Therefore, we suspect the first M car with a 2-liter turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive will be a 1 Series or even smaller model, depending on what the future holds for the Bavarian brand.
Speaking on the matter with Car Advice, the BMW M CEO, Dr. Friedrich Nitschke said: “No, it’s not a question of the philosophy of a BMW M [car] to have an eight- or six- or four-cylinder [engine]. Look at the last four generations [of M3], we had a four, six and eight [cylinder] and for us the most important thing is what kind of engine or powertrain fits perfect for the car and we decide the best alternative or best version, and not to say we only stay with eight- or six-cylinder [engines].”
Furthermore, talking about the power-to-axle problem, the same idea was repeated, Nitschke claiming that a front-wheel-drive M model will not be released as long as he’s the head of the M division. No word on what would happen afterwards though.
Even so, we don’t think that might be a possibility but rather a hopeless dream, as the performances would not be on par with what is expected from such a car. As for all-wheel-drive though... That’s a different story.
Another tabu subject on this matter is a 4-cylinder engine. Over the years, BMW only used one such unit inside one of their M cars and that was the legendary E30 M3, the first of its kind. The way that car drives and responds to commands is still held up as a benchmark.
With new regulations and the competition (once again, AMG) already going for such engines, the M division might also look into it, especially for its smaller offerings like the 1 Series.
However, here’s where the two meet. A 2-liter, 4-cylinder, 350+ HP engine is easy to do. What’s harder to do is use it on a front-wheel-drive car, as the 1er is going to become in the future.
That’s because the front axle will be overworked and won’t be capable of controlling all that power, torque steer becoming a more than often sight. With all-wheel-drive though, things would be a little different. The car would be controllable and, given the weight is kept in check, it would also be blazing fast from a standstill.
Therefore, we suspect the first M car with a 2-liter turbocharged engine and all-wheel-drive will be a 1 Series or even smaller model, depending on what the future holds for the Bavarian brand.
Speaking on the matter with Car Advice, the BMW M CEO, Dr. Friedrich Nitschke said: “No, it’s not a question of the philosophy of a BMW M [car] to have an eight- or six- or four-cylinder [engine]. Look at the last four generations [of M3], we had a four, six and eight [cylinder] and for us the most important thing is what kind of engine or powertrain fits perfect for the car and we decide the best alternative or best version, and not to say we only stay with eight- or six-cylinder [engines].”
Furthermore, talking about the power-to-axle problem, the same idea was repeated, Nitschke claiming that a front-wheel-drive M model will not be released as long as he’s the head of the M division. No word on what would happen afterwards though.
Even so, we don’t think that might be a possibility but rather a hopeless dream, as the performances would not be on par with what is expected from such a car. As for all-wheel-drive though... That’s a different story.
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