Comments on: BMW developing new three-cylinder engine?

By: jackjimturkey

jackjimturkey — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:41:40 +0000

3-cylinders always remind me of the geo Metro convertible.
Obviously, I don’t like this idea

By: Borat

Borat — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:10:53 +0000

@lonfdor, I think 6 cylinder gasoline (in colonies, petrol in her majesty tongue) certainly offered all over, it does not mean it sells. That all I meant. Thanks for the chart, it is great statistics.

By: rmatt8748

rmatt8748 — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:09:13 +0000

To the naysayers:

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change” – Charles Darwin

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” – Arthur Schopenhauer 

Times change, and the 3-bangers humming like a mosquito made me lol.

By: bigp

bigp — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:04:06 +0000

the power to weight ratio has to be right for this to work

By: shane train

shane train — Tue, 12 May 2009 00:50:47 +0000

There would have to be something else on there to help out. Turbo, one or two, supercharger…?

SOMETHING

By: aggie531

aggie531 — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:09:18 +0000

Sonuds interesting…But kinda weird being sold as a BMW. they should probably sell it under their MINI brand

By: leftwingagenda

leftwingagenda — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:40:57 +0000

i get it…a new marketing synergy could develop here…3-series = 3-cylinder, 5-series = 5-cylinder, etc…of course, this would mean very interesting times for the 1-series ahead, indeed, but then the series designations would have some meaning to them

By: aexcorp

aexcorp — Mon, 11 May 2009 22:00:41 +0000

@londor:
Like I said, when do you see petrol BMWs in Europe, they tend to be either the x18 or the x20, based on the same I4 but with a few modifications leading one to produce 143hp and the other 170. Rarely to did I see a 335i or even a 330i. The sort of exception is Switzerland, my country, where people apparently can afford the I6 and the gas for it a little more, so you see them a bit more on the road then in the rest of Europe.

By: eff1Fifty

eff1Fifty — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:08:53 +0000

@ mayer ray nagin and borat… LOL!!! I was thinking more like an H3 engine

By: londor

londor — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:48:01 +0000

@ Borat

As you wrote your first post it meant that BMW did not sell 6-cylinder petrol engines in Europe. If you meant that they do not sell many of them then it is another matter.

In Europe in some countries diesel cars outsell petrol cars by 3 to 1 and obviously on those countries you will not see many 6-cylinder petrol cars (most of them will be 4-cylinder) but in other countries were petrol is cheaper than diesel 6-cylinder petrol cars are more common.

Here you can see the percentage of diesel cars sold in Europe by country

http://www.acea.be/images/uploads/files/20090325_All_Characteristics_1990-2009.pdf

By: Borat

Borat — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:06:44 +0000

as starter for a diesel?

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:49:23 +0000

Can I outfit my tractor with this engine?

By: Borat

Borat — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:31:51 +0000

londor,

I did not assume. I know they can be bought, the question is how many are bought with 6 cylinder petrol in Europe? Do you have any statistics? I am sure some are sold behind former Iron Curtain, since you can not get quality diesel fuel in Mother Russia and surroundings. But in civilized part of Europe I haven’t seen one. 5 and 7 series are not that common, so when you see one it catches your attention how it is motivated. The last 7 series with gasoline I6 I’ve seen was in original Transporter (it was 1998 728 not sold in US at all).

By: aexcorp

aexcorp — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:26:01 +0000

Actually, Borat is mostly right, while they do sell their I6 in Europe obviously, you barely ever see them on the roads. The bulk of their sale goes for diesels and their I4 engines called x18 and x20 (x being the body style series obviously). These I4s are pretty decent, but nothing special, rated at 143 and 170hp (remember, hp in Europe are gross values, so in the US they’d be lower after subtracting the alternator, friction loss and whatnot)

Anyways, a 3-cylinder engine really wouldn’t do justice to BMW, and it will not sound very good, but I can imagine they’ll be able to extract crazy fuel efficiency from it, maybe matching the diesel ratings. I guess everybody’s going for gas mileage these days…

By: global_lightning

global_lightning — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:20:36 +0000

You really don’t gain much with a 3-cylinder versus a 4. To aviod the vibrations inherit with this design, you’ll have to add several balance shafts which will just reduce the overall output. The alternative is a rougher engine, which is fine in an econobox but would be out of place in an entry level sports-tourer.

By: shane train

shane train — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:44:29 +0000

If it can perform like a four, why the hell not?

By: londor

londor — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:43:58 +0000

@ Borat

Just because you did not see one it does not mean they are not sold in Europe.

Next time check the facts instead of assuming and you will be correct.

@ A4

Whether he was talking about 6-cylinder petrol engines or the 6-series he is still wrong because both are sold in Europe.

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:26:07 +0000

londor… i believe he was talking about the 6-series, not the I-6 engines.

By: Borat

Borat — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:22:58 +0000

Nope W-3.

BTW, it will sound like mosquito in BMW, but in VW Polo 3 pot sounds like 1/2 of Porsche?

londor, during time I spend in Europe I never saw one, but plenty diesels (well not as many 5 and 7 as in N.E. US, but some 5 & 7 with diesel motors).

By: mayer_ray_nagin

mayer_ray_nagin — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:14:36 +0000

You think it will be a V3?

By: AutoFreak

AutoFreak — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:59:37 +0000

3-cylinder + BMW = A big nono.

Putting a 3-cylinder engine with a BMW body will not work.

End of story.

By: londor

londor — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:42:40 +0000

@ Borat

BMW certainly do sell 6-cylinder petrol cars in Europe throughout their range.

By: 05Z88Path

05Z88Path — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:41:25 +0000

I’m all for lighter Bimmers with turbocharged and direct injected 4-cylinder engines…but a 3-banger humming under the hood? No thanks!

By: Long Live The C6.R

Long Live The C6.R — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:36:36 +0000

agreed

it would be a engine all of the ricers would look for, like all of the hondas you see on the streets with the 10″ tin can mufflers

By: swamp donkey

swamp donkey — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:34:14 +0000

“However, BMW has yet to confirm a three-cylinder engine is even under development.”

You can’t just make this **** up LLN. I want hard facts please.

By: A4

A4 — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:29:38 +0000

its gonna sound like a mosquito

By: Borat

Borat — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:17:28 +0000

God bless. They don’t sell any 6’s in Europe to begin with (except diesels in 5 & 7 series). And BMW has not certified single I4 in US. What the difference 3 pot makes?

By: zfenderguy

zfenderguy — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:15:47 +0000

Pretty soon they’ll be hawking a new Isetta in America to compete with the Smart, iQ, 500 and now the Ka! How stupid will that look on our streets!