[Scorcher]

Uh oh, after the much saddening news of the M5 losing its V10 and settling for a V8, here comes the next bang from the Bavarians, the upcoming new M3 just might swap its V8 for a V6. Duh :(

While an inline-six is still on the table, BMW enthusiast site M3post.com is reporting that the German automaker is also considering a V6 for the next M3. According to the report, the V6 would essentially be a shortened version of the S63 turbocharged V8 destined for the engine bay of the upcoming M5.
The V6 would come fitted with at least one turbocharger and could possibly see duty in the Z4 and X3. Output would certainly be up to M3 standards, but it remains to be seen if BMW has the ball bearings to alienate its faithful enthusiasts with anything but all six cylinders in a row.
The next M3 is still about three years out, so BMW has plenty of time to change its mind. In addition to the V6, there is also a rumor floating around that the next M3 receive its power from a V8, but we still firmly believe the M3 will arrive with a turbocharged inline-six.

Source: www.leftlanenews.com

A rendering of the next //M3.

[DicKy]

Aarrgghhh!!!!!!!
After dumping the only RWD philosophy to a new FWD family of cars, it's now the turn of the legendary i6 to make way for the buzzy v6. More than the shortened v8 fact, i think it's more due to the need for a v6 in the new FWD family.
Now waiting 'Joy of Driving' to be replaced by 'Joy of backseat'.
Sorry, couldn't control myself,but guess that change is needed for the future.

[sAP]

What do you mean by FWD -- front wheel drive? Did you mean AWD instead -- as in xdrive?

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by sAP

What do you mean by FWD -- front wheel drive? Did you mean AWD instead -- as in xdrive?

No no, i mean the proposed FWD family of cars that BMW is planning to launch in the sub 3er segment.
In the xDrive vehicles you could always select only RWD,but not so in a FWD car.
Anyway this is the V6 M3 thread.

[sAP]

Oh I see. I wasn't aware they were coming out with front wheel drive vehicles with a BMW badge on it. Is that true or just rumor?

Just to clarify, xdrive is BMW's AWD system that appears on their sedans, coupes and SUV's. Xdrive cannot be obtained with an RWD.

I agree I am not a fan of a v6 or a v8 after some spirited driving on a 545i with a 4.4L. Powerful but lacked refinement. But probably it was the implementation on the 545 which wasn't hugely popular in the twin cities.

The inline 6 is my favorite so far and is also the one thats under my hood. The newer ones have double spooling turbos which are even better.

But being BMW, I would still look forward to their M engineering -- regardless of a V6 or V8. I think it's the car as a whole that instigates more driving confidence, though a poor implementation can sometimes ruin it. But the M's have almost always got it right.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by sAP

Just to clarify, xdrive is BMW's AWD system that appears on their sedans, coupes and SUV's. Xdrive cannot be obtained with an RWD.
.........But being BMW, I would still look forward to their M engineering -- regardless of a V6 or V8. I think it's the car as a whole that instigates more driving confidence, though a poor implementation can sometimes ruin it. But the M's have almost always got it right.

It came from the BMW head's mouth,so it's true.
Regarding xDrive,sorry to confuse you. Imeant that most of the xDrive models have a RWD version as an option or as a standard.While in a FWD you can't have that option of RWD drivetrain(impractical)
Also, yeah, BMW can't go wrong especially the M department.We have to reserve our comments until the car comes out.

[Aditya666]

Well, this will probably be BMW's first V6. Normally, they produce inline 6. And to me, the inline 6 is wayy better than the V6 for the simple reason its more balanced and a lot more rev-happy. V6's tend to be a little on the saner side. But if BMW is going the sane way, I don't know.

[theragingbull]

Well this is not yet confirmed news and just one of the rumors. But a twin turbocharged inline-six sounds very interesting. And remember, with much more stricter pollution and gas-guzzler norms in the US, BMW has to make fuel efficient engines. Hence, the idea of a turbocharged V6/inline-six. And get this, the next M3 will surely be more powerful and faster than the current one. BMW can't get wrong with the performance of //M cars.

[azeemhafiz]

It is really disheartening to see the Naturally Aspirated engines slowly fading away from the BMW stable. Although forced induction may be more powerful / fuel efficient and in many ways cheaper for the company as a whole (can stick a turbo to an existing engine there by cutting down cost of developing a true breather) it is nowhere as mesmerizing to drive as the NA engines.

I've driven the previous gen M5, and god i love the engine. Although the new M5 will toast it my heart is still with the NA engines. So is the case of the M3.

[Tats07]

Originally Posted by theragingbull

Well this is not yet confirmed news and just one of the rumors. But a twin turbocharged inline-six sounds very interesting. And remember, with much more stricter pollution and gas-guzzler norms in the US, BMW has to make fuel efficient engines. Hence, the idea of a turbocharged V6/inline-six. And get this, the next M3 will surely be more powerful and faster than the current one. BMW can't get wrong with the performance of //M cars.

Can someone please explain what are the differences between an inline and a V engine, except for of course the V arrangement of the cylinders? I mean in terms of performance, FE etc.? I was always under the impression that V engines deliver better performance, and hence world's supercars such as the Astons and Ferraris all have V engines.

Thanks in advance!

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by Tats07

Can someone please explain what are the differences between an inline and a V engine, except for of course the V arrangement of the cylinders? I mean in terms of performance, FE etc.? I was always under the impression that V engines deliver better performance, and hence world's supercars such as the Astons and Ferraris all have V engines.

Thanks in advance!

Those V engines are V12s,the smoothest type of engines. After the V12 comes the inline 6s,which are well balanced fundamentally and deliver the power linear.
The lament against V6 engines is that they are inherently imbalanced designs, requiring balancing shafts to contain the imbalance and vibrations.Also their engine note is also uncharacteristic. It is prefered cause unlike the i6 it doesn't take much engine space and can be mounted in transverse FWD applications. It's either offered as a top end option in mainly i4 engined cars and also as an economical option in V8 engined cars.
This hasn't stopped V6 from being scorchers. Just look at award winning Nissan with the 370Z and Gt-R.

[GTO]

Some brands just lose direction along the way; they need to realise their core competency, and that they cannot be "everything" for "everyone". First, BMW ditches the pure hydraulic steerings in their mainstream sedans, in favour of electric units. Then, there was talk of a 3 cylinder engine as well as FWD platforms. And now, BMW is apparently considering a 6 cylinder for the M3? The M3 customer base isn't your Camcord fraterity; it's a niche segment that won't accept a step down, even if it's only on paper.

[sAP]

After watching some documentaries on BMW's evolution from the time they made aircraft engines (an inline 6 there too), to the time they stopped making them due to a Govt ban on aircraft engines, to the time they only made motorcycles, to the time they resumed their aircraft engine production, built cutting edge cars, hydrogen powered vehicles and so forth; BMW comes across to me as a highly versatile and dynamic organization. Surprisingly, regardless of the products they made.

I am encouraged to think of them -- after viewing their long term history at least -- as an agile, highly adaptive and innovative organization that often discovers new direction along the way rather than losing it.

Would I buy an M3 with a V6? Probably; especially if they made an AWD version like the upcoming M5 -- but thats another conversation.

sAP

[Scorcher]

Some really cool rendering of the 2014 F80 BMW M3.

If the real thing would look anything like this, God!, I am so happy

Source

[k_nitin_r]

Originally Posted by Scorcher

Uh oh, after the much saddening news of the M5 losing its V10 and settling for a V8, here comes the next bang from the Bavarians, the upcoming new M3 just might swap its V8 for a V6.

With the M3 dropping the 4.0L V8 in favor of a 6-pot burner, it just doesn't seem exclusive enough from a regular 3-series Beamer with a 3.0L TC I6 engine. What's next - offering an M3 with a 4-cylinder engine on-par with the 2.0L I4? Is the heavier BMW 760Li with the 6.0L TC V12 getting an engine downgrade too?

Originally Posted by Scorcher

Some really cool rendering of the 2014 F80

The renderings are with different color and head lamp combinations on the same car - notice the background and the reflection in the windows? Hey, perhaps the vehicle mod shops could do renderings like these to show potential customers what they can do with their customers' rides.