REPORT: BMW dropping a cylinder for next-gen 1- and 3-Series
by Jonathon Ramsey on May 11th 2009 at 10:29AM 
The next 1- and 3-Series cars from BMW, as well as the Z2 roadster, are rumored to be getting a new range of turbocharged three- and four-cylinder gasoline engines as part of BMW's push to cut emissions and fuel consumption. Of the five powerplants reportedly in development, three are 1.35-liter three-cylinder motors developing between 163 hp and 241 hp, with the two 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engines putting out 273 hp and 321 hp, respectively. Sky Motoring says that the four-pots will be reserved for "more upmarket models."
While a 3-Series with a 3-cylinder engine has a certain poetry, it does give one pause. If Sky Motoring's numbers are correct, however, the top end 1.35-liter motor would put out 11 more horsepower than the current 3.0-liter in the 328i. That's a lot of power for such little displacement, and with brand perception issues in the U.S., who knows if we would even get the engines – after all, we don't get any of Mercedes' CGI mills. From where we sit, though, the smaller, lighter engine with its commensurately fewer moving parts could also help bring the sticker price of the 1-Series down – one of the major factors that has prevented it from gaining traction in stateside showrooms.
In any case, the new BMW engines are said to be at least two years away, so we look forward to getting more clarifying information in the meantime. Hat tip to Owen!
[Source: Sky Motoring]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Mikey 10:37AM (5/11/2009)
Audi's 1.8L turbo engine has sure done well and proved to be extremely reliable. Don't see why it wouldn't do well for BMW as well.
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LoneWolf 10:38AM (5/11/2009)
But it's not a three cylinder
zamafir 10:49AM (5/11/2009)
Name one Audi 1.8T putting out over 300hp in stock form. Additionally, the 1.8Ts were not extremely reliable thanks to the coil pack debacle. I'd love to know how BMW will reliably squeeze 320hp out of a 1.8T. Wait. NM. It's a bmw, why am i talking reliability, they'll service it for a hand full of years then your wallet will make up for all those free years of maintenance after. Whatever. I'm not holding my breath, not for the North American market. Give me a call when BMW's cars get lighter again, the focus returns to the drivers and not mass sales, and i can simply get the best time out of my Bimmer without spending 2 minutes in iDrive menus.
Mikey 10:50AM (5/11/2009)
yeah the 1.8L is a 4-cylinder. I doubt they will bring the smaller 3 cylinder to the US market.
Mikey 10:56AM (5/11/2009)
zamafir, did BMW steal your kids of something? Geez.. Always with the bad mouthing. I've owned 6 BMW's, 2 with over 100k on them, and never had these huge expenses you talk about. and as an FYI, maintenance parts for BMW are not expensive in compared to other luxury brands.
Not sure what the big deal was on the coil pack issue. Audi replaced them in my TT outside of warranty. No hassle at all. That really doesn't have anything to do with the mechanical reliability of the engine anyways.. My TT dyno'd 290hp at the wheels on an all-wheel dyno and ran that way for 60k miles until I recently sold it.
zamafir 11:45AM (5/11/2009)
@ Mikey, i continue to not care for the direction they've taken the brand (BMW), every time a new car is released (ie recently the z4) it's even softer, significantly heavier, and pricier than before. I’ll continue to be grumpy until they stop attempting to water down the brand for more volume sales, as that approach hasn’t helped them financially.
Per the BMWs, give me a call when they have 300,000 on them. BMW's parts ARE as expensive as Audi and Mercedes parts, im not sure where you're sourcing your 'not as expensive' information - though I guess it's from not having to maintain either of your BMWs, which is an odd catch 22. I wasn't aware audi produced an engine which put out 290hp at the wheels STOCK (note my comment you are responding to deliberately included the word stock, any of us who have tuned turbos are well aware of the long term effects on the turbo itself).
Mikey 12:07PM (5/11/2009)
Zamafir, I didn't say the TT was stock, obviously it wasn't.
That's fine if you don't agree with the direction BMW is going. That's a personal thing, but to say they require tons more upkeep and $$ then other luxury cars is just not true. And on the parts cost, you are just wrong. I'm in the automotive industry and know very well what maintenance parts cost. Looks at common parts you might have to replace over 100k and compare prices. Control arms average around $150ea for BMW's. For Lexus they average over $400. Water pumps are also less expensive than comparable Asian luxury cars. And yes, Merc parts are definitely more expense.
jg 12:50PM (5/11/2009)
'BMW's parts ARE as expensive as Audi and Mercedes parts, im not sure where you're sourcing your 'not as expensive' information - though I guess it's from not having to maintain either of your BMWs, which is an odd catch 22.'
I can't speak for Mikey but I get my parts at Autohauz or some other places online for a hell of a lot cheaper than the dealer asks. If you pay full price for parts you're an idiot. BMWs are expensive to maintain if you want them to be but they don't have to be. It's up to the owner.
why not the LS2LS7? 12:57PM (5/11/2009)
I'm with zamafir here, BMW experimented with a mere 105HP/liter on the 3.2L M3 straight-6 and they were grenading left and right for a while. Trying to get 130HP/liter normally aspirated seems unlikely.
IK 5:10PM (5/11/2009)
"Trying to get 130HP/liter normally aspirated seems unlikely."
read the first sentence of the article. clearly says turbocharged :D
why not the LS2LS7? 6:54PM (5/11/2009)
IK:
I admit it, I didn't reread this article, I just cribbed my comment from the autobloggreen article this weekend. That article implied that the 163HP model was not turbocharged.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/05/08/bmw-working-on-range-of-3-cylinder-engines/
'Displacing just 1.35 liters, the 3-cylinder powerplant would reportedly be offered in outputs ranging from 163 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque all the way up to a turbocharged 241 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque.'
The idea of a 1.35L turbocharged car for the street making 241HP (180HP/L) is also sufficiently far-fetched as to inspire incredulity.
Viktor 10:40AM (5/11/2009)
E30 reincarnated!
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CarlosMC 10:46AM (5/11/2009)
It has to be turbo, that's between about 50% to over twice more than the best current 1.4l engines
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CarlosMC 10:51AM (5/11/2009)
Dumb!
Should've read the article first :p
Serge 10:48AM (5/11/2009)
1.35L i3 --- Lawnmowers FTW!!!
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BigMcLargeHuge 11:28AM (5/11/2009)
Thats a pretty big engine for a lawnmower...
though it is about average for a big-bore snowmobile.
Farris 11:16AM (5/11/2009)
Yeah, what are they gonna call it, the 313.5i?
Dondonel 12:33PM (5/11/2009)
Yeah 1.8 liter and 320 hp, I can imagine the lag - like press the gas pedal hard at turn exit, and get the power by the time you have to break for the next turn. Great job BMW.
DJ 10:49AM (5/11/2009)
That's a lot of power for such little displacement, and with brand perception issues in the U.S., who knows if we would even get the engines...
If the power ratings are to be believed and MPG is raised 25% or so, then BMW could market this engine as the hybrid alternative. More fun, less gas and no highly toxic lithium battery packs to dispose of in ten years.
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Nick 1:27PM (5/11/2009)
@DJ
And who said lithium batteries were 'highly toxic' ? Did you just make that up? They're 90% recyclable for your info.