BMW M will carry inline-six and V8 engines until 2030

In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Markus Flasch revealed some exciting details regarding the plans of the German brand. Markus Flasch was the M CEO for the last three years and is now in charge of the high-end cars at BMW. He’s the same man who said that the M4 CSL would drop more than 100 kilos (220 pounds). He also admitted that the M3 Touring wasn’t part of a company-wide strategy. And recently, Flasch revealed a new scoop for fans.

During the interview, he was asked about the Bavarian’s move to meet the Euro 7 regulations due in 2025. The obvious answer would be to make large-displacement engines cleaner, but how? Markus Flasch assured M fans of the great possibility of high-performance engines being around for a long period. “You won’t have to worry about our inline six-cylinder combustion engine being out of range until at least the end of this century — for both road and racing cars. This is thanks to the new technical solutions the team has been working on.”

He explained that the inline-six would fulfil Euro 7’s stricter emissions regulations. Recently, engineers have found a way to improve the combustion process. The good news doesn’t stop there since he wasn’t talking to the 3.0-litre engine alone. The former M CEO claims that similar modifications will also apply to the bigger V8 to meet stringent emissions regulations.

Setting things straight, the German magazine asked about the chances of getting an M car with an electrified four-cylinder engine. He stated that BMW is not presently considering the possibility of a high-performance hybrid model with a four-pot. Meanwhile, Mercedes-AMG is in the works of pursuing that very same concept. Its next-generation G63 will get a 2.0-litre engine with an electronic turbocharger and an electric motor to replace the V8.

That doesn’t mean BMW isn’t experimenting with electric engines in its M vehicles. Since BMW will introduce the XM SUV concept on November 29, it’s safe to assume that we’re just a few weeks away from getting a hybrid V8.

It’s rumoured that an M model in the SUV guise will carry an eight-cylinder engine with an electric motor. Such a powerplant will produce more than 700 horsepower. According to the official information, the “all-new high-powered, hybrid-electric” car will be built in Spartanburg as the “new BMW M flagship vehicle”.

[Source]: Auto Motor und Sport