2013 Audi A3

Is BMW Planning A Heretical V-6 Twin-Turbo Engine For The Next M3?

 
1 2,387 views Sep 9, 2011
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BMW patent schematic of V-6 twin-turbo engine

BMW patent schematic of V-6 twin-turbo engine

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The V-6 engine is a great thing. Many carmakers, notably Volkswagen and Nissan, have used them to great effect in various implementations. But BMW has a history of inline sixes, not Vs. That may be about to change if the latest patent drawings and reports hold up.

As dug up by Bimmerpost, the patent drawing above (and more at the link below) shows what appears to be a twin-turbocharged V-6 engine. Worst of all for fans of the straight six is that it's rumored to be going under the hood of the next M3.

That's right: not only have we lost all of our naturally aspirated M cars (not a huge loss to some) but the straight six may be gone from all but the limited-edition 1-Series M Coupe soon.

Excitingly, however, the schematic appears to describe not a parallel twin-turbo setup as you'd commonly expect with one turbo per bank, but a sequential turbo layout, with all six cylinders routed through a single turbo, then optionally to exhaust or through the second. This layout could maximize power throughout the rev range while further enhancing its ability to deliver solid fuel economy in normal driving.

It could also explain, possibly, the rumored three-turbo layout for the next M3: one turbo per bank, plus a sequential third that optionally engages for more top-end power. That, however, is little more than wild speculation.

Whatever BMW has up its corporate sleeve, however, M3 fans are sure to be up in arms over the idea of a V-6.

[Bimmerpost via Autoblog]



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Comment (1)

  1. WizardsLore avatar WizardsLore Posted: 9/11/2011 7:37pm PDT

    i always wondered if it was possible to place a small turbo on each cylinder to boost power that way, instead of a bigger unit for a bank or the whole shabang. Just curious mind but something like that would surely improve efficiency and power ? any thoughts aspiring engine builders?
     
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