German Car Forum

BMW has been forced to cut production of its large displacement engines in the wake of sluggish world demand. Despite the luxury segment usually remaining fairly resilient to environmental concerns and rising fuel costs, BMW hasn’t produced its V8 engines at full capacity for the past year and demand is expected to fall further.

The same story can be told for its high-performance V10 and V12 engines, according to the carmaker’s union boss Manfred Schoch. Speaking with Automotive News, Schoch explained that current world demand for BMW’s V8 engines could be produced with a one-shift operation running just four days a week.
On the other hand, the carmaker is struggling to meet demand for its four-cylinder engines and is even considering phasing out production of its V6 engines at its main Munich plant as well. This would allow BMW to build up to 500,000 four-cylinder engines a year, Schoch explained.
Shoch also called for the company to develop an all-elactric vehicle, an option that BMW is currently exploring under its ‘Project i’ umbrella. The first Project i model is expected to be a small city car designed for just two people, which you can see a preview of by clicking here.
motorauthority

More exciting news from BMW

Tell me this is not the end of 6 cyl and 8 cyl in favour of 4 cyl engines.

IMO 4-cyl & 6-cyl bi-turbos or even quad-turbos, combined with some sort of hybrid drives, will replace V8, V10 & V12 engines in the future.

Big displacement engines are almost dead.

Among first victims were the V8 diesel engines: BMW have already ditched the engine in favour of I6+hybrid, and MB will soon do the same. While Audi ... is introducing V12 TDI.

Not suprised this is happening with the ever escalating fuel prices. I have also noticed how pre-owned car with big engines are going dirt cheap. Locally, one can pick up an E65 745i as low as $30K which is ridiculous...

Cutting V8 production in 2 makes 4 cylinder engines, it's pure mathematics

Indeed there' no option, fuel efficiency is the future for cars. Not that I like the evolution, but there is nothing we can do about it...

Small engines, light cars, hybrid tech ... etc. It's not all about efficiency but also about dynamics.

People are still unaware sporty-performance is not all about brutal power ... as Lotus shows us successfully.

Low-displacement super-efficient turbo-engines, lightweight solutions, hybrid-electro supporting drives, etc.

All this will to sports cars of 21st century - and BMW are well prepared for that. The next step: hydrogen supercar.

Yes, current shifts look odd from today's perspective, but it will definitely pay off in the future.


*****

If someone thinks in the long run oil will again be below $100 per barrel, and less the €1/L or $4/gallon is living in illusion.

There is no way back ...

The other day I passed by a petrol station and out of curiosity I took a peak at the prices. £1.21 for a liter of petrol. completely out of this world.

Very predictable news. I just hope I4-turbos won't replace the lower end I6s.

They can phase out the production of V6s as long as they don't touch the straight-6s.

a bmw v6???

Motorauthority = Zero credibility with a statement like that...

you would be surprised at how many journalists (Including reputable ones) get this wrong all the time. I mean kids on press day give you a better perception of knowledge of BMW than "journalists" do.
When I am doing the marketing thing at autoshows and they refer to something not on the BMW agenda.

I just walk away.

^

Many of automotive "journalists" think V6 means 6 valves ... V6 ... as: Valves 6!

Not to mention such people probably not even know anything about engine, and other technical / engineering stuff about the car (except the facts they read in PR release - if ever).




I do not understand how the media have guts to employ such guys, and give them jobs to report on such stuff ...


It's like giving this woman a chance to write an editorial on some international diplomatic issue for NYT:



Or giving this guy a mandate to lead World's Superpower:

Confirmed: BMW working on 4 cylinder turbo, may come to U.S.


Rumors of a new four cylinder engine from BMW have been confirmed by BMW's North American leader Jim O'Donnell. Questions on whether it will be offered in the United States, though, are still very much in the air. "We can't really confirm or deny when it is going to come into the US, or if it is going to come into the US, until after the election and the government makes it clear what is going to be the platform that manufacturers have got to work to," says O'Donnell. It really seems so simple to us. If an automaker has a new engine that offers both good performance and good fuel economy, it should be offered in the U.S. market.
More: autoblog

U.S. presidential elections could decide fate of BMW twin-turbo four-cylinder



A recent interview given by BMW’s North American CEO, Jim O’Donnell, planted the seed of a four-cylinder petrol turbo for the United States, and the speculation it inspired has taken off at breakneck pace. The reality of the situation is that no decisions have been made, and BMW will hold off on making any decisions until the political landscape of the next several years is made clearer with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.
(more…) motorauthority

I'd never have thought that the president of the US would have anything to do with the BMW engines...

For me, the most alarming thing regarding the fall in demand for BMW's V8 models is that BMW is losing sales for its most profitable 8-cylinder models.

The 4-cylinder models are bread and butter models that drive the economies of scale down and pays the rent. It's the 6, 8, and 12-cylinder models that bring home the big bucks.

Things don't look good for Beemer and other luxury carmakers.

Energy policy decision.
Remember the biggest energy consumer is the US, and the biggest automobile market in the world is the US.
So if the next President is for green and alternative fuel, this will drive what kind of technology the auto manufacturers will have to provide to meet these requirements.
On the other hand, if the next President just want to just keep drilling to meet the demand, they will mean keeping the status quo.