Quote:
Originally Posted by swamp2
Seriously?
THE only reason for the new engine choice and for there never having been one shred of a possibility of a super or turbo charged S65 is MONEY. The common components of the N55 with the base model will drive the parts cost down tremendously. A super or turbo charged S65 would have been substantially more expensive not less.
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Well I don't work high up in the BMW marketing /Engineering team for future projects, so couldn't give you the insiders answer.
I take it neither do you?
.....so as we are speculating, yes a forced induction S65 would be an expensive option. As the expense of the car has a direct relationship to numbers sold, I'm sure even BMW have to work within certain budgetary frameworks.
Adding a supercharger is never going to happen.... it is a wasteful technology, and counters the direction they need to go in, so we will drop that one.
Now, lets consider the turbo'd S65 route.....
If it were a racing car, no issues. But as it is a road car and needs to behave mild mannered at low revs too, this isn't really an option for a high revving V8
Why? the wider the rev range, the more problem you have matching turbo charger sizes. Also V8's aren't easy to TC by design as you have two seperate cylinder banks. It would be a nightmare to plump a triple turbo system onto an S65 and fit that combo into and engine bay. Forget it.
Yes Mercedes are using a twin turbo (one turbo per bank) V8 in the AMG cars, but they are large 5.5liter engines and reletively low revving. Adding two turbo's per bank would just be heavy and expensive.
So perhaps the option was to have:
a.) A 'supposedly' de-tuned but turbo charged S65 powered M3 that cost loads. *detuned in the fact that the rev limit would be significantly lowered
b.) An N55 derived turbo 6 that was more economical to run, and to produce.
Option A would be slated by the true S65 fans as being Turbo charged for very little extra....as well as bitching about the new price tag. It would also not gain any favour by people expecting a more economical car within the typical M3 pricing range.
Option B get applauded by many as being a more enviromentally conscious, modern M3 with a price tag in line with the rest of the 3 range. The only people not liking this option are the NA V8 fans.
No contest in my mind, as both options alienate the S65 guy, and only option B gets new customers lined up with their money in hand.
And before anyone says 'who cares about economy in an M3?' there are plenty of people that do.