Quote:
Originally Posted by Levi
That is just what is likely to happen, 4.4l V8 for M6, 3.3l V6 (minus 2 cylinders) for M4 and 2.2l I4 (half V8 engine block) for M2.
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Guys, chopping the front two cylinders off of a V8 is not necessarily a cheap way to get to a V6. It would be similar to saying, "Hey lets cut the backside off of a 5 series sedan, tweak the greenhouse a little, add a liftgate, and call that an X3." We could extend this throughout the entire product development domain: We can make 3 series doors by just cutting down some 7 series doors and tweaking them a little. And a rear seat is just two and a half front seats isn't it? What about a dashboard? Can't we just use the same one in all cars with a little trimmed off here and there? Why not share body panels? Why not one big bull-dog platform that can support every model in the lineup. Etc, etc, etc.
When you think about it on those or other terms it sounds pretty ridiculous doesn't it? Sure, there is a lot of congruity between similar parts, subsystems, and assemblies of similar automotive products (or any industry for that matter). And certainly, in reocognition of this fact, common engineering and design tenets are adhered to. And yes, of course we do share parts as much as possible. But the N63 is an evolution of the modern BMW V8, going back to the M60. It was not designed with a V6 in mind. You don't just hack something together (or apart as it were). So, yes, while we know BMW is working to achieve more commonality across their engines, they are also starting with a "clean sheet" design to achieve this.
The real world isn't like building with Legos. You don't just take parts off to reshape your creations into others.