A high-ranking BMW executive has revealed the Munich-based firm has no plans to develop a replacement for its quad-turbo inline-six diesel engine.
Speaking to Automotive News Europe, Klaus Frölich, BMW’s board member responsible for development, confirmed the 3,0-litre six-cylinder unit – which is offered in variants such as the X5 M50d and X7 M50d (as well as in the 750d in Europe), where it develops 294 kW and 760 N.m – would not be replaced.
Frölich explained it would be too expensive and too complicated to develop a version of this quad-turbo powerplant that would comply with increasingly stringent emissions standards in Europe.
The executive told the publication the firm would continue to develop various four- and six-cylinder diesel engines, but added they would each have no more than three turbos. In addition, the he said the automaker would abandon its 1,5-litre three-cylinder turbodiesel engine (which is offered only in Europe).
And petrol? Well, Frölich confirmed the V12 was nearing the end of the road.
“Each year, we have to invest to update the V12 to new emissions regulations, particularly in China. And when the V12 accounts for about 5 000 sales a year globally, this includes Rolls-Royce, the cost of these updates is several thousand euros per unit,” he said.
