BMW M considering turbocharged 1.5L 3-cylinder

BMW’s M Division boss, Friedrich Nitschke, has recently revealed that there is huge potential in equipping high-performance versions of the company’s new three-cylinder engines in its future product line up.

Friedrich was talking about the 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine slatted for the BMW 1 Series and third-generation Mini Cooper. During an interview with American publication, Car and Driver, the M boss described the engine as “attractive engine”.

According to him, it is possible to extract 138-149kW (185-200hp) per litre from a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine.

“Such an engine – which, by the way, sounds very similar to a six-cylinder engine – would have over 310hp (231kW). And we are not even at the limit there. Generally, speaking, I could imagine such an engine,” Nitschke said.

Coincidentally, those figures put the little three-cylinder engine with exactly half the displacement and number of cylinders right in the ball park of BMW’s current 235kW 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six found under the bonnet of the BMW M135i (above).

During the interview, Nitschke also quashed rumours that future M cars will be available with all-wheel drive, like cross town rivals, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

“We discuss the topic with our customers in a regular fashion, and it emerges that they are very happy with rear-wheel drive,” he explained.

“For those who think otherwise, we offer the X5 M and X6 M and our M Performance models.

“An all-wheel drive system means 150-200 pounds (68-91kg) more weight, and a clear loss of precision in steering. Ultimately, the competition between the brands would be narrowed to straight-line performance.”