Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Hunter
BMW doesn't HAVE to produce a new M engine for each M car. I think the problem is that they HAVE a perfectly good M engine that is in the M3 that they aren't using in the 1er. Use that in the 1er if you're too cheap to develop a new engine (or chop off a couple of cylinders to make it 6 cyl, whatever)... that would still be purist M. The fact that they are weaseling their way out of the S65 in a 1er to prevent cannibalism to their beloved M3 is utter utter naff.
Hell... look at what they did with our Z4Ms... plopped in the S54 engine. Parts bin special? Yup. Cheaped out? Yup. Winning formula? Yup. Still a pure M.
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Right, because using a V6 makes perfect sense. Talk about brand dilution. You're answering your own question without even realizing it. What SHOULD they have done? Dropping the same engine in a downmarket car that weighs less isn't logical, so the V8 was out of the question. So the least powerful M engine isn't available. The S54 was fully exploited in the E46 M3, and that's not going to cut it in something that weighs the same as an E46 M3. What has ///M normally done in the past? Modify a "normal" engine to bring it more in line with ///M expectations. However, the changes you're looking for would lead to a car MORE powerful than the M3. Upgraded internals + much more boost on an engine that is more like 320-330hp in the 135i and regularly sees M3 level power with just a chip would be overkill.
The problem I have with this whole outrage is most people simply aren't visualizing it right. There's no black and white line that marks "regular" engines vs. "performance" engines. It's a spectrum of variables that influence how an engine behaves. No, the N54 did not start out its life as an M engine, but it was an engine built with power in mind.
P.S. The Z4 has always shared a lot with the 3 series. It makes sense for it to get the 3 series engine, suspension, etc.