Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason
BMW's 3-cylinder turbocharged engine is expected to power most of the Active Tourer models, with a more powerful 4-cylinder 235i Active Tourer model also speculated to come later.
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So it turns out that even the 225i model is using the B48 four cylinder, which doesn't surprise too much since it has 20%+ more power than the Mini Cooper S which also uses the B48.
Regardless of how they are badged, be it *35i or something else, I for one am very curious to see what the upcoming higher output versions of the B48 are going to deliver. Mercedes is on the bleeding edge of four cylinder performance right now with ~350hp, but a number of others are edging toward 300hp including VAG, GM, Ford, Hyundai/Kia, and even Volvo, who is in the process of replacing both their I5 and I6 engines with a turbocharged I4 family that get's up to near 300hp.
The days of needing six cylinders to get to 300hp will soon be behind us. Add hybrid systems to the mix, and over the next decade and a half, I think we'll see six cylinder engines become exclusive to cars up near ~400hp and above. V8s will probably be relegated to >500hp duty.