Falcon EcoBoost a blessing for BMW?

Ask the average person in the street for an opinion about BMW migrating away from straight sixes and chances are good you'll be met with a blank stare — unless the person is an avid fan of the Bavarian brand.

Archrival Mercedes-Benz has been progressively introducing forced-induction fours to its range over many years, but not specifically as successors to its V6 engines. But BMW is making that leap — ditching its classic sixes in favour of more efficient turbocharged fours. And the strategic about turn is not taking place without some grumbling from the market.

During the local launch of the new 3 Series — which applies the downsizing principle to good effect in the 328i driven — motoring.com.au spoke with BMW's Head of Corporate Communications, Piers Scott to gauge his view on the new engineering philosophy. It was put to him that the Ford Falcon exemplar in Australia makes the local buyers — even if Falcon is not a car they aspire to own — readier to put the boot into BMW for moving away from straight sixes. Scott tended to agree, but had this further point to offer: the Falcon is soon to introduce the four-cylinder EcoBoost engine.

"It's for [Ford] to move to a four-cylinder that I think is going to really change that [fixation with inline sixes]," he said.

BMW is already aware that the market will slam the company for evolving or progressing in ways consumers aren't prepared to accept. When the M3 went from six-cylinder to a V8, that stirred up a hornet's nest, even though the original (E30) M3 was actually a four-cylinder. It frankly beggars belief that BMW enthusiasts would complain about a change from inline six to V8, when some Ford fans argue that no matter how good, the XR6 Turbo can never hope to match the old XR8 for charisma. Looking to the future, Scott hints that the M3 could end up a very different beast from the car we know — and have known in earlier generations.

"For us, a lot of the things we've done in the past have ruffled feathers and been controversial, but the M guys are always very specific on this topic," Scott continued. "They are not dogmatic and wedded to any one individual technology.

"Turbocharging is on the table; diesel — at least in the form of the M Performance vehicles — is on the table; hybridisation is the on the table. They're not going to say 'no' to anything necessarily, as long as it delivers against the objectives set."

The latest V8-powered M5 — with turbocharging — and its V10-powered predecessor both signal that BMW won't retreat into some engineering hidey-hole, safe from the slings and arrows of public opinion. 

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