Is Nothing Sacred Anymore? BMW To Bring Threebangers

If the thought of a four-cylinder BMW gives you the creeps, then this will cause chronic dermatitis:  BMW is thinking of putting three-cylinder engines into vehicles sold in the United States. "Hybrids with a three-cylinder engine are coming rapidly," BMW sales chief Ian Robertson told Automotive News [sub]. However, the three-bangers will be used for more than just charging a battery. A BMW source told AN that the three-cylinder will be used for the Mini brand and for cars based on the new front-wheel-drive UKL platform. This in addition to powering the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid. Says Robertson: "It behaves like a six-cylinder, it is half of a six-cylinder engine and has the noise of a six cylinder.The output from a relatively small engine is not what you would have imagined." Blame it on CAFE, small gasoline engines displace bigger mills. Ford will bring its three-cylinder, 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine to the United States. AN thinks it will go into the Fiesta. from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

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