Quote:
Originally Posted by Fraser
An inline six sounds and feels completely different to an inline four, smoother too. There's more at stake here than performance and economy.
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I was just ribbing JCL from a different thread regaring the Ford Mustang's live axle. He said if it goes around a track as fast as an M3 with an independent rear suspension, then it doesn't matter. Essentially saying, it is the end result, not the means of getting there. I saw similarities here.
I know what you mean about the difference between the 4 and 6 cylinder engines, though. I have put over 300,000 miles on BMW straight six engines. I love the silky smoothness and balance, but BMW needs to give the North American versions more power. Detuned versions such as the base 1 and 3 series just don't cut it, imo. They just don't have enough oomph.
At the end of the day, if using 4 cylinders allows BMW to reduce emmissions and maintain/improve overall performance while also reducing vehicle weight (and shift some of it off the front axle), it will be a good thing, imo.