Quote:
Originally Posted by bradleyland
Eh, not sure I agree with all of that. Keep in mind that the M2 is going to be very weight-focused. BMW isn't going to produce an I5. Audi "owns" the I5, and for BMW to produce one would be seen as copying. They'd never live it down. That means it's I4 or I6 for the M2.
When you consider the focus on weight, I can't see how the I6 makes more sense than an I4. Not only are you talking about additional weight, but the packaging of an I6 makes it the longest engine format commonly available. That pushes the weight even further forward. Personally, I'd love to see BMW deliver the M2 with a slightly rear-biased weight distribution. With those goals in mind, an I4 has significant upsides.
It might satisfy you, but you're not "everyone". Smoothness is nice, but it's farther down on the list of priorities in a sports car. For a grand tourer, sure, but not in a sports car. The M2 is going to a very focused car. The M235i is there for people who want the larger engine with the associated refinement. As freaked out as I was about the I4 at the beginning, I've become a real supporter of the idea, provided we get a real light-weight car. If it comes out weighing 3300 lbs, well then the whole thing is a wash, because there's no point. You might as well drop in an S65, because they didn't make good on their promise.
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You are still avoiding that fact that the 2-series is not a small car or on a platform that was designed solely for light weight. The 2-series is built on a modified 3-series platform which is a mid-size to large car now. Thus it doesn't make sense to artificially limit such a platform to a 4-cylinder engine, in the same way as it would in a platform initially designed around a consistent theme of lightness.
This generation 2-series, regardless of utilizing some CFRP non-structural panels, will never be anywhere close to a featherweight sports car where a 4-cylinder or smaller engine is an ideal compromise on the path towards ultimate lightness. A sports car platform that is sized/designed correctly for a 4-cylinder engine to be ideal would be an Elise, Miata, 4C, S2000, etc. The 2-series does not belong in the same class as these other featherweight focused sports cars.
Therefore, a 4-cylinder while it may save weight and improve weight distribution, is truly a compromise in such a relatively large and heavy platform. People can spin this however way they want, but that does not change the fact that many potential buyers will never be content with this compromise being made to a "pure sports car" being built on such an undeniably unfocused platform.