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The logical, socially-conscious side of my brain can't wait to see 6 cylinder engines go the way of the v8. Four cylinders and a hybrid system ought to be able

The logical, socially-conscious side of my brain can't wait to see 6 cylinder engines go the way of the v8. Four cylinders and a hybrid system ought to be able to generate enough torque for just about anyone (except maybe heavy-duty hauling?). And the future is of course BEV. But have to admit there is a part of me that would really love to drive something like the BMW M340i [1]. And the gas mileage (26/33 MPG) isn't even too bad. [1] https://youtu.be/kr-h9T42NAI?si=IZaDC9UqAsUtjQN9 https://youtu.be/kr-h9T42NAI?si=IZaDC9UqAsUtjQN9

singleshot_ 8mo ago
> can't wait to see 6 cylinder engines go the way of the v8. You want to stuff an in-line six in every race car, buggy, and Jeep that you see, with a supercharger slapped on top? Why not just go with an LS?
gopalv 8mo ago
> the future is of course BEV That's probably the reason - we only need dressage horses and pure bloods now that the real draft horse is getting put to pasture. These are no longer workhorses. Six cylinders are the smoothest engines out there. Honda used to have a 1L 6 cylinder engine for their bikes - the Gold wing has a 6 cylinder still. The perimeter of the piston goes down in relation to its area (& multiplied by BMEP) when the radius goes up - looking at you Africa Twin. The perimeter is where the unburnt fuel lives and gets caught up in the emission rules. So fewer larger cylinders is better according to EPA - 500cc each, maybe. If we're only going to have hobby vehicles with internal combustion, then a six cylinder or doubling up to a v-12 makes sense. They're toys for the weekend, not to put a 100k miles on it.
- linsomniac 8mo ago
  >Six cylinders are the smoothest engines out there. I dunno man, have you ever driven a rotary? The design has a lot of problems, but smoothness isn't one of them...
- RickJWagner 8mo ago
  My older brother had a mighty CBX. Smooth as silk, and very fast. Carburetor synchronization was troubling!
a_t48 8mo ago
Even 4 cylinders and a turbo (like my GLI) are plenty fun. I’m tire grip limited as it is, but it probably keeps me out of trouble, as tempting as something with more pep is.
- freetime2 8mo ago
  Yup I imagine the vast majority of car "enthusiasts" out there wouldn't be able to beat the Golf R Nurburgring lap record of 7:47 [1] in any car of their choosing. And more power would probably only serve to increase their odds of crashing. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt9l4NwHB8s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt9l4NwHB8s
  - 7speter 8mo ago
    In a lot of cases they don’t have to worry about caked on burnt oil lining critical passages of their engines, either.
TheJoeMan 8mo ago
I cannot easily find a used M340i for sale private-party. Owners must love them to death, I need to check the sales figures. One of my favorite long-term review articles on Car and Driver https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a30143002/2020-bmw-m340i-reliability-maintenance/ https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a30143002/2020-bmw-m340...
grvdrm 8mo ago
I drive that exact car! It is awesome. Incredible power. Silky smooth on highway. Sounds like a beast on start up. I regularly get 36/37 mpg on a long drive. I prefer the sound of the B58 in the m340 over the S58 in the m3 but they are quite different engines. And way different power. But straight-six throughout. Still think one of the best engine sounds out there is the s54 in the 2001-2006 m3
- rconti 8mo ago
  I've owned a handful of BMWs (no S54 though) but I'm partial so the sound of the S62 V8. The turbo 6 generations were truly a remarkable change for BMW in terms of power, though. At the moment, I have a Boxster, and the flat 6 somehow feels smoother than any I6 I've owned. I've done some research and sure enough, the inline 6 is (mathematically) smoother than an inline 6. The only way I can explain the fact that the boxer feels smoother is because it's mounted low and behind me, away from steering components? Whereas in my I6 cars, with the engine in front, you feel it through the front subframe and steering a bit.
  - grvdrm 8mo ago
    Funny. I also have a Boxster. 2014 981 S. I love natural aspiration 6 cylinder cars. Smoother in what sense? My Boxster is stick so the shifting experience is very different. The flat-6 is a remarkable sound - intoxicating. Especially purely naturally aspirated though I don’t hate the sound of the turbo 3.x variations in various Porsches. BMW ZF is great but it’s not the same. Otherwise, yes - the handling in Boxster is so different compared to the m340. It just feels like it’s on rails around corners. No body roll. And for me peak way up in RPM means my highway merges are an absolute blast / symphony.
    - rconti 8mo ago
      Yeah, mine's the same (2013 981 S 6MT). As you know, they're geared to the moon, and taking a surprising amount of rowing to get the most out of the powerband, so often I'll merge onto the freeway and just be hanging out in 3rd at 70 as I look for my spot in traffic and you don't even know you're not in 6th. Turbine smooth.

singleshot_ 8mo ago

> can't wait to see 6 cylinder engines go the way of the v8. You want to stuff an in-line six in every race car, buggy, and Jeep that you see, with a supercharger slapped on top? Why not just go with an LS?

gopalv 8mo ago

> the future is of course BEV That's probably the reason - we only need dressage horses and pure bloods now that the real draft horse is getting put to pasture. These are no longer workhorses. Six cylinders are the smoothest engines out there. Honda used to have a 1L 6 cylinder engine for their bikes - the Gold wing has a 6 cylinder still. The perimeter of the piston goes down in relation to its area (& multiplied by BMEP) when the radius goes up - looking at you Africa Twin. The perimeter is where the unburnt fuel lives and gets caught up in the emission rules. So fewer larger cylinders is better according to EPA - 500cc each, maybe. If we're only going to have hobby vehicles with internal combustion, then a six cylinder or doubling up to a v-12 makes sense. They're toys for the weekend, not to put a 100k miles on it.

linsomniac 8mo ago
>Six cylinders are the smoothest engines out there. I dunno man, have you ever driven a rotary? The design has a lot of problems, but smoothness isn't one of them...
RickJWagner 8mo ago
My older brother had a mighty CBX. Smooth as silk, and very fast. Carburetor synchronization was troubling!

a_t48 8mo ago

Even 4 cylinders and a turbo (like my GLI) are plenty fun. I’m tire grip limited as it is, but it probably keeps me out of trouble, as tempting as something with more pep is.

freetime2 8mo ago
Yup I imagine the vast majority of car "enthusiasts" out there wouldn't be able to beat the Golf R Nurburgring lap record of 7:47 [1] in any car of their choosing. And more power would probably only serve to increase their odds of crashing. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt9l4NwHB8s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt9l4NwHB8s
- 7speter 8mo ago
  In a lot of cases they don’t have to worry about caked on burnt oil lining critical passages of their engines, either.

TheJoeMan 8mo ago

I cannot easily find a used M340i for sale private-party. Owners must love them to death, I need to check the sales figures. One of my favorite long-term review articles on Car and Driver https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a30143002/2020-bmw-m340i-reliability-maintenance/ https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a30143002/2020-bmw-m340...

grvdrm 8mo ago

I drive that exact car! It is awesome. Incredible power. Silky smooth on highway. Sounds like a beast on start up. I regularly get 36/37 mpg on a long drive. I prefer the sound of the B58 in the m340 over the S58 in the m3 but they are quite different engines. And way different power. But straight-six throughout. Still think one of the best engine sounds out there is the s54 in the 2001-2006 m3

rconti 8mo ago
I've owned a handful of BMWs (no S54 though) but I'm partial so the sound of the S62 V8. The turbo 6 generations were truly a remarkable change for BMW in terms of power, though. At the moment, I have a Boxster, and the flat 6 somehow feels smoother than any I6 I've owned. I've done some research and sure enough, the inline 6 is (mathematically) smoother than an inline 6. The only way I can explain the fact that the boxer feels smoother is because it's mounted low and behind me, away from steering components? Whereas in my I6 cars, with the engine in front, you feel it through the front subframe and steering a bit.
- grvdrm 8mo ago
  Funny. I also have a Boxster. 2014 981 S. I love natural aspiration 6 cylinder cars. Smoother in what sense? My Boxster is stick so the shifting experience is very different. The flat-6 is a remarkable sound - intoxicating. Especially purely naturally aspirated though I don’t hate the sound of the turbo 3.x variations in various Porsches. BMW ZF is great but it’s not the same. Otherwise, yes - the handling in Boxster is so different compared to the m340. It just feels like it’s on rails around corners. No body roll. And for me peak way up in RPM means my highway merges are an absolute blast / symphony.
  - rconti 8mo ago
    Yeah, mine's the same (2013 981 S 6MT). As you know, they're geared to the moon, and taking a surprising amount of rowing to get the most out of the powerband, so often I'll merge onto the freeway and just be hanging out in 3rd at 70 as I look for my spot in traffic and you don't even know you're not in 6th. Turbine smooth.