Report: BMW to End Naturally Aspirated M Cars

[AF News Desk]

It seems BMW is planning to move to turbocharged and start-stop system motors with their M series cars, making the current generation M3 the last naturally aspirated M car from the German carmaker.

According to this report from AutoBlog.com, the move comes in advance of tighter emissions standards next year.

Originally Posted by Damon Lavrinc, AutoBlog - 4/4/11

The writing's been on the wall for some time, but the fate of BMW's naturally aspirated M cars is all but sealed: forced induction is the future and the next M3 will come equipped with a turbocharged engine.

With next year's new emissions standards looming on the horizon, every automaker is looking to improve its fleet-wide fuel economy and that means performance vehicles will be some of the first to undergo an EPA-mandated makeover.

For BMW, that means turbocharging and start-stop systems, two technologies that will boost the fuel economy of the all-new M5 by up to 25 percent when it goes on sale next spring.

Looking over BMW's current crop of M products, one vehicle stands alone in the induction department, and a source within BMW has told us that the E90/E92 M3's V8 will be the last naturally aspirated engine fitted to an M vehicle. While nearly every automaker has made tremendous strides to nearly eliminate turbo lag, the linear, low-end grunt of a turbo can't compare to the high-revving thrills of an NA powerplant. But the future is here and the future is forced induction.

What do you guys think? Will you be sad to see the NA engines in the M series go or are you a bigger fan of turbo power?

[-Josh-]

Turbocharged engines are more efficient, this only makes sense to do.