I guess we have been expecting this for quite some time now. Due to tougher emissions and fuel-economy regulations, BMW has decided it no longer needs to offer V8 diesel engines in its lineup. Officials feel modern turbocharging and direct-injection technology has reached the point where smaller capacity six-cylinder and even four-cylinder engines offer more than adequate performance for customers looking for fuel-efficient diesels.
Speaking with Auto Motor and Sport, BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer said BMW would be focusing on its six-cylinder engines as it attempts to improve the emissions and fuel consumption levels in light of stricter regulations set to roll in over the next decade in both the U.S. and Europe.
In my opinion, BMW realized that they can offer almost the same power with much smaller and lighter engines, so the decision to move away from the big diesel is definitely a smart one.
It will be also interesting to see if Mercedes-Benz will follow the same trend. We already know that Audi just released their new V12 TDI, beside the V10 diesel they had already, so they seem to be the only ones left in the game with big diesel engines.
The BMW V8 single-turbo diesel engine lifecycle will end with the E65 745d production end.
[Source: MotorAuthority ]
