Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel
Not to mention the GLC63 pair coming in a year or less which will also get over 500hp in S form. There is also an RS Q5 coming soon (was rumored to bow in Geneva but didn't) but that'll probably (99%) get the 450hp 2.9L V6.
BMW is likely to come in somewhere in the middle. I don't think they are going for best in class power because they know they aren't going to be able to win that arms race as long as Mercedes has the M177 4.0L V8 in service. I suspect they are in the final generation of V8 engines in their "C family" of products (the new I6 will take over from there, I suspect), so once that ends and everyone is playing with the same calibre firepower, maybe BMW will have a go. At that point though, 500hp will be the price of entry anyway. Then, the new race will be to 200hp/L in the 3.0L six cylinder engine class. Maybe it takes hybridized engines (like that new Mercedes M256 I6, speak of the devil), or maybe McLaren can help (since they are quickly approaching 200hp/L themselves). |
I did not take into consideration I6 vs V8 but now that we know the F97 is to get an S58, what real world numbers could we expect? The S58 with 450-460hp is not a bad thing but would love to see real world numbers close to 500hp...maybe 480-490hp. That would put the X3M in the mix vs the competition.