BMW will champion the V-12 engine for at least another four
years, but after 2023 the German luxury marque said it will be a challenge to
keep the powerplant in its vehicles.
Michael Bayer, head of BMW powertains, said the brand has no
plans to abandon the V-12 engine, which serves the 2020 7-Series,
and it will remain safely tucked under the hoods of the full-size luxury sedan
until 2023, according to a Wednesday Top Gear report. After that, it's unclear what kind of
future the 6.0-liter twin-turbo V-12 has within the brand.
New emissions regulations will make it extremely difficult
to keep the V-12 around in various parts of the world, and the massive mill
could exit production after 2023. For now, it leaves BMW as the only German
luxury brand to offer a V-12 in its largest car. Mercedes-Benz announced
the AMG S65
Final Edition earlier this year and said no future S-Class would house
the brand's 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-12.
Bayer said BMW won't give up hope on the V-12 come
2023. He said it's possible the engine could be updated to meet the upcoming
round of efficiency and emissions regulations in the European Union, but
admitted it would be quite the undertaking. If the brand does decide to update
the V-12, expect some sort of electrification to counter the large-displacement
engine's thirsty habits.
The brand also has some incentive to keep production of the
engine humming. According to Bayer, BMW has been shocked by the demand for the
7-Series with the V-12. Middle Eastern and Chinese customers, specifically,
have been the top buyers. He said since the reveal of the 2020 7-Series,
production of the V-12 has been at full capacity to meet demand. The new
7-Series also offers a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6, an electrified version
of the inline-6, and a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8.
source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1122457_bmw-says-it-will-be-a-challenge-to-keep-v-12-after-2023
by Sean Szymkowski
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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