Saab9-3

I have heard reports that even BMW is experimenting with V6's. Personally, I do not like 6 cylinder engines- they generally lack the punch and growl of a V8, and they dont have the character of a 4 (I have a certain 2.0 liter I4 in mind). I dont think i would buy a 350Z because I would think of the engine as just a beefed up sedan engine (which it is).

WestSideBilly

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Saab9-3
[B]I have heard reports that even BMW is experimenting with V6's. Personally, I do not like 6 cylinder engines- they generally lack the punch and growl of a V8, and they dont have the character of a 4 (I have a certain 2.0 liter I4 in mind). I

99GT

I guess I will take a beefed up sedan engine any day over a pissy econobox engine with a turbo strapped to it(although that's fun, too). The power, and how it gets transmitted to the wheels is the key thing, not whether the block was originally designed for sedans or coupes. How ultimately shallow do you want to be?
Trucks still use straight sixes for the reasons listed here. Those reasons also make it a good car engine, but apparently all but BMW have found that with the engine so long with any kind of displacement, it is cheaper and better to use a V or flat arrangement over 3.2 liters in a straight line.

The passing of the turbo'd straight six in Japanese sports cars is not a bad thing, just the end of an era of sorts. Cheers

Saab9-3

[QUOTE]Originally posted by WestSideBilly
[B]

But are you comparing a similar sized 6 cylinder to 8 cylinder?

ultimate lurker

Something else to consider is that for performance, a V6 is a better engine for high revs than an I6. This is because an I6 has the longest crank in the business (save for that of a V12). This creates problems with crank flex at high rpms. That BMW gets the S54 to rev to 8000 rpm reliably is no small feat. The RB26 was also capable of revving to these levels in OEM format, but it was pretty small in displacement for an I6.

In terms of production costs, an I6 can actually be cheaper to produce, in particular because you need fewer cams and heads than a V engine. Balance wise, a properly designed V6 is just about as smooth as an I6 and doesn't need balance shafts (witness the C32 in the NSX, or the more mundane, but just as impressive J32A2 in the CL-S).

UL

JT-KGY

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Saab9-3
[B]

I understand what you are saying, and I guess I just have a stigma attached to 6 cylinder engines from the cars I have driven (accord- boring, Lexus-boring, camry-boring).

iatacs19

my BMW 323i had a real hard time in any snow situation, i couldn't even park it in my driveway which had a slight hill.... I do think it's true that RWD is awful in the snow, only b/c of my personal experience with the BMW.

99GT

iatacs19-
I think it is just BMWs that are awful in snow. Every BMW owner I know complains about it, but I have no problems with my car, and no-one else I know with a pickup or full size rwd American car complains about it either. Either BMW drivers are whiners, or BMW is doing something wrong.