Not today, downsizing: BMW’s 2 Series could get a new straight-six engine

By Ronan Glon May 16, 2016

2014 BMW M235i coupe — Image used with permission by copyright holder

BMW is preparing to shoehorn its brand-new straight-six engine under the hood of its smallest models, a recent report finds.

The 1 Series hatchback and both the coupe and the convertible variants of the 2 Series will buck the industry’s downsizing trend and receive the 3.0-liter straight-six mill that’s found in the engine bay of the recently introduced 340i, among other models. Fitted with a turbocharger and tweaked by BMW’s M division, the all-aluminum engine will generate 340 horsepower, about 20 more than the unit it replaces. The six is expected to send the 2 from zero to 60 mph in less than five seconds, and on to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

Buyers will be asked to choose whether they want a six-speed manual transmission, or an eight-speed automatic unit developed with input from German gearbox experts ZF. Rear-wheel drive will come standard, while BMW’s winter-beating xDrive all-wheel drive system will be offered at an extra cost.

The new engine will be complemented by new nameplates. The M235i (pictured) will become the M240i, and the M135i will be known as the M140i. It’s too early to tell whether the mechanical changes will be accompanied by other tweaks such as a face-lift or a new infotainment system.

BMW hasn’t commented on the rumor, so only time will tell if the 1 and the 2 Series are about to get a new straight-six. We won’t have to wait long, because the updated 2 will reportedly make its debut this summer as a 2017 model. Look for it to carry a premium over the M235i, which starts at $44,150 before a mandatory destination charge is factored in.

Read more: Here’s why BMW M believes going all-wheel drive is inevitable

The M140i will go on sale in Europe at the same time as the M240i but it hasn’t been earmarked for the United States, where small premium hatchbacks have historically been unpopular at best.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributor

Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

Gaming

Unreal Engine 5 enters early access, gets new tech demo

unreal engine 5 early access unreal5pic

Epic Games announced today that Unreal Engine 5 is now in early access. The company went into detail about the tool on its blog and outlined the new features that will be available for early access.

Unreal Engine 5 is the latest game engine from Epic Games that a multitude of game developers and filmmakers use to create their art. Those who are interested in signing up for early access and testing out the new engine can access it through the Epic Launcher.

Computing

Leaked code all but confirms that new M-series iMacs could launch soon

apple imac redesign g4 throwback xhakomo doda 1

An unreleased Apple iMac with an M-series processor could already be in the wild somewhere on the desk of a developer. Screenshots circulating crash code from Apple's Xcode integrated development environment were recently obtained by 9to5Mac and point to the existence of an ARM-based iMac.

This is best to be taken lightly, but a new iMac has been long-rumored for a launch sometime in 2021. Some reports have also been pointing to a redesigned model with a flat back, new colors, and thinner bezels. The fact that a developer is already in possession of the updated model could be evidence of an upcoming product launch.

Computing

Future MacBooks could get a big performance boost if new Apple patent pans out

Fortnite running on a Macbook M1.

Your next MacBook Pro powered by a future version of Apple's in-house-designed M1 processor could be even faster and last longer on a charge if Apple's new hybrid memory patent, which combines high-density, low-bandwidth memory with low-density, high-bandwidth memory, becomes a reality. Rather than share memory between the CPU and GPU on Apple's current system on a chip (SoC) design -- which has its own set of limitations -- Apple proposes in its patent, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, that the use of a hybrid system would be more efficient and deliver additional performance.

"Providing a memory system with two types of DRAM (e.g., one high-density and one low-latency, high-bandwidth) may permit a highly energy-efficient operation, which may make the memory system suitable for portable devices and other devices where energy efficiency and performance per unit of energy expended are key attributes," the company said in its filing.