It was only a few years ago when BMW’s M Division denied any interest in hybridizing its performance cars, despite the fact that automakers such as Porsche, Ferrari, and McLaren made hybrids cool in the eyes of the public, meaning people just don’t think of the Prius when you mention one.
But over time, some rumors and reports surfaced suggesting BMW M could actually be ready to make the jump to incorporate hybridized powertrains in the future M models. There was even one not too long suggesting the next-generation M3 could turn into a plug-in hybrid. This is even bolstered by the fact that BMW has support from Toyota as the two are still collaborating on future projects.
According to AutoExpress, BMW M’s vice president for engineering, Dirk Hacker, confirmed that hybrid M cars will happen in the near future as a way to help the company continue to cut their CO2 emissions.
Additionally, Hacker pointed out hybrid systems can also make cars faster and more responsive, thanks to the immediate power delivery of electric motors.
“We will look at electrification – I think it could be inevitable – but it depends on the possibility of increasing performance,” he said in an interview. However, he did also concede that typical BMW M customers still desire a traditional internal combustion engine, so there’s a likely clue to suggest that BMW M isn’t particularly interested in the EV scene, strictly speaking.
Either way, do you think BMW M cars can benefit from hybridization?
– By: Chris Chin
Source: AutoExpress via BMW Blog
Source: egmCarTech http://bit.ly/1PwJqPw
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire