CAR Magazine has been covering the ongoing collaboration negotiations between BMW and Mercedes for some time. As usual, nothing unites like a common enemy, and the longtime rivals have been brought together by the looming leviathan that is the new Porsche-VW alliance. But partnership does not come easily after decades of fierce competition. CAR speculates on the possible causes of ongoing difficulties thusly: “Maybe it’s a mutual case of ‘not invented here’. Maybe it’s what decades of ingrained rivalry does to you. Or a mix of shortsightedness, ignorance and stubborness. Perhaps a combination of the above.” Whatever the cause, BMW and Mercedes have yet to finalize any plans to share M-B’s new M295 all-aluminium V12. Is BMW, like McLaren, suffering from a restrictive Daimler contract with Aston-Martin? We’ll may never know. What is clear is that Mercedes needs a new corporate four-banger for its burgeoning small-car portfolio. The current C-class four is “too big, too heavy and too expensive” say CAR, and a new, shared four-cylinder could be jointly developed for Benz’s A-, B-, C-, E- and GLK-classes, and BMW’s 1-, X1, 3, X3, and MINI models. If no German alliance forms, PSA and Fiat are waiting in the wings, hoping to snag a technical partner for their own next-gen four-bangers. Meanwhile, “other collaboration opportunities between Munich and Stuttgart include more pace-setting hybrid modules, more efficient dual-clutch and automatic transmissions, advanced driver assistance systems and a highly flexible small car concept.” No mention yet of the Sudetenland.
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While they are getting the party together, maybe they could bring someone to the dance that has decent electrical systems?
Nah, that would make too much sense.
@Landcrusher:
+100
Isn’t one of the benefits of any partnership that the partner brings something to the table you don’t already have. Like, I don’t know, say, window regulators that can outlast a water pump.
Just sayin’
Is it just me, or does it seem like there are at least twice as many automotive manufacturing companies in the world as are actually required?
Isn’t one of the benefits of any partnership that the partner brings something to the table you don’t already have. Like, I don’t know, say, window regulators that can outlast a water pump.
I love it! A sort of European luxury catch-22: what goes first, the window regulator or the water pump?
I Take a joint manu can save money on developing costs.
many yrs ago the 2.7 Litre Vee6 jointly developed by Volvo/PSA just never cut the mustard. Earn Volvo a bad name with the V6.
They need to invent something that last 30 days beyond the W expires.
But as Economy being tanked folks will hang onto their old cars longer, but a catch the cars made last 10 yrs were so electrically connected that a small lightning can upset them.
Perhaps someone is going to re-make the good old Trabant or Trabbie as the locals call them. Little 2 cyl, as long as u have oel mix it can run forever, no need Ethylene Glycol namely Anti-freeze either.
a few years back, I drove a c190 in France. It had decent power and while a bit stripper for a US benz was OK
If BMW came in with a less expensive four cylinder 320i and a 120i here, with less interior kit, aimed at the guy who would otherwise go for a loaded GTi, they would sell well, just so the four was set to be quite a bit below the sixes.
Does anyone have a really jaw-droppingly good base naturally aspirated four cylinder out there? They are all pretty whitebread. And why not? They make fours for cheapskates, the Euro market, and mile crunchers (no offence, base model owners of the world) – they’d much rather upsell you to a nice loaded 6 or 8 cylinder (or a four with forced induction) that has a significantly higher profit margin.
BMW’s 1 series should have been a turboed 4 cylinder basic sedan evoking the 2002 model basic sport sedan philosophy. As it is it’s a shrunken 3 series that costs nearly as much with less room. It has no separate identity.
“Does anyone have a really jaw-droppingly good base naturally aspirated four cylinder out there?”
Perhaps Honda? 201 SAE net horsepower from a normally aspirated 2.4l engine (TSX version) is pretty respectable. Dual overhead cams and variable valve timing give a reasonably flat torque curve as well. Not exactly bargain bin engineering or construction.
“Does anyone have a really jaw-droppingly good base naturally aspirated four cylinder out there?”
Honda and Toyota, both. The Honda K- (RSX, TSX, Accord) and R-Series (non-Si Civic) or Toyota ZZ (2ZZ-GE, Celica, Elise), ZR (Corolla 1.8) and AZ (Camry, RAV) are all quite good. Heck, even the pedestrian forms are decent performers for the level of economy they give.
They’re not direct-injected marvels, but they’re simple and robust. Of course, the Germans can’t have simple–they’d have to clutter it up somehow to eke out that last little bit of engineering penis lengthcapability.