Three-cylinder, four-cylinder BMW M cars ruled out

BMW M has again dashed hopes of a BMW 1M hyper hatch to rival the Mercedes-AMG A45 S and Audi RS3 – and assured the future of six-cylinder and V8 engines in its flagship petrol-powered high-performance cars.

Speaking to US website CarBuzz, BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel confirmed the company will not follow rival Mercedes-AMG with a switch to four-cylinder power in its new high-performance models – and ruling out any AMG 45-rivalling hot hatches, sedans or SUVs

When asked if BMW M would consider a three-cylinder performance car, van Meel told CarBuzz: "I hope that was just a rhetorical question because it's clear we're not going to do any three-cylinder engines.

"We're not even going to do four-cylinder engines in high-performance cars. I know there are other companies [that] are doing that, but we're not going to do that."

BMW M has applied its branding to a four-cylinder car, in its range of M35i models: the M135i hot hatch, M235i Gran Coupe small sedan and X2 M35i small SUV – all based on the same front- and all-wheel-drive platform, with 2.0-litre turbo engines.

But these are what BMW M terms "performance" (or M Performance) cars – rather than the flagship "high-performance" range, including the M2, M3 and M4, with bespoke M engines, more aggressive styling, and more comprehensive performance upgrades.

Ruling out four-cylinder high-performance models means there will not be a full M version of the 1 Series hatch – which would rival the Mercedes-AMG A45 S or Audi RS3 – nor its main platform mates, the 2 Series Gran Coupe sedan, and X1 and X2 SUVs.

In doing so, van Meel has implicitly assured the future of inline six-cylinder power in the M3 and M4, and the V8 in the M5 – until they inevitably go ditch petrol power completely and go all-electric.

However, hybrid technology will be used in the meantime – as the recently-revealed M2 sports coupe has been confirmed to be the last high-performance BMW M car to go without hybrid or electric technology.

It has been all but confirmed the next M5 super sedan due in 2024 (below) will add a hybrid system to its overhauled twin-turbo V8 engine – while rumours differ on whether the next M3 and M4 in 2028 or 2029 will go hybrid, or skip straight to electric propulsion.

BMW M has built a four-cylinder high-performance car before, in the form of the original E30 M3 of the late 1980s – but all M3s that followed have been six-cylinders or V8s.

Van Meel's comments come as chief rival Mercedes-AMG ditches V8 power in the M3-fighting C63 – and according to some rumours, the E63 as well – in favour of a turbo four-cylinder plug-in hybrid system with 500kW.

Meanwhile, Audi Sport says it has no plans' for a four-cylinder car, and will not go smaller than the five-cylinder engine in today's RS3 hot hatch/sedan, RS Q3 small SUV and TT RS coupe

Reports suggest it plans to introduce hybrid technology in future models – rumoured to include the next RS4 Avant wagon – while others are slated to go electric, including the next RS3, expected in 2028 or 2029.

Three-cylinder engines are rare in high-performance cars, seen in hot hatches such as the Ford Fiesta ST and Toyota GR Yaris/GR Corolla – though BMW fitted a three-cylinder to its defunct i8 hybrid sports car, albeit without an M badge.

Van Meel's latest comments are not the first to rule out three- or four-cylinder power, as the M boss has poured cold water on such a switch in 2017 and 2016 in his previous stint as BMW M chief.