Future of the Inline 6?

8bitter

Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2010
Messages
82
Location
WA
Car(s)
BMW 530i
On the one hand it's a long engine, not suited to front drive, transverse cars. On the other for improved emissions and economy turbo modular inline sixes are replacing V8s in some cars (BMW), and these engines can be made into inline 4s and 3s!. So will the inline six stay in trucks, or make a comeback with cars?:cool:

AMC 258 6cyl

vam-77-t.jpg
 
Although I'm a fan of inline 6s, I don't see much future for them. I think that the reason they're still in BMWs is that the company has so much invested in tooling and also has so much experience in building inline performance engines. While the inlines score high in smoothness, sound and serviceability, the downsides of weight and packaging almost certainly outweigh the benefits.

SL
 
Apparently Mercedes-Benz is switching back to inline sixes on W213 E-class. Downsizing means V8s are going to be replaced by blown straight sixes, so there might be some hope after all?
 
I can deal with that.
 
I hope they stay for a long while, I love my N54 :)
 
Apparently Mercedes-Benz is switching back to inline sixes on W213 E-class. Downsizing means V8s are going to be replaced by blown straight sixes, so there might be some hope after all?

Exactly what I was about to say...
 
That's actually a bit strange. V6s would seem like the more logical evolution.
 
Straight sixes are cheaper option for exhaust gas cleaning, especially in diesels. You have only one cylinder head, so you don't need double particulate filters, nox traps, cats and other gizmos to clean the gasses. Those parts have to be really close to the manifold/turbo chargers, so you need twice the parts in V-configuration. It will be interesting to see if Mercedes-Benz keeps V6 petrol engines, or do they transfer all six cylinder engines to inline configuration. I guess they're building so many engines that economies of scale doesn't matter that much anymore.
 
Jaguar could be really clever here and make the new I6 with !!! NO PLASTIC COVER OVER THE ENGINE !!!

A nice cam cover harking back to the XK would make a whole new lot of fan boys and make the old timers misty eyed.

It would be so easy too and maybe even cheaper than having to design loads of cheapo plastic bits.
 
Jaguar could be really clever here and make the new I6 with !!! NO PLASTIC COVER OVER THE ENGINE !!!

A nice cam cover harking back to the XK would make a whole new lot of fan boys and make the old timers misty eyed.

It would be so easy too and maybe even cheaper than having to design loads of cheapo plastic bits.

I'm all for that, but modern engines tend to have quite a lot of modern enginy stuff sitting on top of them that the covers hide.

 
V6s are great, if they are traditional 60 deg units. The trouble starts when the accountants get on board with 90 deg V6s that came from chopping two cylinders off a V8.

Theory now says that with emissions and economy tightening you will have fewer V8s to derive V6s from, so a modular 3,4 6 cyl inline engine, with a turbo 6 replacing the V8, might happen.
 
Thats because Ford still has a play in Mazda and everything Ford makes is good this year.

Outside of the fact that engine and the car it is in have no relation to anything Ford has designed, you are correct.
 
Top