Just when it felt like Europe’s regulatory vise was about to squeeze the last drops of fuel from anything with more than four cylinders, BMW is here with a message that will warm the hearts of internal-combustion loyalists: the big engines aren’t going anywhere. Not yet, anyway.
Speaking from Munich, BMW has confirmed that its six-, eight-, and even twelve-cylinder engines remain very much alive—and, more importantly, compliant. According to the company, the next generation of its larger internal-combustion engines will meet the upcoming Euro 7 emissions standards, expected to take effect before the end of the decade. For an industry scrambling to electrify everything that moves, that’s no small claim.
Joachim Post, BMW’s head of technology, told British media that customers can continue to expect inline-sixes and V-8s in future BMW models. That alone would be enough to raise an eyebrow—but Post went further. He also hinted at the return of the V-12 to BMW-branded cars, a powertrain that officially exited the lineup when the M760i bowed out. Since then, BMW’s 12-cylinder masterpiece has lived exclusively under the hoods of Rolls-Royce models like the Ghost, Phantom, and Cullinan.
Now the rumor mill is spinning. Unofficially, the latest evolution of BMW’s V-12 could resurface in a hyper-exclusive model wearing the Alpina badge. With Alpina now operating as an official BMW sub-brand, the door is wide open for a flagship luxury sedan that blends old-school excess with modern emissions wizardry—and probably a price tag to match.
BMW’s commitment to combustion doesn’t stop there. The next-generation M3 has already been confirmed with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, and it’s set to arrive a year after the debut of the first fully electric M3, which is scheduled to break cover next year. The M4 coupe is also expected to follow into the next generation, ensuring that Munich’s performance division isn’t betting the farm on electrons alone.
The bigger picture is clear: BMW is hedging its bets—and doing it better than most. By continuing to develop internal-combustion, hybrid, and fully electric powertrains in parallel, the brand is positioning itself to serve nearly every kind of buyer, from EV early adopters to die-hard gasoline purists. The European Union’s softening stance on a total internal-combustion ban after 2035 certainly doesn’t hurt.
And the numbers back up BMW’s caution. Last year, 82 percent of global sales across the BMW Group—including Rolls-Royce and MINI—still came from vehicles powered by internal-combustion engines.
In other words, reports of the straight-six’s death have been greatly exaggerated. If BMW has its way, the future won’t be electric-only—it’ll be anything but boring.
Source: Autocar
