[Brookside]

R. I. P.



BMW's renowned inline 6-cylinder engine.

I think the trouble here is one of perception. The inline-6 for many people personifies BMW engineering. And it is a thing of beauty and power that I treasure. The note coming out of the exhaust is one of the most gorgeous sounds I've heard...up there with Church bells and the sound of waves breaking on the cliffs at Pemaquid Point, Maine.

I've got BMW's M54 w. manual trans. and I get around 20 city/27 hiway. It's an estimate, but a pretty good one, having owned the car for nearly 3 years.
I get immense satisfaction watching others pull up to the pump in their SUV's to pay $60-80 for a fill-up when my bill is around 1/2 that.

But, this gas crisis isn't going to go away anytime soon.
Factor in a fluctuating gas price that is based on avarice and speculation as much as the unsettled conditions in the Middle East and you have very good reasons to look at alternatives.

Right now my hat is off to Audi's 2.0 4 cyl. It's got an aluminum block, direct fuel-injection and a nifty little turbo that goes like smoke, beats 2012
EU emissions and gets very good gas mileage.

The 1-er coupe...the entire range of 1-series models, would easily be a great fit for a 4cylinder engine...and one I would seriously consider if it were available in N/A.

Maybe it's time to see BMW to turn their expertise from wringing the last ounce of power from the 6cyl. to concentrating on a more efficient and powerful 4-banger.