Monday 12th September 2011

BMW Mulls Over Turbocharged V6

One to upset the BMW purists, this...

---

BMW evangelists prepare yourself for this, because it's going to be a painful one: the folks over in Munich are mulling looking into developing a V6 powerplant.

The chronic BMW nuts over on Bimmerpost have spotted this schematic that BMW filed to the German Patent Office last year for a twin-turbo V6 engine.

That's right - V6. BMW blasphemy, that is...

Just what is in store for this engine is uncertain, however. Bimmerpost reckons the smart money is still on the next-gen M3 (F30) getting a tri-turbo 3.2-litre straight six, but that the bi-turbo V6 is a possibility.

What's particularly intriguing about this engine is that the exhaust gases of all cylinders are routed into one turbocharger. After that, the exhaust gases can be routed either into the exhaust system or into another turbocharger.

Of course, not all patent applications make it into series production, so perhaps BMW die-hards will be saved the upset of having to see V6s beneath their beloved blue and white roundel...

[filski666]

I would rather see that than a diesel M5.....

[HowardB]

if those things marked z-underscore are pistons? then I count eight?

confused, I am

[roberthiggs]

I've never seen a diagram make so little sense to me before :S

[roberthiggs]

HowardB said:

if those things marked z-underscore are pistons? then I count eight?

confused, I am

I thought that.. but the first picture has 6 erm.. circles

[Cupramax]

HowardB said:

if those things marked z-underscore are pistons? then I count eight?

confused, I am

The top picture has six incase you didn't notice...

[Matt UK]

roberthiggs said:

I've never seen a diagram make so little sense to me before :S

Really?? It's clearly a V6 engine diagram.




Or an electricty sub station.



Or the inside of a mobile phone.



Etc etc

[Riggers]

doogz said:

HowardB said:

if those things marked z-underscore are pistons? then I count eight?

confused, I am

The top diagram looks similar, but with only 6. Maybe they're applying for patents for the technology for V6 and V8?

New picture added!

[soxboy]

So a firm with the engineering clout of BMW and many millions of Euros worth of CAD/CAM equipment submits its drawings to the patent office in hand drawn pen & ink?

Hmmmm

[HowardB]

Riggers said:

New picture added!

I thought that I was awake,...

[kambites]

soxboy said:

So a firm with the engineering clout of BMW and many millions of Euros worth of CAD/CAM equipment submits its drawings to the patent office in hand drawn pen & ink?

Hmmmm

Using CAD for that kind of diagram would take twice a long and what purpose would it serve?

[dele]

If a V6 was going to go anywhere, id imagine it'd more than likely go into the X5/6 SUVs?

[PetrolAholic]

doogz said:

HowardB said:

if those things marked z-underscore are pistons? then I count eight?

confused, I am

The top diagram looks similar, but with only 6. Maybe they're applying for patents for the technology for V6 and V8?

I would concur with that statement, saying that though why wouldnt they just apply for V6, V8, V10 and V12? Cost?

[kambites]

PetrolAholic said:

I would concur with that statement, saying that though why wouldnt they just apply for V6, V8, V10 and V12? Cost?

Since we haven't actually got the patent application to hand, it's had to say, but it's quite common to submit a patent which would cover multiple designs, explain it in depth for one and then say it can be extended to others and give one more as an example.

Also, plenty of companies submit patents for things that they have no intention of using themselves. The primary value of patents is to sell them to other people, not to use them oneself.

Edited by kambites on Monday 12th September 12:34

[mat205125]

Could be a ploy by BMW to patent their concept in a V formation, to prevent the intellegence being used by another couple of manufacturers I could think of, who have used V engines for many years.

[Ocho]

kambites said:

soxboy said:

So a firm with the engineering clout of BMW and many millions of Euros worth of CAD/CAM equipment submits its drawings to the patent office in hand drawn pen & ink?

Hmmmm

Using CAD for that kind of diagram would take twice a long and what purpose would it serve?

I'm with Cambites. Come on, really - a hand-drawn item like that being used officially, externally by a multi-billion Euro business, I think not.

If you look closely under the Pistonheads banner there's another hand-written note. I think it's probably a mark out of 10 for the design student....

[kambites]

Ocho said:

I'm with Cambites. Come on, really - a hand-drawn item like that being used officially, externally by a multi-billion Euro business, I think not.

I've done it on several occasions in patent applications submitted on behalf of a far bigger company than BMW.

[Johnboy Mac]

No surprise that BMW are mulling over a V6, makes a lot sense.

[FesterNath]

kambites said:

soxboy said:

So a firm with the engineering clout of BMW and many millions of Euros worth of CAD/CAM equipment submits its drawings to the patent office in hand drawn pen & ink?

Hmmmm

Using CAD for that kind of diagram would take twice a long and what purpose would it serve?

Erm... to make an official application to a professional body look, well, professional?

[FesterNath]

Johnboy Mac said:

No surprise that BMW are mulling over a V6, makes a lot sense.

Does it? Why?

[TACottle]

Is that a toaster?