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Originally Posted by ynguldyn
G29 is taking shape.
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That’s great. It seems to me that fierce competition in the powertrain department is really forcing BMW to step up their game. Although there were some standouts (the version of the N54 in the previous E89 Z4 35is being one, in fact) the N54 and N55 were generally not iterated on nearly as aggressively as the B58 has been over the last couple years.
On the other side of the coin, one can’t help but notice VAG and Mercedes strategy to not keep their mid-range, high output engines exclusive to their mid-range, high performance products (the Audi I5 notwithstanding, I should fairly point out, though that's technically used only in entry level high performance products, not mid-range ones). This can work both ways, of course, because while there is a gain in economies of scale, there is also a loss in exclusivity. To be specific, I am referring to the RS4/RS5 TT V6 being shared with vehicles like the Cayenne S and Panamera S. Reportedly, the next S6 and S7 will also get this engine. Similarly, Mercedes has taken their M177 AMG V8, and, in a slightly different form called the M176, dropped it into the S560 (and the G550 before that, but it is woefully detuned there for some reason). Sure, some will lament the loss of the V8 in the VAG products I mention (the same will soon happen with Mercedes too, as the M256 I6 takes over for the M176 V8 - it's already the case for the S Class in Europe), but it also means lower cost - in theory at least. And while BMW is holding tightly to the dogma of "S" motors remaining exclusive to M products, they have already hinted that it might not be the case going forward. BMW's lineup is packed with vehicles where the future S58 could take over nicely for the N63. Finally, to bring this back around to my intended endpoint - the S58 could also be used in higher end M*40i products too, like the Z4 M40i. You just use the lowest tune in those products (~400hp), the mid range tune for the 5/6 range of *50i vehicles (~450hp), and the highest state of tune for the true M vehicles in 3/4 range (500hp+). The B58 would stick around for standard 40i products in the 5/6/7/8 range with 350hp. It would also remain in the 2 Series CLAR M*40i products with that same output.
Regarding the release date, I still think next year is going to be insane with all the new products arriving. Usually an automaker tries to space things out and give each new vehicle its own time to shine in the limelight, but with so much coming in 2018, it seems there will have to be some products sharing public debut timeframes, perhaps even with co-announcements. If they were going to combine any of them, the X4 and X5 would seem to make a good pairing. Or perhaps the 8, X7, and i8 Roadster could come together to usher in the new "Ultra Premium" lineup they've been hyping up with all the talk of the black-and-white BMW roundel and so on.