BMW will drop high-revving engines in M models

BMW may be looking to lose some cylinders in the name of economy. Just like Audi, it seems BMW will drop high-revving engines in favor of turbocharging on its "M" model cars. AutoWeek is reporting that tough emissions standards worldwide and soaring manufacturing costs in Germany are behind the switch.

This reduces labor costs because BMW will be bolting turbochargers to engines that are already being produced on a large-scale. So now instead of producing a small number of V10 engines for the M5, the 2010 M5 will likely get a twin-turbo version of the 4.4-liter V8 that will deliver similar performance. One pleasing by-product of this downsize may be lighter engines, which will lead to lighter cars and better fuel economy.