In September, BMW M CEO
Frank Van Meel spoke about a hybrid M future and now
BMW M Vice President Dirk Hacker has confirmed that M prototypes powered by hybrid powertrains are already being tested.
"We cannot avoid the need for electrification and it is true that we are working on hybrid power already," said Hacker. "For now, all I will say is that we are working on a very precise technical solution, but there is no final decision on how to deploy the concept."
The biggest problem BMW engineers face with hybrid powertrains is the weight gain from the battery pack - weight which would impact a car's pace and agility.
"Adding mass to performance cars is never ideal,” he said. “But if we can use electrification to install more performance, then we start to have the answers. That might be more speed, or it might be the ability for a car to be driven on electric power in a city. It might also be the case that we need different answers to that question in different cities."
“The better the batteries and the more efficient the electric motors, the better the solutions will be for M,” he said. “We are working on always making better cars.”
Fret not internal combustion engine fans, Hacker also confirmed BMW was committed to building combustion-engined M cars for as long as it was legislatively possible. "For some enthusiasts, they will always have advantages, and we have seen with the sales of the M2, which are well past expectations, that these are the kinds of cars many enthusiasts still want," he said.
Source:
Autocar