BMW Executive Confirms Automaker Is Developing 4-Cylinder Turbo Diesel Engine; In Strange Twist, He Says U.S. Delivery Will Hinge on Outcome of Presidential Race

BMW Executive Confirms Automaker Is Developing 4-Cylinder Turbo Diesel Engine; In Strange Twist, He Says U.S. Delivery Will Hinge on Outcome of Presidential Race

BMW's North American President Jim O'Donnell, in a videotaped interview with Business Week , has confirmed rumors that the Bavarian automaker is developing a new 4-cylinder motor, one that's diesel-powered, turbocharged and will outperform the current 6-cylinder N52 engine (right) , which debuted in 2004 inside the BMW E63 630Ci.

In the interview, O'Donnell (below) said:

"We are working on a new, 4-cylinder engine that will deliver stronger performance in terms of acceleration than the current 6-cylinder, that will deliver lower emissions and will give you better fuel economy; so it's a win, win, win situation. So this will be a high-tech 4-cylinder engine, obviously turbocharged. We can't really confirm or deny when it is going to come into the U.S. -- if it's going to come into the U.S. -- until after the [presidential] election and the government makes it clear what is going to be the platform that manufacturers have got to work to."

We're not sure what to make of that last sentence, because if what he's saying about the engine is true, it shouldn't have trouble meeting America's fuel-economy standards.

Or is he saying BMW will have this hot new engine, but won't export it to the U.S. unless John McCain is elected president? Or unless Barack Obama wins the contest? Why would that be? The videotape ends with "got to work to"; if he explained himself moments later, whatever he said got left on the cutting-room floor, so to speak.

Or perhaps we've got it all wrong. Perhaps his comments were primarily intended to take some of the attention away from Mercedes' announcement earlier this week that it will launch a new generation of super-efficient diesel engines later this year, starting with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder "BlueEfficiency" powerplant.

Mercedes' turbocharged engine has a 7.0-second acceleration time from zero to 62 miles per hour, a top sped of 155 mph and yet gets a claimed 45 miles per gallon on the European test cycle; it'll be substantially less under the EPA test in the U.S. Still, that engine has people talking, certainly more than O'Donnell likes.

So, is this a case of German luxury rivals now competing for downsized-engine primacy? Could be, given that smaller engines are going to be the norm not only in Europe but in the U.S. and Canada as well as governments on both sides of the Atlantic require better fuel efficiency and fewer greenhouse-gas emissions from domestic and foreign automakers alike.

Scott Doggett, Contributor

Scott Doggett:  is an AutoObserver.com Associate Editor.