BMW Debuts New R6 3.0L I-6 Powerplant in European-Only 630 Ci

New 6-Cylinder to Power 3, 5, X3, X5, Z4 and More Future BMWs

Of the seventy-five years that BMW has been making motor vehicles, seventy-one of them have been spent perfecting the

BMW has spent the past 71 years refining the venerable inline six-cylinder engine, and for 2005 will release a new top-line version dubbed the R6. (Photo: BMW Canada)

inline-six motor. Remaking venerable powerplant is serious business, especially considering it's the base formula for power of nearly every BMW car made, large or small.

With 1.4 million inline sixes built, BMW's silky-smooth six is the real driving force behind the company. The proof is also in the awards and trophies that have been won over the years. For 2005, BMW will be offering a new generation of its top-line 3.0-liter inline-six, dubbed the R6. It will carry the legendary tradition built up from past 6-cylinder engines.

Nearly every historical BMW ever produced carries the inline-six engine, but for a handful. Highlights of cars that featured the famed straight six include BMW's first six-cylinder car, the Type 303 with a 1.3- liter

From the historic 303 to today's M3 powerhouse, almost every BMW ever produced carries a version of the inline-six engine. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press)

version. Some of the most graceful cars built incorporated the engine configuration, including the 328 of the late '30s, the elegant open-topped Type 335 and the CS-series touring coupes (which also spawned the 3.0 CSL 'Batmobile'). Even more exotic sports cars, such as BMW's only mid-engined M1, which pioneered four-valve per cylinder engine technology and also was the basis for forming the M-division, as well as the unique Z1, a stylish roadster with unique drop-down side doors, featured the engine in various highly-tuned guises. The world's ultimate sports sedan, the M5, started out with a straight six that seemed to get bigger and better as the years went by (the '90 version was a 3.6 liter growing to 3.8 liters in 1992). Today's hot-rod M3 incorporates a high-revving straight six at the top of its class in performance.