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      02-09-2023, 07:54 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NorCalAthlete View Post
I was having this convo at the meetup over the weekend and the CSL thread got me thinking about it again.

Starting points:

- BMW is trending towards bigger and boxier SUV / crossover styles (XM, for example) though the 3 series is still king
- Ford is spinning off (or looking to spin off) the Mustang brand as a separate entity
- Chevy may follow with Corvette, and are making a "Corvette" SUV ala Urus
- Porsche sort of led the charge with the Cayenne / Macan, but now everyone is doing it
- at the same time, Chevy basically said they switched to a mid engine layout because they had squeezed everything they could out of the previous front engine, RWD layout performance-wise

So. BMW.

IF the trend continues towards SUVs, and IF BMW decides they've gotten everything they can out of the layout / platform after the M4 CS / CSL / M3 CS etc....might they decide to switch to a mid engine layout?

Something like a larger i8, with a hybrid straight 6 twin turbo, and xDrive.

Discuss.
Simple direction: EVs only from some point on, with hybrids as some sort of intermediary solution until EVs are widely accepted and the charging infrastructure is good enough.

I think the last ICE M3 will be built in 2027...afterwards probably a next gen electric M3. Makes sense.
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