A leaked document appears to list the model designations, transmissions, chassis layouts, and target markets for a huge array of forthcoming BMW models.
The 177-page document appears to be an internal BMW list of designations for cars and motorcycles, and includes partners of BMW including Rolls-Royce, Morgan, Land Rover, and, tantalisingly, Toyota. As always, a healthy dose of scepticism is required when dealing with uncorroborated internet documents. When sent to BMW Australia, a spokesman declined to pass comment on its authenticity. Make of that what you will.
While engine details of the BMW 8 Series have yet to be officially released, the document lists all-wheel drive 840d and 850i cabriolets, a rear-drive 840i coupe, and all-wheel drive 840i, 840d, and 850i coupe variants. Curiously, there was no mention of the forthcoming M8.
The Toyota Supra is listed as a rear-drive chassis solely with automatic gearboxes, and offered in 20i, 30i, and 40i designations. The 20i and 30i models are likely to be four-cylinder models, with the 40i a six. The BMW version, the Z4, gets a racy M40i range-topper with the option of a manual box, as do the garden variety sDrive 20i and sDrive 30i variants.
The X7 flagship SUV is also on the list in 40i, 50i, and 50d variants, while the BMW M2 Competition is also listed, offered with manual or automatic gearboxes. A deal to supply Jaguar Land Rover with 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8s was rumoured last year and there’s an entry for that, apparently confirming that speculation.
BMW’s rumoured X2 mini-SUV is also on the document, with front-drive 18i, 20i, and 28i petrol models and diesel 16d, 18d, and 20ds. Spring for all-wheel drive and the choice encompasses 20i and 28i petrols and 18d, 20d, and 25d diesels.
BMW’s ballistic X3 M has us pretty excited as it’s due to debut a new version of the S55 engine found in the M3 and M4, that’s tipped to be christened the S58. The S58 will be based on the B58 six-pot that appears in 40i models albeit in a far higher state of tune.
If all this is kosher, we’re looking at a mouthwatering array of metal from Munich. The document smacks of authenticity but the alternative is some bored teen typing over 9700 entries that seem to check out. Occam’s Razor being what it is, we’re leaning to the former.
