BMW Developing Quad-Turbocharged Diesels

In the M550d and the X5 xDrive50d M Performance vehicles, BMW already offers engines with three turbochargers.

But recent reports indicate that the German automaker is headed for four turbos. If accurate, we'll be seeing a quad-turbocharged diesel offering from company, possibly as soon as 2016.

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According to Autocar, the fourth snail is likely to come in as an electrically-driven unit, which would pressurize the existing system to help eliminate lag and thus improve low RPM performance. Of course, it's entirely possibly the new system will be completely conventional. Output for the new 3.0-liter mill the quad turbo arrangement is said to be attached to is expected to be north of the 400 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque.

Expect to see the first application of the new system on a forthcoming M750d M Performance model based on the latest-generation 7-Series. The high-performance diesel sedan will arrive in showrooms sometime next year, though most probably not in the United States.

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Given the ever-encroaching emissions and efficiency regulations, we're certain to see multiple-turbo setups becoming more common. Though for now, a set of four puts any vehicles so equipped from BMW into rare company. The last production car to feature a quad-turbocharged system was Bugatti's Veyron.

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