BMW's Quad-Turbo Diesel Engine Is Dead

It's been a while since we saw diesel-powered BMWs in the United States, with the previous-generationBMW 3 Series Wagonbeing the last model to offer an oil-burning powertrain back in 2018. But in Europe and other parts of the world, diesel is still a big thing. BMW, however, is taking steps toreduce reliance on dieseland will be discontinuing its most potent diesel powertrain available, the quad-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six B57S engine. To do this, the automaker has announced a series of Final Edition models for theBMW X5and BMW X7 in their respective M50d trims.

The 3.0-liter straight-six motordebuted in 2016on theBMW 7 Series, producing substantial outputs of 394 horsepower and a monumental 561 lb-ft of torque. Since then, it's found use in the 5 Series, X5, X6, and the X7. However, the engine has been shortlived. Despite its impressive performance - the X5 M50d could crack 62 mph in just 5.2 seconds from a standstill - the quad-turbo motor was highly complex and too expensive to keep updating in order to comply with ever-stricter legislation surrounding engine emissions. The final units will be produced in September this year.