[JSpira]

BMW is way ahead of the curve on this one, folks

U.S. Government Mandates New Fuel Efficiency Standards

The U.S. government unveiled new fuel-economy rules that will have a dramatic impact on Americans’ automotive purchasing habits. According to a joint statement released by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation, cars for the 2016 model year will, on average, have to be 34% more efficient than current models, averaging 35.5 mpg (6.6 l/100 km). The standard for 2009 cars was 26.4 mpg (8.9 l/100 km)...

One automaker that has been offering cars with fuel-saving features is BMW, which brands its efforts as EfficientDynamics.

Article continues here.

[asus389]

I'll say it again, if they offered a 320d in the US I'd seriously consider it... :-)

[hjernazian]

call me crazy, but i love the traditional fuel-guzzling sports car. i'm quite skeptical on how performance will be affected with these new engines. i don't mind my 335i averaging 15 mpg on street driving with a heavy foot. don't like it one bit. all you environmentalists can bite me.

[VTECaddict]

Gas guzzling sports cars can still exist if the company makes more efficient cars to balance it out. It's an average, not a minimum requirement. And CAFE numbers aren't the same as the EPA estimates on the window sticker. A CAFE of 35.5 is about 27 mpg EPA.

Also, it's not like a company can't sell cars if they don't meet the CAFE requirement. They just pay fines. BMW has paid hundreds of millions in CAFE fines over the years. So relax, it's not the end of the world...yet...

[hjernazian]

Originally Posted by VTECaddict

Gas guzzling sports cars can still exist if the company makes more efficient cars to balance it out. It's an average, not a minimum requirement. And CAFE numbers aren't the same as the EPA estimates on the window sticker. A CAFE of 35.5 is about 27 mpg EPA.

Also, it's not like a company can't sell cars if they don't meet the CAFE requirement. They just pay fines. BMW has paid hundreds of millions in CAFE fines over the years. So relax, it's not the end of the world...yet...

wow, reading this before bed is going to make for some nice '95 lightweight M3 dreams. thank you for such an informative and reassuring post, seriously, you are the man.