The end of naturally aspirated 4 cylinder BMW engines is near. Citing inside sources from BMW, British magazine Autocar is reporting that all of the Bavarian automaker's future four-cylinder engines will benefit from turbocharging technology, with outputs up to 245 horsepower.

The 2.0 liter aluminum block that made its debut on the X1 xDrive28i will be fitted with different turbocharging systems and engine mapping depending on the output variant. The range-topping 245 PS version gets a twin-scroll turbocharger while lower-powered variants will make do with a conventional turbo. The 245PS version works at pressures of up to 200 bar and benefit from double- VANOS and direct fuel injection. The aluminium block gets a new and very thin cylinder lining of only 0.3 millimeters thanks to the use of sprayed iron technology. That's a massive improvement over the classic 1.5 mm thick cast iron lining and it translates into less weight and better efficiency. The 3.0 liter straight six units will be responsible for higher output levels beyond 245 PS.

It is unsure whether the 1.6 liter turbo that BMW Group uses for the MINI brand will also be employed in BMW models with lower output levels. This engine itself is a multi-times award winning powerplant too. The new set of 2.0 liter turbo variants will debut in the next generation 3 Series expected in 2012.