February 25, 2026
Six appeal, zero chill
Why every automaker is quietly bringing back the inline-six engine
BMW smirks, Hemi fans howl, Europe shrugs
TLDR: Car makers are reviving the inline‑six engine because it’s smoother, simpler, and efficient, with BMW looking vindicated. Comments erupted: EV-first pragmatists, V8 loyalists grieving the Hemi, and Europeans touting cheaper four‑cylinders—proof the engine bay is now a battlefield of nostalgia vs. practicality.
Automakers are quietly sliding the inline‑six back under the hood—six cylinders in a row, not in a V—and the comments are anything but quiet. The article says it’s smoother, simpler, and easier to turbo, with brands like Mazda, Stellantis, Jaguar Land Rover and even Mercedes piling in, while BMW never left. Cue the comment theater. One camp is full of “told you so” energy: the I6 has been a workhorse for ages, with folks pointing at trucks and Cummins engines as proof. Another camp drops the EV realist bomb: “go electric if you can—but if you must buy gas, get an I6.” Meanwhile, Dodge unveiling a 540 hp Charger with a straight‑six has set off Hemi grief counseling—fans mourning the V8 thunder like it’s a classic rock band’s farewell tour.
Europe chimed in with a pocket calculator: inline‑fours are cheaper and sip less fuel, period. And the snark is spicy: one commenter roasted Mercedes’ badge game—slapping AMG on a turbo four like a luxury sticker pack—while BMW execs are memed high‑fiving around a conference room yelling, “I told you so!” It’s part nostalgia, part practicality, and a whole lot of six appeal. The takeaway? The I6 comeback is real, but the battle lines—EV hopes, V8 heartbreak, and Euro frugality—are drawn.
Key Points
- •Automakers are increasingly returning to the inline-six (I6) engine layout after decades of V6 dominance.
- •The article cites mechanical advantages of I6: inherent smoothness without balancer shafts, simpler construction with one cylinder head, and easier maintenance.
- •Inline-six designs support longer strokes for better low-end torque and generally offer higher efficiency due to reduced vibration and friction.
- •Modern adoption examples include Mazda, Stellantis, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz (since 2017 with mild-hybrid I6s), and BMW’s long-standing use.
- •Historic context notes V6’s rise in the 1980s–1990s and continued I6 examples from Nissan (RB), Toyota (JZ), Jeep’s 4.0-litre, Ford’s F-Series, and the 540 hp Dodge Charger Six-Pack.