Competing with the Audi A8, the Jaguar XJ, and the still-fresh Mercedes-Benz S-class, the current BMW 7-series has fallen to the back of the flagship pack. (It finished third of three even as far back as this 2011 comparison test.) But the all-new sixth-generation is waiting in the wings, and we expect it to debut as one of the stars of the 2015 Frankfurt auto show next fall.
And that won’t be due solely to a refined, more elegant, and contemporary design. We have been told that the 7-series will use an increased amount of carbon fiber, drawing from BMW’s experience with its low-volume hybrid and electric cars sold under the “i” sub-brand. At least in Europe, the 7-series will also be offered with laser headlights, likely doubling the area covered by its high beams.
What intrigues us more, however, is the upcoming engine portfolio. We have learned that the next 7-series will be the first BMW to be fitted with the inline six-cylinder engines derived from the company’s entirely new, modular engine architecture that includes three-, four-, and six-cylinder engines in gasoline and diesel configurations. The new engines will not just be cheaper to produce, they are also being engineered to set benchmarks in refinement and performance.
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We also hear that the next 7-series, further down the road, eventually will be offered with a four-cylinder engine. Fear not: The (modular) four-banger will be mated to an electric motor as part of a hybrid powertrain package. Thus equipped, it could easily make around 300 horsepower and reach the obligatory 155 mph top speed, the voluntary cutoff agreed upon by the German auto industry.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/1v8xTPm
via Agya
