The 2016 BMW 7 Series has officially been unveiled, showcasing new technology and advanced materials.
Lets get to the juicy stuff and that’s what’s hidden under all that sheetmetal. BMW used the knowhow from its i cars to give the new 7 Series with a Carbon Core, which drops the weight of this flagship sedan by nearly 200 pounds. The entire passenger cell is reinforced with carbon fiber reinforced plastic. Also helping to keep weight down is the use of aluminium in the doors and trunk.
Putting the 7 Series on a diet is one thing, but the folks at BMW also beefed up the sedans powertrain. There are three engines available, The 750i uses a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that makes 445-hp, the 740i sports a 3-liter turbocharged inline six cylinder that makes 320-hp and there’s a new plug-in hybrid version of the 7 Series called the 740e. This model uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine along with electric motors to provide the big car with its drive and offers 23 miles of emission free driving. All cars come with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which features start/stop, paddle shifters and even launch control. The V8 and plug-in hybrid versions of the 7 Series also arrive outfitted with xDrive all-wheel drive.
Weight distribution in the sedan is said to be close to 50:50, and the big car comes standard with front and rear self-leveling air suspension to help smooth out the ride. Drivers can also choose the drive height of the car, with it dropping 10 mm in the sport setting. The car also minimizes body roll in the corners while staying nice and limber while driving straight ahead.
Helping to keep the car agile, all-wheel drive models feature rear-wheel steering. Finally the car offers a unique ADAPTIVE mode that will react to your driving style and adjust the transmission, throttle response and chassis to meet your behaviours.
As this is a range-topping BMW, you can expect the interior to be full of high-quality materials, impressive textures and impressive convenience features. You won’t be surprised then to hear that the 2016 BMW 7 Series features such touches like chrome buttons on the steering wheel, fine wood or aluminium trimmed accenting, and offers things like an Alcantara headliner and deep-pile rear floor mats. There’s also a rear executive lounge seating package that helps make the new 7 Series more comfortable for rear-seat passengers with a reclining rear seat and footrests. Rear seat passengers can also get a removable seven-inch tablet to control various functions of the car including the entertainment system.
BMW also offers a fancy panoramic sunroof and another feature that can light up the roof with LEDs, giving you a glimpse of the star-lit sky above.
Drivers will love the new tech and assistance features, including a parking assist that can not only parallel park the car for you, but park in perpendicular spaces too. The iDrive infotainment system has been updated and now features gesture controls to adjust the audio volume control, accept or reject incoming phone calls. There’s also available options like head-up display, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control and night vision.
The 2016 BMW 7 Series will hit the US later this year. Pricing and fuel economy has yet to be announced.
