BMW confirms next 7 Series to be petrol, diesel, hybrid and range topping electric

[Mani59]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

According to the article, it sounds like BMW will drop the awesome V12 for next 7er

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...d-and-electric

BMW has confirmed that the next-generation of its 7 Series luxury saloon will feature four drivetrains: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and, for the first time, a fully electric version.

Revealed in the brand’s annual press conference by chairman of the board of management Oliver Zipse, it means Mercedes will have another core battery-powered rival for its EQS alongside the new Jaguar XJ.

“All [7 Series] drivetrains will be based on a single architecture” Zipse said in a statement posted on the brand’s website. “And the top, most powerful 7 Series will be fully electric!”.

This means it is likely BMW will ditch the twin-turbo 6.6-litre V12 found in today’s flagship 7 Series: the M760li. That car puts out 601bhp and 590lb ft of torque, resulting in a 0-62mph time of 3.7sec. Given that model’s kerbweight is already nearly 2.2 tonnes, expect a high-powered electric 7 to be at least 2.5 tonnes once a large lithium ion battery pack is packaged into it.

With the current generation car due to go out of production in 2022, we can expect to see a new 7 Series in the same year, although it’s not clear which powertrains will go on sale first.

BMW’s strategy, Zipse says, means that “different drive technologies will coexist alongside one another into the long-term”. Alongside the 7 Series, this year we will see the X3 available with four drivetrain veriants including the new, all-electric iX3 (set to be produced in China this year and exported) alongside the i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupe.

BMW aims to have a quarter of its new vehicle fleet electrified by 2021, a third by 2025, and 50% by 2030. In January and February this year one in ten of its vehicles sold were electrified in some way, while the brand leads the electrified car market in Germany with a share of 21%.

[Tambohamilton]

With a grill like that, what does it matter?

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by joshuastein55

So will it also have terrible range since its being built on an ICE platform rather than a BEV one? I don't think that will be a good idea for what will be a six-figure car.

Who knows how high they will have to jack it up to fit a huge battery pack ⁉️

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by joshuastein55

So will it also have terrible range since its being built on an ICE platform rather than a BEV one? I don't think that will be a good idea for what will be a six-figure car.

It is actually being built on a platform designed to be drive agnostic. That doesn't mean that a drive agnostic platform will be as good as one specific to ICE or electric motors but it is a platform that was designed for electric motors and batteries.

[gosi]

I also don’t understand how they plan to fit fully electric powertrain alongside traditional ones without significant drawbacks on a universal platform. We shall see what they come up with

[F30swag]

Hate to see it

[clbmw]

V12 becomes 12V

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by gosi

I also don’t understand how they plan to fit fully electric powertrain alongside traditional ones without significant drawbacks on a universal platform. We shall see what they come up with

It is similar to the Audi e-tron SUV which is built on VAG's MLB-Evo vehicle matrix and the Mercedes EQC which is built on a modified version of the MRA architecture. The results are indeed less than ideal. Of course, those two manufacturers have dedicated EV "skateboard" designs that they are quickly transitioning to (including the J1 underpinning the Porsche Taycan). In BMW's case, there is no pure EV platform on the immediate horizon, so it remains to be seen how well they'll manage to compete.

[Jason60051]

Still hideous...never thought I would say this but I like the Benz S class much more than this. When I spend 6 figures on a vehicle I don't worry about the fuel economy but that's just me.

[Germanauto]

Is it still going to be bland inside and out with an ugly face?

Sales lag behind the S-class due to lackluster design, not powertrain.

[antzcrashing]

Way to consolidate BMW

[cbertels]

I'm still holding out hope for the M7 now that the M badge is everywhere.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by joshuastein55

So will it also have terrible range since its being built on an ICE platform rather than a BEV one? I don't think that will be a good idea for what will be a six-figure car.

That was going to be my question too. Can't wait to drive an electric 7 series with a 100 mile range lol

[PARTS@STBMW]

Hmmm

[///M4ster Yoda]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

With a grill like that, what does it matter?

Right. Saw one in the wild today and lol

[clee1982]

Well is the v12 going to stay alive on Rolls Royce?

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by clee1982

Well is the v12 going to stay alive on Rolls Royce?

You'd think so, right?

RR is going to have to reinvent itself at some point.

[ND40oz]

Originally Posted by clee1982

Well is the v12 going to stay alive on Rolls Royce?

You also have the X7 M60i being a possibility.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by ND40oz

You also have the X7 M60i being a possibility.

Not happening. No M860i nor X8 M60i either. The 6.6L N74 will exit after the current generation 7 Series does. The 6.8L will live on at Rolls Royce indefinitely.

[ND40oz]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Not happening. No M860i nor X8 M60i either. The 6.6L N74 will exit after the current generation 7 Series does. The 6.8L will live on at Rolls Royce indefinitely.

They didn't bother creating the graphics for the gauge cluster for the hell of it, so they were at least looking at making one at some point in time. With BMW selling 2.5 X7s to every 7er in the US for 2019 (and sales didn't even start until March), I bet we end up seeing more variants of the X7 then the 7er over time.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by ND40oz

They didn't bother creating the graphics for the gauge cluster for the hell of it, so they were at least looking at making one at some point in time.

No doubt. But it's no longer on the agenda.

With BMW selling 2.5 X7s to every 7er in the US for 2019 (and sales didn't even start until March), I bet we end up seeing more variants of the X7 than the 7er over time.

Yes, X7 PHEV and BEV models are on the horizon. Don't expect any new gasoline-only models, except for the possibility of an X7 M which was at one time under consideration (not clear if it still is).

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Not happening. No M860i nor X8 M60i either. The 6.6L N74 will exit after the current generation 7 Series does. The 6.8L will live on at Rolls Royce indefinitely.

Indefinitely?

That's somewhat hard to fathom.