Disgraced investment bankers with little to look forward to, we have some good news! The newly redesigned 2009 BMW 7-Series is here. The most luxurious bimmer is in the hands of the automotive press, and early reports seem to agree that it's an extraordinary machine.
Motor Trend raves, "Enveloped in perhaps the quietest car cabin ever devised, our all-day traverse in a long-wheelbase 750iL on narrow, winding roads and unlimited autobahn was a revealing showcase of the car's multilayered virtuosity." BMW engineers have "have outdone themselves" with the car's 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, they write. "The sprint from 0 to 60 mph takes just 5.2 sec, but the number is meaningless because the effect of opening wide the throttle is relentlessly linear acceleration." Even at high speed, MT says, the new 7's four-wheel steering system handles well. "'On rails' may be hackneyed, but no better term describes the sensation."
BMW's newest flagship "will also be packed with more high technology than NORAD," according to Autoblog, "including a Side View camera system, Park Distance Control system, Lane Departure Warning system, Head-up display, a four-wheel steering system called Integral Active Steering, and, of course, the latest generation of BMW's iDrive. Back seat passengers can also be entertained via big headrest-mounted screens that are controlled via a second iDrive rotary knob in the rear seat center armrest."
Of course, in this economy even buyers of six-figure automobiles find themselves concerned about gas prices, not to mention the public image problems that can come with the fuel appetite of a V8-powered large luxury sedan.
Not to worry. BMW has an answer to that problem on the way as well.
Automobile Magazine reports, "The BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid will debut along with the 2009 7-Series lineup at the 2008 Paris motor show" next month. The hybrid version of the 7-series "pairs the 2009 750i's turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 with a lithium-ion battery powered motor. BMW calls the concept a mild hybrid, and claims a 15 percent improvement in fuel economy compared with a conventional 750i. The electric motor also adds 20 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque to the V-8's already potent 407 hp, 442 lb-ft output. The hybrid regenerates during braking, and has a stop/start function to further conserve fuel."
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