2016 BMW 7-series Detailed, Driven: A Prototype Drive Shows It is No Turkey

Born in the teeth of the Wonderful Recession, the fat but not so satisfied fifth generation of BMW’s 7-series flagship is ultimately relinquishing its post to a far more fit successor.

The 7-series has traditionally been the BMW for these who can barely recall their stick-shift, tail-sliding days. Available in a option of lengthy or genuinely lengthy wheelbases, with up to 12 twin-turbocharged cylinders, and with rear- or 4-wheel drive, the 7 is a 4-door limo blessed with comfort, speed, and a suitably aloof demeanor.

But the world has changed because the existing 7 arrived in 2009. Fisker came and went, Tesla emerged as the green-chip luxury brand, Mercedes is as strong as ever, and Cadillac is showing indicators of intelligent life. The luxury-auto company is flourishing so nicely that even the Korean brands are nibbling a thin slice of the pie.

BMW has made decisive moves to secure its future. Last year, the company’s engineering commander announced that electrification will spread beyond the i3 and i8 fashion statements and the present 3, 5, and 7 ActiveHybrids to consist of a plug-in hybrid selection for each and every core model. BMW is the uncontested leader among automakers in weight-saving composite plastics with its own plant in Washington state generating affordable carbon fiber in partnership with the SGL Group.

5 years ago, fresh out of its shipping container, a 2010 BMW 750Li thumped a Mercedes S550 in a 2-vehicle comparison test, but the large Bimmer rapidly lost steam. A 750i lost to Porsche’s new Panamera S whilst beating a Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S. Then in 2011, a 750Li suffered the indignity of a distant third-spot outcome versus Audi’s A8L and Jaguar’s supercharged XJL. The new 7 arrives late this year to make amends.

Although we cannot announce mission accomplished following only 8 paced laps about BMW’s Miramas, France, test tracks in early production vehicles, we’re encouraged by what we’ve discovered about the 7 thus far:

• Project head Walter Schindlbeck acknowledges the require to restore the flagship’s neglected ride and handling strengths.

• Weight-saving technologies have been applied in earnest. BMW engineers have produced an astute mix of high-strength steel, aluminum, magnesium, plastic, and carbon fiber supplies to trim a claimed 285 pounds in base weight—a third of that from the body—while lowering the 7’s center of gravity and enhancing each bending and torsional stiffness. Several suspension and brake components have been switched from iron and steel to aluminum and sound deadening is used far more sparingly. Unsprung weight drops by 15 percent.

• BMW is so proud of its revolutionary ‘carbon core’ unibody construction that a badge touting that technologies is discretely affixed to every single of the 7’s B-pillars. Although stamped steel remains as the main constituent, there’s much less of it thanks to the use of 15 molded carbon-fiber (CF) reinforcements added at strategic areas. The biggest molding is a extended CF tube that sweeps majestically from the base of each A-pillar, along the prime of the door openings, and down to the base of the C-pillars. The upper half of every B-pillar is reinforced with a CF layer that is pressed and cured in spot with a single-sided die. A big patch is also secured with rivets and adhesives at the base of each C-pillar. The windshield header and 2 bows reinforce the roof structure. The 7’s center tunnel has a CF doubler to augment the body’s bending stiffness and to help manage forward collision loads. Add to that 2 CF door-sill inserts per side and a horizontal shelf beneath the backlight created of the black magic material. How exactly the CF and steel components are joined with adhesives and fasteners and painting approaches are proprietary information, as BMW naturally prefers to preserve its learnings away from competitors as extended as feasible.

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2016 BMW 7-series Detailed, Driven: A Prototype Drive Shows It is No Turkey