The 2011 BMW 7-Series represents the peak of the BMW saloon hierarchy & like its competitor the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it is big, comfy, and packed with characteristics. The Benz comes down on the side of high end and solidity, while the BMW 7 Series skews sportier, with managing that is remarkably sprightly for this kind of a large and major auto.
The existing design, launched in 2009, has none of the polarizing lines or styling cues of its predecessor. And in a nod to the true realities of growing fuel mileage figures, BMW presents a straight-6 motor even in this greatest sedan.
That simple fact can make the ActiveHybrid 7 design something of an oddball. It pairs a 455 HP, 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 and 8-velocity automatic with a mild hybrid program shared with Mercedes-Benz. But fairly than employing the hybrid to enhance fuel financial system, BMW tunes it to improve performance, generating the ActiveHybrid seven the most effective V-eight 7 Series & calls it "the world's quickest road-legal hybrid." The gasoline mileage is apparently secondary.
As a outcome, the EPA rates the ActiveHybrid seven (in normal 7i or long-wheelbase 7Li variations) at 17 mpg city, 24 mpg highway & a not-all-that-hybrid-like twenty mpg merged. That compares to the 740i, at 17 town, 25 highway, and the identical mixed twenty mpg.
This is evidently BMW's first-actually hybrid, and some rough edges & lumpy transitions are evident in the handle software. In a vehicle this deluxe, the driver shouldn't be conscious of the actions of the electrical motor as it's clutched in & out, nor of the stage exactly where regenerative braking kicks in, notably slowing deceleration, nor the position wherever regeneration presents way to thefriction brakes. But occasional juddering & non-linear acceleration tends to make it apparent that there is one thing in the drivetrain besides a torquey gasoline motor and a sleek automated transmission-and that is regrettable. The silky-clean straight-six 740i, although slower, is merely nicer to generate.
The 7-Series is cavernous within, with either the normal or prolonged-wheelbase versions. The entrance seats are excellent, and suit and end is impeccable. The functions listing runs to many pages, including every thing from an infrared night time-vision system to personalized wood and leather trim possibilities. You can also purchase bulletproofing, incidentally.
The existing design, launched in 2009, has none of the polarizing lines or styling cues of its predecessor. And in a nod to the true realities of growing fuel mileage figures, BMW presents a straight-6 motor even in this greatest sedan.
That simple fact can make the ActiveHybrid 7 design something of an oddball. It pairs a 455 HP, 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 and 8-velocity automatic with a mild hybrid program shared with Mercedes-Benz. But fairly than employing the hybrid to enhance fuel financial system, BMW tunes it to improve performance, generating the ActiveHybrid seven the most effective V-eight 7 Series & calls it "the world's quickest road-legal hybrid." The gasoline mileage is apparently secondary.
As a outcome, the EPA rates the ActiveHybrid seven (in normal 7i or long-wheelbase 7Li variations) at 17 mpg city, 24 mpg highway & a not-all-that-hybrid-like twenty mpg merged. That compares to the 740i, at 17 town, 25 highway, and the identical mixed twenty mpg.
This is evidently BMW's first-actually hybrid, and some rough edges & lumpy transitions are evident in the handle software. In a vehicle this deluxe, the driver shouldn't be conscious of the actions of the electrical motor as it's clutched in & out, nor of the stage exactly where regenerative braking kicks in, notably slowing deceleration, nor the position wherever regeneration presents way to thefriction brakes. But occasional juddering & non-linear acceleration tends to make it apparent that there is one thing in the drivetrain besides a torquey gasoline motor and a sleek automated transmission-and that is regrettable. The silky-clean straight-six 740i, although slower, is merely nicer to generate.
The 7-Series is cavernous within, with either the normal or prolonged-wheelbase versions. The entrance seats are excellent, and suit and end is impeccable. The functions listing runs to many pages, including every thing from an infrared night time-vision system to personalized wood and leather trim possibilities. You can also purchase bulletproofing, incidentally.
