Paris Preview: BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid
Click above for high-res shots of the BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid
With the arrival of the BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid, which will make its initial debut at the Paris Motor Show, both BMW and Mercedes-Benz are set to enter the luxury hybrid market that has so far only seen action in the form of the Lexus LS600h. Although BMW was one of the brands that helped develop the sophisticated Two-Mode hybrid system that's currently being used in the full-size 'utes from both GM and Chrysler, the Bavarian automaker has chosen instead to equip its 7 Series with the same mild hybrid architecture that it helped to develop and is used by cross-country rival Daimler. Like the S400 BlueHYBRID, a 120-volt lithium ion battery will be kept underhood along with a small helper motor that's hooked up to the engine, in the case of the BMW, a twin-turbocharged, direct injected 4.4-liter V8. Expect well over 400-horsepower from the gas/electric combo along with combined fuel mileage in the low 20's.
Gallery: BMW 7 Series ActiveHybrid
[Source: AutoblogGreen]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Shawn 3:47PM (9/22/2008)
Low 20s combined...what's the point?
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stealthebeatles 3:54PM (9/22/2008)
Bragging rights?
meshies 4:39PM (9/22/2008)
the point is the sexier looking front and rear fascia?
BigMcLargeHuge 3:57PM (9/22/2008)
You outlook: highs in the lower 20's with a 100% chance of SMUG.
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P.V. 5:26PM (9/22/2008)
LOL! +1 -> infinity
BigMcLargeHuge 3:59PM (9/22/2008)
* Your
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David 4:04PM (9/22/2008)
This reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson's remark about putting a 9 volt battery into a Hummer just to get around the congestion charge.
A hybrid getting low 20s MPG is just pointless.
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CarbonBlack 7:56PM (9/22/2008)
Reminds me of that Silverado "Hybrid" that got +1 Mpg in the city, and +0 Highway.
why not the LS2LS7? 10:24PM (9/22/2008)
Do they still sell that? It was cool it worked as a generator I guess.
The two-mode Silverado should debut at NAIAS this year. Hopefully it does better.
JK 4:16PM (9/22/2008)
Doesn't the electric engine help boost the HP? It should still help the MPG a bit too.
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wutang54 4:28PM (9/22/2008)
I am a huge BMW fan, but why?
Why mild hybrid? This isn't some $25,000 Chevy Malibu
Why the V8? If you're going to try for fuel efficiency use the I6 at least for Christ's sake...it's plenty fast enough
Why even bother then?
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Justin 4:40PM (9/22/2008)
Why not apply this tech in a smaller, already more efficient vehicle to get, you know, numbers people would actually care about. Regardless of HP or performance, that sucks and doesn't do anything for 99.9% of drivers.
Low 20s? Cmon...
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Nick 6:20PM (9/22/2008)
Yeah, why bother if it'll get low 20s in mpg?
What about a I6 turbo diesel with a full hybrid system?
I'm a BMW fan, but somehow they still think performance is more important ..which no longer is the case.
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Nick Vrana 6:56PM (9/22/2008)
Come on autobloggers I know you're smarter than to be hating on the hybrid in this. Think about it for one second. It's more about the environment than the gas prices.
Someone buying a new 7 series is going to buy a new 7-series one way or another (hybrid option or not), but if that new 7 series gets 5mpg better than a non-hybrid 7 series than that takes a lot of pollutants out of the air.
Sometimes it's not about getting 50mpg, it's about making a car that normally gets 17 get 25. People that buy a car of this caliber don't care if it's a hybrid or not. It's just a bonus.
Hybrid drives are wasted on cars like the Prius. They help your wallet a little bit, but the prius would still be a highly efficient car without the hybrid drive since it has such a tiny motor and an aerodynamic shape. So instead of getting 40mpg it gets 50mpg (these numbers are pulled out of my ass) which is a 25% increase in efficiency. Going from 18mpg to 25mpg is a is a 38% increase in efficiency.
That means that BMW is doing more for the environment than the Prius is.
Get it?
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why not the LS2LS7? 10:27PM (9/22/2008)
Yes, those numbers are pulled out of your ass. I can't see why a smooth shape car should benefit less (percentage-wise) from being a hybrid than a more conventional car.
The lower mpg will save more fuel anyway (expressed in gallons, not %) because it uses more. Saving 30% of a little is less than saving 30% of a lot.
It does not mean BMW is doing more for the environment than the Prius is. It is merely reducing the amount it hurts it to only twice as much as a Prius instead of 3x.
Nick Vrana 1:27AM (9/23/2008)
You're not catching my meaning.
I'm not saying it would actually benefit less, I'm saying it's a waste to use it on a car that would already be so efficient.
The BMW will have a greater effect than a Prius because a person getting a 7 series hybrid was going to buy a 7 series anyways, not a Prius. This gives them the option to be more environmentally friendly.
The non-efficient cars need the hybrid drives, it would have a bigger impact than the little cars having them. People will still buy their trucks and SUV's, not everyone will downsize to a little hybrid.
Bluestreak 8:12AM (9/23/2008)
I would have thought the system more efficient if it used a smaller diesel engine instead of the gas V8.
With the small volume (relatively) of 7-Series cars that are sold, I don't see the point of this. From BMW's perspective, it's easier to price/package the more expensive hybrid system into a premium vehicle, but there's really no case to be made with regards to consumer economics or environmental impact. Waste of time.
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