Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Spy Shots: Is BMW working on an M7?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/13/spy-shots-is-bmw-working-on-an-m7/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/13/spy-shots-is-bmw-working-on-an-m7/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/13/spy-shots-is-bmw-working-on-an-m7/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Don't get us wrong; we've got no beef with enormously powerful luxury vehicles. In fact, we love 'em. But while Mercedes' AMG division has shoehorned their bestial power plants into all manner of vehicles big and small, BMW's Motorsport division has always drawn a line in the Bavarian sand. They'd tune the 3 Series and the 5 Series along with a handful of coupes and convertibles, but that's where it ended. But that line seems to be eroding, as spy shots of what could be an M7 sedan have been snapped soon after the news of M-tuned X5 and X6 crossovers.

It's hard to tell from the shots exactly what we're looking at, but it appears to be a sportified version of the latest-generation 7 Series (codename F01), complete with quad exhaust tips and lightweight painted wheels. Of course, it could be a tuner special, a simple M-Sport appearance package or an Alpina version, but then why would the BMW badges be covered? If it is an M7, it would be a first for BMW, and could, according to speculation, derive its power from a twin-turbo V12 with over 600 horsepower. Coupled with some weight reduction, the BMW M7 could give the the Mercedes S63 AMG and Audi S8 a run for their money, of which there is plenty at stake in this stratospheric sub-segment. And as with the reported emergence of an xDrive 7 Series, the Bavarians might be growing tired of seeing their customers leave town for Stuttgart or Ingolstadt. Props to RJ for the tip!

[Source: MotorTips]

Spy Shots: Is BMW working on an M7? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bmwbmw 7 seriesbmw 7-seriesbmw f01bmw f01 7 seriesbmw f02bmw f02 7 seriesbmw mbmw m7Bmw7-seriesBmw7SeriesBmwF01BmwF017SeriesBmwF02BmwF027SeriesBmwMBmwM7mm sedanMSedanTue, 13 Jan 2009 08:27:00 EST<![CDATA[Spy Shots: 2009 BMW 7 Series interior snapped]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/20/spy-shots-2009-bmw-7-series-interior-snapped/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/20/spy-shots-2009-bmw-7-series-interior-snapped/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/20/spy-shots-2009-bmw-7-series-interior-snapped/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click on the image to enlarge

After seeing numerous exterior spy shots and renderings of BMW's upcoming 2009 7 Series and hearing details about the drivetrain, we finally have what appears to be a spy shot of the new 7's interior. Like the exterior, it appears to be rather subdued for a modern BMW. As we had previously heard, the joystick gear lever has moved back to its rightful position in the center console between the seats. Although the woodgrain and some of the panels don't line up all that well, we're not concerned about it considering that this is obviously not a production model yet. We're also happy to see that the iDrive screen is better integrated into the dash. While we generally favor a clean, uncluttered look, we wonder how this new and more simple design ethos will resonate with the luxury car buyers that are BMW's target audience. Thanks for the tip, Luke!

[Source: E90Post.com]

Spy Shots: 2009 BMW 7 Series interior snapped originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 7 series2009 bmw2009 bmw 7 series20097Series2009Bmw2009Bmw7Series7 series7-series7Seriesbmw 7bmw 7 seriesbmw 7-seriesbmw f01bmw-7bmw-7-seriesbmw-f01Bmw7Bmw7-seriesBmw7SeriesBmwF01f01Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Next-gen BMW 7-Series to get 8-speed automatic]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/14/next-gen-bmw-7-series-to-get-8-speed-automatic/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/14/next-gen-bmw-7-series-to-get-8-speed-automatic/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/14/next-gen-bmw-7-series-to-get-8-speed-automatic/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Are transmissions a new battlefront in the war for customers amongst high end brands? Mercedes has been doing seven ratios for a little while, and Lexus has a new 8-cogger on offer, too. BMW's not content to be trailing with just 6 speeds, so the new 7-series (F01) will reportedly ship with an 8-speed automatic transmission. If high fuel prices and tightening emissions and consumption requirements manage to snuff out our recent horsepower battles, gear ratios are all we'll have left.

BMW's 8-speed fits in the same space as the old 6-speed, and is said to be smoother and more efficient than the outgoing gearbox. Perhaps more important than the greater ratio spread and increased fuel economy that the new transmission will bring is the shifter moves back to the console (cue choir of heavenly angels). Expect the new 8-speed and its modular design to wind up in many BMW vehicles after its initial launch in the upcoming 7-series.

[Source: Bimmerfile, Photo: Bimmerfile]

Next-gen BMW 7-Series to get 8-speed automatic originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7 series7Series8 speed8 speed automatic8 speed transmission8Speed8SpeedAutomatic8SpeedTransmissionbmw 7bmw 7 seriesbmw 7-seriesbmw f01Bmw7Bmw7-seriesBmw7SeriesBmwF01new 7 seriesNew7SeriesMon, 14 Apr 2008 13:58:00 EST