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2013 BMW 750Li, 760Li, and Alpina B7 First Drive

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The last time we had our hands on a BMW 7 Series, the 740i beat out six other competitors in our entry-level full-size luxury test. It goes (almost) without saying that we like that car very, very much. The challenge for BMW's engineering team then was a tough one. For the big 7's mid-cycle refresh, how do you make the best car in its class -- says us -- even better? BMW was kind enough to host us for a day of track and canyon driving at the most excellent Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca so we could see what exactly they've done to the 2013 750, 760, and Alpina B7. Absent were the 740 and the 7 Series ActiveHybrid, the latter of which now features a hybridized version of BMW's 3.0-liter N55 twin-scroll turbo inline-6. Even without driving those two I can tell you that BMW is pretty dang good at this whole luxury car thing. Note: all cars driven were the long wheelbase Li variants.

Before we get to the why, let's discuss the what. As in, what did BMW change for the 2013 model year? Starting with the exterior, the front end is much more elegant. Most noticeably, the lower air intakes and fog lights have been reworked. The lights are now LED (unless you opt for the M Sport package) and the intakes are organic looking, with added splashes of chrome. Headlights feature LED-piping accents and the wing mirrors have turn signal repeaters. Also, the two big kidney grille openings feature 9 slats for 2013 instead of 12. Out back, the bumper has a large chrome strip across it and the taillights have more contrast between the black and red sections. Bottom line, the new 7 Series looks much improved too these eyes, especially when sitting on shiny 21-inch wheels.

Changes to the inside of the big Bimmer are even more numerous. The headline news is the latest version of iDrive (4.2 for those of you keeping track). It has more bells and whistles, of course (voice to text capability so you can email on the go), but the part I like best is a faster processor (1.4 GHz) with way better looking graphics. The screen can also render faster, which makes following a navigation route even easier. There is huge amount of detail offered on smaller screens between the tach and speedo, as well as on the heads-up display, and its equipped with a 200-gigabyte hard drive. Another trick is that when you're in a city, the "virtual 3D" map shows buildings and land marks in scale. While of dubious use ("Hey, there's Paris Las Vegas!"), it's simply cool. Non-electrical changes include slimmer front seats and extra servings of shiny chrome.

What we really care about, however, are the mechanical changes. Principally, the engine, which gets a nice bump up in both power and torque. Compared to the old 750's N63 engine, the new N63 TU is still of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo twin-scroll V-8 variety but instead of 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque, it makes 445 horsies and a walloping 480 pound-feet of torque. That's an increase of 45 hp and 30 lb-ft. Who doesn't love that? Even better, the torque plateau is flat and enormous, with the max 480 pound-feet available from 2000 to 5000 rpm. Almost as important, for 2013 both the 750 and the 3.0-liter twin-scroll 740 get ZF's excellent, fast-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, a high-torque version of the units found in BMWs like the 3 Series and the X3 as well as several other cars ranging from Dodge to Rolls-Royce. You also get engine start/stop and an Eco Pro mode. BMW claims that even with the extra grunt, fuel consumption is actually improved by as much 20% under pretty close to ideal circumstances. An amazing feat if true, though as always, caveat emptor. Oh, and the 7 Series now features rear air springs across the board. Right, enough chit-chat, let's drive.

First up for me was the 750Li. Right off the bat, I was all smiles, but let's get the gripes out of the way up front. The seats, especially the non-adjustable seat bottoms, are not nearly as supportive as they need be. Despite its XXL size, the long-wheelbase 7 is capable of some snappy dance moves. Sadly, you're sliding all over the place, or at least your butt is, because there's plenty of back bolstering. I didn't find the seats particularly luxurious, either. They're just sort of seats. Pity. I'm also not a fan of rear air springs in performance cars. You might be saying, "The 750Li isn't a performance car!" to which I counter that 480 pound-feet is the same amount of twisting gumption found in the Corvette Z06. This sucker hauls. The problem with air springs isn't so much turning, which this car does fine. The trouble is when you turn and then turn the other direction. As the car rolls, the weight transfers from one side to the other and the air suspension can't react fast enough. The result is an odd, slightly disconcerting heave motion. In other words, the rear end moves around when you really start chucking the car back and forth. Again, pity.

That's the bad stuff. The list of positive attributes about the 2013 750Li is much longer. The engine is fantastic. Cars this large shouldn't launch as quickly, but it does and let's all be thankful for that. Plus, that epic wave of torque is just so damn easy to ride. You can go from cruising to passing in nothing flat. There aren't any paddles to speak of, but you can use the gear selector to manually pick your gears. Speaking of the tranny, like every other ZF 8-speed I've driven, I am boggled by how quickly this one shifts. I've driven dual-clutch units (like the one in BMW's M5/M6!) that seem slower. I mentioned the new iDrive earlier, but you really have to watch the map render in real time to appreciate just how good (and helpful) it is. While not world class, the brakes have the stuff necessary to haul this big boy to a quick stop. I hope it goes without saying that every single luxury bell and whistle in existence is also tossed in. Put simply, that new Mercedes-Benz S-Class had better be excellent because BMW has a winner on its hands.

Of course for some people, 445 horsepower is akin to walking. That's why, for a few dollars extra, BMW will sell you the 760Li. Just kidding about that few part, the difference in price between the $90,000 750Li and the $140,200 760Li is $50,200. Holy high roller, Batman! You could get a really sweet 3 Series for that kind of money. You'd also wind up with 12-cylinders between the two cars, just like the 760Li packs into one. You also get 535 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 90 ponies and 55 pound-feet over the 750. That said, BMW seems to be in the pick-a-power-number-out-of-a-hat business, meaning that the engine feels much stronger than the numbers indicate. Is the big engine worth it? There's no polite way to say this, but if you're still pondering the question then you've never driven a V-12. What a peach of an engine. Wait, the N74 is not a peach. It's schweinebraten with all the trimmings. Und strudel and a couple shots of schnapps. I simply adore it. That said, the top shelf 7 Series doesn't have the (relatively) nimble moves of its smaller-engined brethren. Is the extra weight from the 6.0-liter V-12 to blame? Maybe. Or maybe all that extra power gets the 760Li into situations that the car wasn't tuned to handle. Before we spend too much time pondering this conundrum, let's look at the other go-fast option, the Alpina B7.

I've long admired Alpina as the thinking man's tuner. Instead of just going for monster power, they go for drivability. One of my favorite expressions (at times attributed to former BMW ad man Bob Lutz) is "Americans buy horsepower and drive torque." Alpina's philosophy seems to be total car development, not just screaming hot rod motors, though the car is, well, potent. Power climbs from the 2012 B7's 500 hp and 516 pound-feet of torque to 540 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque. I'll save you the suspense. The 760Li's monster V-12 feels faster to me. It also sounds better, though I should note that during shall we say "spirited driving," all three cars have way too much sound insulation and road isolation. That's double-paned glass for you. BMW should reach into their own magic hat and at least offer the M5/M6 artificial engine sound via the stereo as an option. Anyhow, while noticeably quicker than the still quite fleet 750Li, the Alpina B7 is no 760Li. Until BMW decides to build an M7 (which would practically put Alpina out of business), this is as supposedly sporty as 7 Series get.

The Alpina B7 does handle better than the 760Li. In addition to essentially everything else, Alpina retuned the suspension and the resulting jumbo sport sedan feels more composed than the heavyweight V-12. I personally found that the even lighter 750Li (hey, everything's relative) handles even better, but the B7 does have two big advantages the other two don't. One is buttons on the back of the steering wheel that let you change gears without removing your hands from the tiller -- to be clear, tough but odd-feeling buttons, not paddles. The other is excellent, track worthy brakes. At least they felt that way up on the winding road. Speaking of the track, the Alpina B7 was the only new 7 Series I took on Mazda Raceway. It did pretty much OK, kind of almost keeping up with an M5 piloted by a better driver. Both cars had been lapping all day and by 3:00 pm (when I was in the B7), the brakes were cooked (er, the brake fluid was cooked). All that said, the Alpina B7 is a big boy, most certainly over 4500 pounds and therefore not an ideal track car. Still, it's pretty damn engaging for a full-size yacht and, at $132,395, a bargain compared to the 760Li.

Given my druthers, I'd combine the agility of the 750Li, the brakes from the B7 (before they spend 6 hours on a big brake zone track like Laguna Seca), and the relentless forward thrust from the stud-engined 760Li. Since that's fantasy world stuff, I declare the best of the new bunch to be the 750Li. Sure, it's got less power, but 445 hp from a twin-turbo V-8 is only "less" in a bubble. A tiny, privileged bubble. Now we wait for that new S-Class so that we can determine who is the master of the full-size luxury pantheon.

Courtesy of Motortrend.com

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BMW reveals Zagato Roadster at Pebble Beach

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Earlier this week, we snuck a peak at the BMW Zagato roadster in dark photos sent from BMW. After its reveal on the lawn at Pebble Beach on Friday, we’ve found out a bit more about the one-off drop top.

It only took six weeks to go from drawing to finished concept, according to BMW. The car came on the heels of the BMW Zagato coupe, which we first saw at the Concourso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Lake Como, Italy.

“We set ourselves the challenge of preparing the car in time for the renowned Pebble Beach concours,” explains Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president of BMW Group Design. “It was only with the expertise of both companies in the manufacture of high-end one-off cars and another display of outstanding teamwork that we were able to finish the car on schedule.”

The Zagato roadster has classic sports-car proportions with a sweeping hood and short rear end similar to the coupe version. BMW’s kidney grille sits up front with z-designs instead of the normal bars. A pair of ports are cut from the hood to extract hot air.

A bird’s-eye view shows the hallmark Zagato double-bubble roof, extending from the rear, through the roll bars and onto the hood.

The rear of the roadster looks low and wide, with a spoiler extending the width of the car. Brake lights are surrounded by black accents, leaving a small circle for BMW’s roundel. Underneath, a diffuser directs air out from under the back end, while exhaust pipes sit on each side.

The show car sits on 19-inch wheels with a five-spoke design, which BMW says was inspired by a propeller. The founders of both BMW and Zagato have roots in aviation. It’s painted a shade of gray, setting off the black and brown accents.

Like the coupe, we expect this roadster can be driven and registered legally in most countries. Whether BMW will produce the car in greater numbers remains to be seen.

Courtesy of autoweek.com

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BMW Partners with Green Mountain Energy Company

BMW of North America today announced that it will partner with Green Mountain Energy Company to offer drivers of the BMW ActiveE the choice to support renewable energy for their cars. The ActiveE drivers, known as "Electronauts," now have the opportunity to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Green Mountain to cover the estimated electricity that will be used to charge their electric vehicles (EVs).

"The partnership with Green Mountain is BMW's next step to procure a sustainable mobility future for our ActiveE Electronauts," said Rob Healey, EV Infrastructure Manager at BMW of North America. "We want to ensure all ActiveE drivers have the opportunity to source their energy needs from renewable generation and this program is the perfect complement to BMW’s ActiveE solar offer. Based on their experience in renewable energy, Green Mountain is an ideal partner to support our mission."

As the world's most sustainable automotive company, BMW offers more than just an emissions-free electric vehicle. BMW is now expanding the horizon of what electric mobility means by providing ActiveE drivers with the resources to support clean energy with their cars.

Courtesy of bmwusa.com

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Revolutionizing the BMW M3

BMW is less than a year away from officially revealing the fifth generation of the menacing M3, the first to receive turbocharged six-cylinder power.

The performance sedan, code-named F80, is expected to appear as a lightly veiled concept at the 2013 Geneva motor show, debuting the appearance and mechanical package of the M division's eagerly anticipated Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG rival. A showroom-ready version with a production interior arrives at next year's Frankfurt motor show, BMW sources say.

If this timeline holds, the next M3 should be ready for North American sales in winter 2014 at prices that likely will top the $60,995 sticker of the 2012 M3 coupe, owing to the car's higher positioning and greater levels of standard equipment. The last version of the M3 sedan went out of production in October 2011.

In a departure from previous generations, this M3 will be launched exclusively as a sedan, a move that brings it in line with the larger and more expensive M5. Several sleeker-styled models—including a follow-up to today's coupe and cabriolet—will then be added to lineup, which will be supplemented by a Gran Coupe variant. But, as part of a different naming process, it will eschew the M3 name for M4 nomenclature.

The M3 sedan will follow the example of the larger M5 in receiving a host of functional but subdued styling changes in comparison with the standard 3-series sedan. This means a deeper front bumper with large cooling ducts for the forced-induction engine, a lightly altered kidney grille, wider front fenders with the signature air vents, unique exterior mirrors and wider door sills. In back are a subtle trunk-lip spoiler and a deeper rear bumper that incorporates a diffuser to cool the rear differential.

Despite BMW's increasing commitment to carbon-fiber construction, the M3 will retain a steel platform structure, though certain parts of the body shell, including its hood and doors, will be fashioned from aluminum.

While the turbo straight-six is set, rumors to the contrary have been flying about the M3's mechanical package, with some even suggesting that the car would receive a 3.3-liter V6 engine based around the 90-degree architecture and cylinder capacity used for the larger M5's 4.4-liter V8 engine.

“This is utter rubbish,” a high-ranking source said. Packaging considerations aside, there is no reason for BMW to abandon its tradition of straight six-cylinder power—neither from a performance nor a production standpoint.”

But purists might still question the decision to go with a turbocharged engine that will bring an end to an illustrious era of naturally aspirated powerplants for the M3. Additionally, for the first time since its inception in 1986, there will be no manual gearbox.

In a bid to match the performance levels offered in top-shelf Mercedes and Audi products, the engine in the BMW is expected to deliver about 450 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. By comparison, the 2012 M3 makes 414 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque from a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8.

The next generation will come with a standard seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, similar to the transmission in the M5 but with altered ratios, offering both manual and automatic modes. Power will be sent to the rear wheels via an electronically controlled variable M differential, offering 100 percent lockup.

Plans for an all-wheel-drive version of the car were considered but rejected. Instead, BMW is planning to introduce an M335i with all- and rear-wheel drive as part of its new M Performance lineup (see sidebar).

Underpinning the M3 will be an aluminum-intensive chassis with a longer wheelbase and wider track than today's model, giving the car a significantly larger footprint. We don't have all of the final specs on the next-generation M3, but it's safe to say that this sedan will be an agent of change for BMW performance machines.

Courtesy of autoweek.com

2013 BMW 128i Lease Incentive

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Well equipped including features such as Premium Package (Leather Seats, Moonroof, Comfort Access, Satellite Radio, Power Front Seats and more), Automatic Transmission, iPod/USB Adapter and Destination charges.

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• $389 First months payment
• $2,500 Down payment
• $0 Security Deposit
• $725 Acquisition fee
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BMW Delivers Second Training Tool to the United States Olympic Committee

BMW, the Official Mobility Partner of the United States Olympic Committee, today announced the completion of its second vehicle-to-athlete technology transfer project, a first-of-its-kind motion tracking system that will analyze a swimmer's form and technique. The system, provided by BMW to USA Swimming (USAS), combines underwater cameras with BMW automotive technology to give coaches data they can use to help swimmers improve starts and turns - both critically important parts of competition.

Developed at the BMW Group Technology Office in Mountain View, Calif., the technology will analyze a swimmer's dolphin kick within the allowed 15 meters of underwater swimming and provide quantitative performance data to coaches. The software tracks six points on the swimmer's body - wrists, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles and toes - allowing coaches to pinpoint the performance attributes of specific parts of the body, as well as see how well all parts are working together to increase speed and efficiency.

The technology will provide coaches with information that is a significant improvement over the current approach of manually counting strokes and kicks from the deck or making assumptions from underwater video footage. By comparing measurements to performance over time, coaches will be able to use BMW's motion tracking tool to hone in on technique adjustments that work best for each individual swimmer's body characteristics.

Such improvements can pay off, because in elite swimming, a .01 second advantage can mean the difference between winning gold and going home empty handed. Technology such as this tool has the potential to significantly help a swimmer's training focus and improve their race times.

"Watching our best swimmers, it's clear that the dolphin kick is a very powerful stroke that is critical to overall performance in a race," said Russell Mark, National Team High Performance Consultant to USA Swimming. "However, one challenge our coaches face is the lack of a clear understanding as to which movements and technique promote the strongest dolphin kicks. This tool will help us identify and teach those ingredients."

Following the London 2012 Olympic Games, USAS will work on building its library of dolphin kicks by capturing the training sessions of strong dolphin kickers who come through the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. With the development and subsequent analysis of this library of data will come an emergence of gold standard criteria, which will then help coaches identify what changes their swimmers might need to make to achieve those criteria.

The motion tracking tool for USA Swimming is BMW's second technology transfer project under its sponsorship of Team USA, which leverages the company's automotive engineering expertise to drive athletic performance. Earlier in April, BMW officially handed off a velocity measurement training tool to USA Track & Field which provides real-time analysis for improving long jump performance. Decathlon Olympic gold medalist Bryan Clay was involved in the testing of this technology.

The BMW software used to analyze the athlete's movement in both training tools is similar to technology being explored for driver assistance systems in future generations of BMW vehicles. This technology initiative is central to BMW's comprehensive U.S. Olympic program which endeavors to advance the performance goals of Team USA while bringing communities across the country closer to the excitement of the Olympic Games.

"We're quite pleased to have been able to develop two new training tools for the athletes of Team USA this year," said Dirk Rossberg, Head of the BMW Group Technology Office USA. "What's also interesting is that, in working so closely with USA Swimming and USA Track & Field, we've been able to bring key pieces of information back to our research and development of vision systems. It's a partnership in the truest sense of the word."

To learn more about BMW Group's partnership with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and its designation as a Sustainability Partner of LOCOG, visit the dedicated press page www.press.bmwgroup.co.uk . To learn more about BMW's partnership with the USOC and National Governing Bodies USA Bobsled & Skeleton, US Speedskating, USA Swimming and USA Track & Field, visit www.bmwgroupusanews.com

Courtesy of marketwatch.com

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