By Twain Mein

Pros

• Safety features
• Roominess
• Handling and comfort
• Beautiful interior
• Incredible acceleration
• Outward visibility

Cons (not many but…)

• It’s expensive
• Fan noise from the A/C and seat coolers
• Small side view mirrors
• Fuel economy; averaged 13.5 mpg

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Looks like there’s plenty of changes in store for the upcoming 2010 BMW 7 Series. There will be a new straight-six diesel engine cranking out 306 horsepower in the 740d, and the 730d will get a BluePerformance technology pack, and an M Sport package will be available for the entire range, and finally, all-wheel drive will finally be available in 7 series models.

For now, all these diesel goodies will be Euro-only, but there’s no reason to keep them there. The new 740d will hit the showrooms of Europe this autumn, equipped with a revised version of BMW’s 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six diesel engine cranking out 306 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque at a low, low 1,500 rpm. The new mill should motivate this tank of a ride from zero to 100km/h in 6.3 seconds and tops out at an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. And it does all this while getting 34 mpg.

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The Paris Motor Show will be the setting for the world debut of the BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid offering the potential of BMW ActiveHybrid technology in the luxury sedan segment as part of the BMW EfficientDynamics innovation strategy. This new Concept Car combines a significant reduction of fuel consumption and emissions with a standard of driving dynamics in this luxury class of hybrid cars. The closest comparable example is the Lexus 600h.

The BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid comes with an intelligent symbiosis of the V8 cylinder petrol engine and electric drive as a mild hybrid concept. The BMW ActiveHybrid technology featured in the Concept Car reduces both fuel consumption and emissions by 15% versus the same car with a combustion engine and offers a standard of driving dynamics clearly exceeding all series models with hybrid technology presented so far. And at the same time the use of BMW ActiveHybrid technology does not require any concessions in terms of everyday driving qualities and the specific features of the BMW 7 Series.

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