They are now considering re-designing the range of 7-Series for 2009 and equipping them with a 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8. If this is successful we might see them expanding on this. We assume that they will start to import the diesel versions of the X5 utility vehicle and 3-Series with a twin-turbo six cylinder engine.

Averaging it out, a BMW is close to 20%-25% more efficient then the gasoline brands. Because of this having a diesel engine is beneficial to consumers to help lower the cost of fuel. It also helps manufacturers to meet the new CAFÉ fuel mileage stats.

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At first authorities noticed that the area was muddy and something did not look right about it. They brought in some machinery and workers and started to dig. Reed said that, “There was trash exposed. It was six to seven (feet) down, and we had to dig another four to five feet to get it out.”

The BMW is now worthless – but at the time it was brand new and cost $60,000. Authorities said that they found it in two separate pieces. “I’ve uncovered vehicles buried before… Stolen vehicles buried before, but not one this deep,” Reed said.

Records in the car show that it was once owned by Van Lewis who lives on the ranch. According to records at the NCIB Lewis’ son filed a police report two years ago that stated that the BMW had been stolen. Obviously that report was a fake. “It was nearly eight-years-old. The insurance company paid $18,800 something for it. It’s definitely insurance fraud,” said Reed.

Insurance fraud is something that is becoming more and more common. “The percentage of insurance fraud is up there in the neighborhood of 30 percent,” said Reed. “It causes our premiums to go up every year. Everyone pays for this.” Authorities are still investigating and have not yet filed charges.

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It will alert the driver of human impediments up to 100 meters ahead, and it won’t be confused by humans on the sidewalk. If a collision is imminent, a flashing warning triangle will appear on the screen and the heads-up display.

European versions of the car won’t have to rely on navigation software to know the speed limit of a given road. A camera behind the rear-view mirror will read street sings in any country that is signed to the Vienna Convention — which doesn’t include the U.S. That function will work in any weather, even fog. It won’t limit the speed of the car, but it will warn the driver if his or her speed is excessive. Word is they are considering naming the system “Hal.”

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According to the details we have (and there are few right now) BMW will be showing off their new gearbox in the premium 7-Series sedan as well as the X6 Sport Activity Vehicle. The current BMW 7-Series car uses six-speed automatics.

Lexus first showed off their eight-speed transmission in the LS 460. Since then their vehicles have offered a smoother ride, better fuel efficiency, and more acceleration.

BMW is looking to obtain these same results – but will also offer the usual power and comfortable and luxurious ride that all of the cars are famous for.

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The Gran Turismo would slot in above the 7-series, being both longer and wider than BMW’s largest sedan, and is likely to pack either a V8 or V12 powerplant. CSM Worldwide pegs production of around 15,000 units annually with a cost of around $150,000.

That puts it in the same realm as Porsche’s soon-to-be-released Panamera, Audi’s rumored A7 and the Aston Martin Rapide, all of which will create a new class of high-priced, high-powered sedans that have yet to be proven in the marketplace.

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Australian actors Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush have already had a drive in the US and are bound to be part of the action when the emission-free limousine arrives here for lease-only evaluation. Other stars who have sat behind the wheel of the hydrogen limo include Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Richard Gere, Jay Leno, and Placido Domingo.

BMW Group Australia PR and corporate communications manager Toni Andreevski said they would be contacting “a range of people in January”. The list is bound to include political and business leaders, as well as a key environment and celebrities.

The Hydrogen 7 cars will be the highlight of a week-long public expo to be held in Melbourne in late January.
The exhibition will comprise a display of BMW’s EfficientDynamics technology which not only includes the hydrogen-powered limo, but also stop-go technology, brake energy regeneration, active aerodynamics and lightweight construction.
The Hydrogen 7 is powered by a V12 engine which produces no harmful exhaust emissions or CO2 when running in hydrogen fuel mode.

It produces 191kW of power and 390Nm of torque and accelerates from 0-100km/h in 9.5sec. Top speed is limited electronically to 230km/h. A specially designed crash-proof tank houses the 8kg of liquid hydrogen that powers the car.
It has a cruising range of 200km on hydrogen and 500km on petrol. A one-touch steering wheel-mounted button allows the driver to switch between petrol and hydrogen fuel on the move. Only 100 Hydrogen 7 cars have been built to be circulated around the world and showcase the technology.

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“With the BMW Hydrogen 7 I can experience all the fun and great features of a performance car, yet know that I’m being environmentally friendly at the same time. “I look forward to driving the Hydrogen 7 and learning more about hydrogen as a fuel for our future,” said Leno.
In his “green garage,” Leno uses giant steam and natural gas engines from the 19th century to effectively reduce his energy needs, transforming his garage into a self-sufficient power station.

According to Leno, there is no reason why a garage full of old cars can’t be environmentally responsible, even if it means having to go back more than a century for the technology. Working with expert consultants in a variety of fields to analyze his garage’s energy use and devise alternative energy systems, Leno is committed to upgrading his nearly 20,000-sq.-ft. garage with the latest environmentally friendly shop equipment and products. Running in hydrogen mode, the BMW Hydrogen 7 essentially emits nothing but water vapor, representing a major step in reducing harmful CO2 emissions(which is helpful when you live in smog country California).

It is not a concept car, but a production model vehicle that has successfully completed the entire Product Development Process. While the BMW Hydrogen 7 is not for sale, it is considered to be a milestone in bringing forward hydrogen as the sustainable fuel for individual transportation. BMW believes that hydrogen will replace petroleum as the long-term alternative to fossil fuel, and hopes the Hydrogen 7 will play a pioneering role in driving forward the hydrogen technologies that will ensure our mobility in the future.

Through a program dubbed the Hydrogen 7 Pioneers Program, BMW is giving industry leaders and prominent figures in entertainment, politics, business and more a BMW Hydrogen 7 for their daily use. The hydrogen pioneers will be instrumental in helping people understand that hydrogen technology is here, it is now and it is what BMW Group believe holds the key to our future mobility. By harnessing the power and influence of individuals who, like Leno, are at the forefront of their respective disciplines, BMW hopes to continue to generate support of hydrogen-drive vehicles in the short term and stimulate demand for a viable hydrogen infrastructure in the long-term.

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Whether late at night or traveling in rain, snow or fog, you can feel a little safer by being able to see vehicles in the road or animals or people wandering alongside the road up to 1,000 feet with the night vision that is equipped in this vehicle. The system also employs heat-detecting sensors to spot the objects, which it shows on the navigation system screen. If it gives off heat, human or animal, car or motorcycle, it will glow on the screen.

As an added safe benefit, if someone is lurking in the bushes near the house when you arrive home at night, the heat detection sensors in your night vision give you an early warning. And don’t tell the teens, but the night vision also will tattle on them if they sneak out for a cruise. When Mom and Dad return home, the night vision screen will show the warm glow coming from the hood of the teen’s recently driven car.

Night vision runs $2,200, a seriously high price to spot deer in the road, people in the bushes or wayward teens. It was first offered in the 760 in 2006 and for 2008 will be offered in 5- and 6-Series cars for the first time. Another pricey option is the “coolbox” a mini fridge behind the rear-seat armrest. The tab is $1,800. At that price it better be really good water or really flavorful pop that you are cooling to 40 degrees. You have to remember to press the button on the door to activate the cooling mechanism, and to drink the pop or water in a reasonable time span because when the engine is off, the fridge shuts off and your cool drink quickly warms. And $1,800 is a stiff price to pay for warm water or pop.

Another problem with the fridge is that its compressor behind the rear seat robs a hefty portion of trunk space. Given a choice between holding a couple cold bottles of pop in the back seat or four sets of golf clubs in the trunk, BMW says the golf clubs usually win.

Other high priced goodies on the 760 Li include adaptive cruise control at $2,200 to reduce engine power and/or apply the brakes to slow the car if it gets too close to the vehicle ahead when cruise control is engaged; and a DVD entertainment system at another $2,200 to watch movies in the back seat. A flip-over video screen sits atop the center console.

The DVD system uses an iDrive control just like the one the driver has upfront to control everything from radio station of choice to when the doors should automatically lock or unlock. Be advised that iDrive isn’t as bad as some people insist it is. Yes, it is overly complex, but it takes no more than two, three model years tops to learn how to program all the electrical sensors to customize all the control settings to your liking. If you’re not a computer geek, however, it’s the system from Hell created by Lucifer himself.

Can’t understand BMW’s belief that folks enjoy spending their hard earned inheritance on a vehicle that turns the simplist of tasks into a monumental chore. There’s no disgrace in using buttons like all other cars do. Another extra-cost goodie is the comfort access system, which sounds as if you push a button to regulate seat softness. Nope. This is the keyless ignition system. Press a button in the dash to start or stop the engine, as long as you are carrying the fob with the magic.

Rather than a long gearshift lever, you get a mini lever behind the wheel to engage drive, reverse or park. Cute, but why not put it closer to the driver for easier use? Highest priced option of all is the Individual Composition. No, you don’t have to write a term paper to get a 760; for $10,000, you get leather upholstery and headliner, illuminated doorsills, storage net in the passenger footwall and 20-inch performance radials. But you also have to purchase ruby black metallic paint for $3,000.

Expensive list of options on a car with an impressive list of standard features, which should be no surprise considering it starts at $121,400. Dynamic stability control and traction control are standard to rivet the sedan to the pavement whether the road follows a straight line, twists and turns, is wet or dry. There’s also roll stabilization to keep wheels side down, electronic damping control to ensure the suspension doesn’t fidget over uneven pavement, self-leveling suspension so a cabin full of people or a trunk full of luggage doesn’t affect handling or braking and four-wheel anti-lock brakes for sure-footed stops whenever and whereever.

And there are the little things, rain-sensing wipers, headlamp washers, side-curtain air bags, front-seat knee protection to keep from submarining under the dash and headlights that move in the direction of the turn. Other niceties include heated and cooled front and rear seats so you can cool your butt as well as your beverage; power rear seats that not only motor forward, but also recline; and a button that allows the rear-seat passenger to motor the front passenger seat forward to increase rear seat leg room, best done when the front seat is empty, of course.

Like any BMW, the car is aimed at those who pay attention to a vehicle’s performance, its ability to leap into action from the stop sign, accelerate into and out of twists in the road, and stop on the proverbial dime and leaving change. The 760 is powered by a 6-liter, 438-horsepower, 48-valve V-12 engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Lots of energy to move the mini limo. But that comes at a cost, a 14 m.p.g. city/22 m.p.g. highway rating and a $1,700 gas guzzler tax. Ironic that people frown at a sport-utility but fawn over a BMW, which similarly eats gas.

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Forget the old ‘Bangle Butt’, as it was so callously called, this 7’s tail section will have a much smoother design that better integrates into the car’s overall lines. Although the face of the ‘09 7 Series does not look dramatically different from that of the ‘06 model, it appears that BMW will likely replace the current semi-rectangular headlamps with a more elliptically shaped set. The taillamps also appear to have been altered in keeping with the vehicle’s slimmed-down rear end.

As conservative as the ‘09 7 Series appears on the surface, this next-generation version of the vehicle is expected to house the sort of progressive features beneath its skin that BMW loves. The cabin will likely feature a wider range of electronic systems with a more user-friendly layout than that of the 2006 7 Series. The clunky iDrive system will stay, but it will get yet another revision for better usability. Expect a greater use of active safety features, incorporating everything from cameras to radars in the name of accident avoidance, as well.

Since BMW has officially partnered with DaimlerChrysler and GM on development of a hybrid drive system, don’t be surprised to see a gas-electric version of this 7 Series added to the lineup. Look for both a short- and long-wheelbase version of the 2009 BMW 7 Series toward the end of the 2008 calendar year.

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BMW’s Head of Government and Industrial Affairs, John Hollis, handed over the BMW Hydrogen 7 for the use of the Deputy Mayor. Hydrogen is an efficient and clean form of power supply resulting in only water vapour exiting the exhaust. The car is part of BMW’s initiative to encourage debate around the role of hydrogen in the economy.  For the next two months, cars will be evaluated in the UK by business leaders and opinion formers.

John Hollis said: “BMW is a pioneer in the development and use of hydrogen as a fuel source and shares the vision of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor that London should be one of the world centres for Hydrogen. In recognition of the work the Mayor’s Office has done in this field, BMW would like it to be the first public organisation in the country to have the use of a Hydrogen 7 car.”

Deputy London Mayor, Nicky Gavron, said: “I am committed to improving the health and quality of life of Londoners through the use of cleaner technologies such as hydrogen vehicles which reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere. I am pleased to have this opportunity to try out the BMW Hydrogen 7 car. As the Chair of the London Hydrogen Partnership, I want to encourage the use of hydrogen vehicles that emit only water vapour and no harmful emissions, but I also want to be able to talk with first hand experience about these vehicles. I am pleased that BMW has given me this opportunity.”

The Deputy Mayor used the car to go to an event at the Royal Festival Hall on Monday, 11th June. The Deputy Mayor uses public transport wherever possible and on World Environment Day welcomed the Brighton to London eco car rally, an event to showcase vehicles using future fuels and technologies such as hydrogen fuel cell and hybrid vehicles into Trafalgar Square.

The London Hydrogen Partnership is working together towards a hydrogen economy for London and the UK. It is chaired by the Deputy Mayor of London, and its members include: Air Products, Association of London Government, Baxi Group, BMW, BOC, BP, Carbon Trust, DTI, Energy Saving Trust, Greater London Authority, Health and Safety Executive, Imperial College, Intelligent Energy, Johnson Matthey, London Development Agency, London First, Rolls-Royce, Thames Water and Transport for London.

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