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2016 BMW G11 7 Series Spotted Testing on the Ring

Today, the automotive world is facing a change unlike any before. New cars are using forced induction not because their makers wanted them to but because they have to, in order to make the most of the petrol we have left and keep the air pollution in check.
2016 BMW G11 7 Series 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from Youtube
Even the most important, the biggest and baddest cars in the world have to abide. It’s starting to look like there’s simply no going over these new rules and that nobody can evade them.

Cars like the 7 Series that used to be fitted with huge naturally aspirated engines are slowly starting to die down and go with more economical and less polluting turbocharged units that want to please both sides.

If the current F01/02 models are using these turbocharged powerplants already, the future looks even better, with focus on downsizing and creating a lighter vehicle altogether.

New research and technology allowed the engineers to use the weirdest combinations and alloys to take  weight as far down as possible. Therefore, when the new flagship from BMW will be launched, it will bring about a couple of major changes.

It will be the first car to weigh less than its predecessor in the historory of the 7 Series. Thanks to CFRP and aluminum usage, the new 7er is rumored to be up to 200 lbs (100 kg) lighter than its forefather, a considerable change that will be reflected in the fuel consumption, at least.

Turbocharged engines will vary between 3-liter and 4.4-liter displacements but the 6-liter V12 might be in peril, due to its size and CO2 emissions. The V12 exclusivity might be kept only for Rolls-Royce in the future, leaving the 7 Series with a V8 as the biggest choice. As for a 2-liter turbocharged powerplant, chances are it will arrive in the 7er but only in conjunction with an electric motor by its side.

That means we could see a plug-in hybrid 7 Series in the future, one that will borrow technology from the i sub-brand, in the same way as the X5 eDrive Concept before it.

That’s not all though. Inside and out, a big design change is expected, close to what the Vision Future Luxury concept showed us a while back. Inside, the center console will be changed drastically, while the dash will have new displays.

Up front, and around the back, new OLED technology will be used for illumination. The same tech could be used inside to light up the dash and for ambient lighting.

Being lighter, the new generation won’t be just less thirsty and less damaging to the environment, but it will also post better performance, and that’s all we’re interested in. That’s also why BMW is testing this limousine on the Nurburgring.

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