High-performance variations of the new BMW 7 Series will highlight BMW’s display at the 2016 New York International Auto Show. Billed as the North American kickoff for BMW’s 100th anniversary celebrations, the New York show will start Wednesday, March 23 for the press at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan and run through April 3.
The headliners of BMW’s exhibit will be the BMW M760i xDrive and the BMW Alpina B7 xDrive, the two recently announced higher-performance 7 Series that turn the company’s luxury flagship sedan into a luxury sedan that will seriously get your attention when you put your foot down or carve into a corner.
Not content to show off just the two most recent launches, BMW will bring a slew of new models—the BMW M2, BMW X4 M40i, BMW 7 Series, BMW X1, and BMW 330e—as well as one that has been out for a while, but is still the coolest-looking Bimmer in town—the BMW i8
BMW has made some outstanding V12 engines, but the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive will show off the first BMW twelve-cylinder gasoline engine with M Performance TwinPower Turbo technology. It will achieve the magic mark of 600 horsepower, and darn near as much torque, at 590 pound-feet. The M760i xDrive is not a full-on M car, but performance-wise, it comes pretty close with a zero-to-60 time of 3.91 seconds. Top speed is an electronically limited 155 mph.
The M760i xDrive has more performance than a regular 7 Series, yet it still comes with all the cool ConnectedDrive and driver assistance technology of the regular 7 Series, including: Active Driving Assistance Plus, Lane Departure Warning, Daytime Pedestrian Protection, Blind Spot Detection, Active Lane Keeping Assistant with side collision avoidance , Rear Collision Warning, Frontal Collision Warning with City Collision Mitigation, and Traffic Jam Assistant, as well as the BMW iDrive system featuring Gesture Control.
Luxury performance sedan addicts will, unfortunately, have to wait for the BMW M760i xDrive. BMW warns us not to expect it at U.S. retail centers until the first part of 2017.
If that is too long to wait, there might be another option. BMW is also bringing the 2017 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive to New York in March, and it will be available for sale in the U.S. in September 2016.
The Alpina B7 has all the luxury of the 7 Series and all the power, performance, and styling that Alpina brings to the table. The 2017 B7 will also develop 600 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, but in this case from a 4.4-liter turbocharged V8 engine. This powerplant propels the B7 into M-car territory, with a zero-to-60 time of 3.6 seconds.
The chassis and suspension receive Alpina tuning. Steering is quite interesting, as the B7 comes with Integral Active Steering, which combines a variable ratio electric steering system at the front axle with active steering at the rear.
BMW premiered the all-new 2016 M2 at the North American International Auto Show in January, so it is bringing the M2 to the New York show just to make everyone drool.
With 365 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, the M2 does the zero-to-60 dance in 4.2 seconds. Straight-line speed is fine, but what most people are really waiting for is the M2’s ability to handle the twisties, whether they be interesting country roads or at the track. We should see U.S. M2 deliveries starting in a couple of months. MSRP for the BMW M2 is $51,700 plus $995 Destination and Handling. Look for it at the New York Auto Show but if you want to be an early adopter, better talk to your dealer now.
BMW’s fastest-growing market segment is its X vehicles—the Sports Activity Vehicles and Coupes. The newest product coming out of BMW Plant Spartanburg is the BMW X4 M40i and it will also be on display in New York. The heart of the X4 M40i is its M Performance inline six that generates 355 horsepower and 343 pound-feet or torque, enough to reach from zero-to-60 in 4.7 seconds.
Exclusive 20-inch M light-alloy double-spoke wheels with optional Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires and M Performance tuning of the chassis, suspension and xDrive will make BMW’s midsize Sports Activity Coupe tons of fun. It can be ordered now with a MSRP of $57,800 plus $995 Destination and Handling.
If luxury is king then BMW’s 7 Series flagship is true royalty. The lighter, stronger, and more technologically advanced 2016 7 Series will be on BMW’s New York stand. There you may see BMW’s newest technologies such as Gesture Control, Wireless Charging, Display Key, and an active Kidney Grille—available for the first time in the U.S. MSRP is $81,300 for the BMW 740i, $94,400 for the BMW 750i Sedan and $97,400 for the BMW 750i xDrive, all including $995 Destination and Handling.
BMW’s newest baby crossover, the X1 xDrive28 is bigger on the inside and outside than the first-generation X1. Its two-liter, four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine sends 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, making for a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. Available now, the MSRP for the BMW X1 xDrive28 is $35,795 including $995 Destination and Handling.
BMW is rapidly becoming a leader in electrified vehicles, especially premium, high-performance ones. The latest in what will become a long line of plug-in hybrids is the BMW 330e. With a total gasoline-electric system output of 248 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, the hybrid 3 Series sedan will move from zero-to-60 in just 5.9 seconds. What may be even better is the exceptional fuel mileage it will achieve. The EPA rates it a 72 MPGe, and although real-world figures will be less than that, actual fuel mileage will be well ahead of a normal sedan. The 2016 BMW 330e will arrive in U.S. showrooms this spring with an MSRP of $44,695 including $995 Destination and Handling.
The BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car looks as fresh today as it did when BMW launched it in 2014. It remains BMW’s halo car and the pinnacle of BMW’s visionary i vehicles. The 2016 BMW i8 is currently available at an MSRP of $140, 00 plus $995 Destination and Handling
On Thursday, March 24, the 2016 World Car Awards will be announced at the New York International Auto Show. BMWs in the running this year include the BMW X1, which is a finalist for “World Car of the Year,” the BMW 7 Series for “World Luxury Car,” and the BMW 330e for the “World Green Car.”—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
