Some stories are just too good to be true. Add to that list Car and Driver's report that the U.S. will finally get a 7 Series diesel next summer. As attractive as the idea may be, BMW quashed the rumor the rumor quite quickly: “BMW is currently not planning any diesel-powered 7 Series model for the U.S. market. The updated BMW 7 Series models that arrive this fall will be powered by a three-liter TwinPower turbo inline six-cylinder engine, a three-liter TwinPower turbo inline six-cylinder engine with electric motor in the Active Hybrid 7, an updated 4.4-liter TwinPower turbo V8 engine, and a six-liter TwinPower turbo V12 engine," said BMW corporate communications manager Tom Plucinsky.
But why not a diesel Seven in the U.S.? You'd think that if people wanted to buy a diesel version of BMW's flagship—and would pay a premium to do so—it would make sense to sell it here. For reference, the BMW X5 xDrive35d (we just call it the X535d) with the three-liter diesel engine engine produces 265 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque. That's a bulky all-wheel-drive X5 crossover, and it's still rated at 26 miles per gallon highway. The 7 Series would likely achieve much better fuel economy that that.
Any such diesel 7 Series would go up against the Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec and Audi's A8 3.0 TDI for diesel-powered luxury supremacy. The rest of the updated 2013 7 Series range goes on sale this summer.––Paul Duchene
