With more and more manufacturers ditching their big V12 engines in favor of more efficient powertrains, you would think that the days of the flagship 7-Series are numbered but apparently you are wrong.
BMW is apparently keeping the big V12-engined 7-Series alive, for at least four more years according to Michael Bayer, head of powertrain for the current model, who spoke to Top Gear.
“We will keep [the V12] for the rest of this generation at least, until 2023,” Bayer said during the launch of the redesigned 7-Series.
And while this might be the final swansong of the BMW V12 engine, Bayer added that there’s a possibility to also make the big twin-turbo 6.0-liter unit comply with the next round of emissions after 2023, although that would be “extremely difficult”.
BMW’s commitment on the V12 engine sounds a little bit of a lost cause at first, until you find out that demand for the range-topping M760Li has been through the roof, thanks to customers from the MIddle East and China.
In fact BMW was surprised of how many customers placed an order for the range-topper, because the 6.0-liter engine comes with huge tax penalties in countries like China. Apparently Chinese customers who have the means to buy a brand-new 7-Series prefer to pay supercar money for the M760Li rather than settling for one of the lesser versions.
“Since we revealed this car, we have been at maximum capacity building these engines,” said BMW 7-Series product chief Christian Metzger.
However, the renosed M760Li will no longer be the most powerful BMW in the range, mostly thanks to the new particulate filters required for the latest emissions rules. With those in place, the engine now makes 577hp (585PS) instead of the 602hp (610PS) it did before.