Best Car Reviews:BMW 7 Series To Get xDrive All Wheel Drive

Article Summary:

Article Content:

BMW is finally doing something they should have done a long time ago: Add all wheel drive (what BMW calls xDrive) to their top of the line 7 series. Their 3 and 5 series has it, why not the 7? What, rich people don’t need more traction? They don’t drive in snow or something … one way or the other, BMW has seen fit to give its top of the line AWD, and the technical details are, as always, interesting, and very German.

Germans are usually seen as being a practical lot, and let’s face it, and all wheel drive system, no matter the corp.-speak nomenclature, is a very practical add on for a car to have. Yes, it does add weight and more mechanical complexity (which essentially means more things to break) and it certainly does give you a performance advantage if you dial it in right, but overall, having every wheel you got putting power down to the pavement is a better idea.

BMW knows this, because it’s been an option for many years on their 3 and 5 series sedans and wagons. And even Mercedes knows this, because their 4Matic system can be had on their BMW-equivalent C and E class cars. And naturally, Audi is onboard, since they’ve done all wheel drive since Gerald Ford was running the U.S. And you’ll never see a press release touting their range topping A8 finally getting AWD, because it’s always had it (and boy if you want to be surprised by what a big sedan can do, mach the right peddle on an S8 some time).

So it’s about time that BMW has caught up and will soon (as in this fall) be offering all wheel drive throughout its range.

Before diving into the tech soup, the really good, gearhead news is that yes, xDrive on the 7 series will include the V12 models as well. Tell me that doesn’t sound like a fun test drive to take on a rainy February afternoon.

The new xDrive equipped 7 will also feature an updated version of BMW’s Integrated Chassis Management, that uses the FlexRay on-board network and the quick-responding xDrive hardware, to identify and limit understeer by shifting torque rearward, sending up to 80% to the rear axle, sort of like Subaru or Audi – WHOA! Did I say that out loud? Sorry about that BMW … but essentially that’s what BMW, or anyone else that’s got an AWD system has had to deal with since Jeeps were running around during WW II: figure out a way to split the torque to all four corners, not just two.

BMW says that by adding xDrive, it will ” … ensure that the 750i xDrive and 750Li xDrive will be two of the most nimble all-wheel drive sedans available in any vehicle segment.” Yeah, well I might take issue with calling a car that weighs more than two tons “nimble” but I can see what their trying to spin here.

As a side note in the presser, BMW remarks that the 7 Series will finally get the M Sport Package. That means nice sport goodies such as an M steering wheel, a body kit, Active Roll Stabilization (for RWD models only), Shadowline trim, Anthracite headliner and 19″ wheels with ultra-high performance tires and Carbon Black Metallic exterior paint.

Now all we need to do is get Mercedes off the dime with a 4Matic S Class, and we’ll be golden.

Here’s the BMW press release:

BMW 7 SERIES XDRIVE MODELS TO DEBUT THIS FALL.

* 01.07.2009
* Press Release

Enhanced xDrive All-Wheel Drive System Available for the First Time on BMW’s Range-Topping Sedan.

Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey – July 1, 2009… In the continuing development of BMW’s flagship 7 Series line, BMW today announced xDrive all-wheel drive versions of the 750i and 750Li. When combined with the previously announced V12-powered 760Li, the 7 Series range grows to five variants for model year 2010.

BMW’s acclaimed xDrive all-wheel drive system has been enhanced for these new models to ensure that the 750i xDrive and 750Li xDrive set a new benchmark for handling characteristics among all-wheel drive sedans. BMW’s Integrated Chassis Management, using the remarkable speed of its FlexRay on-board network and the quick-responding xDrive hardware, is able to identify and limit understeer by shifting torque rearward (up to 80% to the rear axle) while preserving the stability for which xDrive has been so widely recognized.

As a second step, the Integrated Chassis Management system can then apply a precise combination of throttle and individual rear-corner braking in order to maintain perfectly neutral handling in a corner - regardless of road surface conditions.

These key enhancements to xDrive ensure that the 750i xDrive and 750Li xDrive will be two of the most nimble all-wheel drive sedans available in any vehicle segment.

For driving enthusiasts, model year 2010 also marks the debut of the M Sport Package for all 7 Series models. The M Sport Package includes an M steering wheel, lift-reducing aerodynamic kit, Active Roll Stabilization (RWD only), Shadowline trim, Anthracite headliner and 19″ wheels with ultra-high performance tires. 20″ wheels with ultra-high performance tires are available at additional cost. Carbon Black Metallic exterior paint is available with the new M Sport Package.

BMW Group In America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 142 BMW motorcycle retailers, 83 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

rental cars