More BMW news?
Yup, BMW isn't one to surprise us at motor shows, so it has announced all its plans for this year's Geneva Motor Show in one go, and along with the mighty V12-engined M760Li will be this, the 740e, or 740e iPerformance to give it its full name.
An electric 7 Series?
Not quite, no, more an 'electrified' 7 Series. It's a plugin electric vehicle (PHEV) using a petrol engine, electric motor and a high voltage lithium-ion battery to return some pretty impressive (if not all relevant to all types of drivers) numbers. It's not the first PHEV BMW by any means, but it is the first to be adorned with the new iPerformance branding, aligning the hybrids with BMW's i division.
Ok, so what's under the bonnet?
A very small engine, relatively speaking. Petrol power comes from a modest turbocharged 2.0-litre unit, but it does produce a decent 258hp and 400Nm of torque, making it the most powerful four-cylinder engine BMW has yet made for a production car. The electric motor, mounted within the casing of the eight-speed automatic gearbox, adds 113hp and 250Nm to proceedings, though at different speeds, so the system maximums are quoted as 326hp and 500Nm, which should be ample, even for a car as big as the 7 Series.
And what'll it do?
It depends on which version we're talking about, as there are three: the regular 740e iPerformance, the same car with an extended wheelbase (740Le) and the latter with four-wheel drive, making the long-winded sounding 740e xDrive iPerformance. The latter is the fastest accelerating, taking 5.5 seconds to hit 62mph from a standstill, while the rear-wheel drive 740e on the standard wheelbase is the most efficient, returning 134.5mpg on the combined cycle, while emitting 49g/km and consuming 12.5kWh. It is also claimed to travel up to 25 miles on electricity alone.
Not bad. How do we tell it apart from the diesels?
Copious amounts of iPerformance branding and an extra flap in the front wing covering the charging port seem to be it, though buyers can specify the M Sport package, BMW Individual upgrades and, presumably, complete de-badging, making keen hybrid luxury saloon spotters' work a little trickier.
Shane O' Donoghue - 11 Feb 2016