How good is BMW's twin-turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder? Well, good enough that BMW thinks Americans will accept it in the 7 Series flagship. This spring, the company is bringing the 2011 BMW 740i and 740Li to market, and this time there's no V8 under the hood.
Notably, this isn't the new "TwinPower" N55 engine (with the single, twin-scroll turbocharger), but the N54 engine already available in the compact and midsize Bimmers sold here. In the 7 Series, this engine will be rated at 315 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 330 pound-feet of torque from 1,600-4,500 rpm. A six-speed automatic transmission will drive the rear wheels.
No pricing has been announced, but it's likely that the 2011 740i will come in significantly cheaper than the V8-equipped 750i, which starts above $80K and carries a $1,000 gas guzzler tax to boot.
BMW is keen to smooth over any resistance to a 7 Series with six-cylinder power by noting that this is the only engine you could get in its top sedan when it arrived in the U.S. in 1977. The last 7 Series sedans offered here with an inline-6 were the 1992 735i and 735iL, which had a 3.4-liter making all of 204 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque.
jrcarch says:
12:50 PM, 12/16/09
This is brill! It's a real sign BMW US is thinking more like its Euro counterparts. I doubt we will ever get a 3-Series with cloth interior and 16-inch wheels, but this is a step in the right direction. BMW has fake exclusivity over here.
btw, I dig this 7-Series in the above photo. Sport or M Pack? Me likey, especially those little brows and the simple wheels.
blueguydotcom says:
12:57 PM, 12/16/09
Yay, so now 7 series drivers can have HPFP failures too!
jayparry says:
02:02 PM, 12/16/09
I wonder why its called 740 if its a 3.0 Liter. Should be like 737i??
Interesting thats the only engine in every car. 135, 335, 535, 740.
hondacura4 says:
03:23 PM, 12/16/09
"Yay, so now 7 series drivers can have HPFP failures too!"
Blue, has the V8TT suffered the same fate as the I6TT when it comes to HPFP? Given the technology is similar I thought maybe it would suffer from similar issues.
cwc1 says:
05:47 PM, 12/16/09
BMW's marketing folks have deviated even further from their naming convention, back in the days when you could pretty much tell the engine size based on the model name. To be consistent with other series that use this engine, this should be called a 735i/Li. And that even strays from what it should really be, a 730. But I know, 730 doesn't sound prestigous enough, and apparently 735 doesn't either for the 7-series. To designate the higher power output of the twin turbo compared to the non-turbo 3.0 six, they could have called the cars 130 & 130Ti, 330/330Ti, 530/530Ti, and 730Ti, or something like that.
blueguydotcom says:
09:45 PM, 12/16/09
Hondacura, I haven't heard of HPFP on the V8s. The N54 has had problems in the 3, 5 and 1.
bimmerjay says:
11:59 AM, 12/17/09
@jrcarch,
"btw, I dig this 7-Series in the above photo. Sport or M Pack? Me likey, especially those little brows and the simple wheels."
That's the M Sport option and BMW's typical over-Photoshopping of press images. There is no regular sport package on the 7-Series.
I think this is a good idea to offer an additional engine option - and the N54 is up to the task of providing good performance in the 7.
activ8 says:
06:21 PM, 12/17/09
Far as I know, people who buy into this segment are a bit badge-conscious. I don't see any executive wanting to be the smallest d*** in the office when everyone's got a V8. As it is, even with the A8 and the S, the biggest sellers are the 12zylinder models, unlike Europe & Japan where they're taxed out of existence. If someone's getting a 7'40'iL, they'll probably specify it without the badging.
Also, bimmerjay - if you've driven one, I don't think you'd be too impressed with the 535i performance - it's pretty lame. The N54 works well in the 1 & 3, but the 7's weight is a considerable factor.
cr_driver says:
07:01 PM, 12/17/09
Pretty lame are your words.
The 535i performs admirably.
Just in case u need a lesson, read this:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparisons/09q3/2009_audi_a6_3.0t_vs._2009_bmw_535i_2009_infiniti_m45_2009_jaguar_xf_2010_m-b_e350-comparison_tests
Who was the fastest of all?
mrryte says:
07:04 AM, 01/12/10
activ8 says:
"The N54 works well in the 1 & 3, but the 7's weight is a considerable factor."
Not a problem; the new eight-speed should help alleviate that problem.