And the V12 saga continues. Or not.
By Jacob Oliva, Motor1.com
The narrative of the BMW V12 engine seems like a story out of a
Netflix special, but the new BMW CEO confirms its demise after the
current 7 Series.
In an interview with Autoblog.com – which leans towards the electrification of BMW – Markus Flasch, the new BMW CEO, has reiterated the previous reports
about the V12's demise. When asked about the future of the V12, Flasch
said: "Beyond what we have, I don't believe we will see a new
twelve-cylinder model in the foreseeable future."
This confirmation from the new BMW honcho contradicts the previous statement
from Michael Bayer, the head of powertrain division of the 7 Series.
According to Bayer, there is a future for the V12 and that it's possible
to make the engine compliant with the next wave of Euro emissions
regulations.
But, that changes today. With the confirmation from the new BMW CEO,
the current 7 Series would be the last Bimmer to carry the hefty and
powerful V12 mill.
So, what gives? What's the future of the 7
Series? With the loss of the V12, we can circle back to what was
reported earlier this year – electrification of BMWs.
Now, we
don't mean complete electrification of the 7 Series. Based on the
previous stories, it's highly unlikely that BMW will incorporate
electric motors into the 7 Series and its future smaller, force-inducted
engine. While it's possible that the 7 Series would use the same
3.0-liter inline-six (B58) from the 2 Series and 3 Series, the flagship sedan will most likely seek help from electrification.
This speculation is in parallel to Flasch's inclination to electrification, as transcribed from his interview with Autoblog.com.
For what it's worth, the new BMW CEO believes that electrification is
the future of performance and that would transcend to its M cars, but
that's another can of worms to be opened.
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