The Next BMW 7-Series Will be Much Lighter
BMW is among a select few car companies that are starting to see the benefits of decreasing the overall weight of their entire lineups. Not only does it create more efficient cars, but it also makes them more fun to drive. Heavy cars tend to react heavily, something that’s been a frequent thorn in BMW’s paw for the last decade or so. Once upon a time, the company strictly made light sports sedans, but throughout the years, the BMW models have increasingly gained more and more weight.
Now, however, the company is at a point where its cars really can’t get any heavier. First due to strict EPA and MPG regulations, and second because they just can’t afford not to decrease the overall weight of its lineup. However, BMW has a plan: carbon fiber.
We’ve already seen what BMW can do with recycled carbon fiber polymers in both the i3 and i8. Each of the cars are drastically lighter than anything in their respective classes. However, BMW doesn’t want to stop there.
Next year, we’re going to get an all new BMW 7-Series. As is, it’s by far one of the heaviest vehicles BMW makes. However, to counter that weight in some respect, BMW will introduce its first “Carbon Core” on a mass produced vehicle, as outlined in the video below. Essentially, BMW looked over the chassis design of the new 7-Series to find all the points they could redo in carbon fiber. And they did just that. Between the carbon parts in the chassis, and some of the new body panels also being made of the wonder material, BMW shed a whopping 286-pounds off the last generation 7-Series. No easy feat, since this will be the most advanced BMW 7-Series to date, with loads of new technology.
However, that’s not the real story. The real story is what will BMW use this Carbon Core philosophy on next? Will we see it in the next M5? Or perhaps the new M2? Either way, we can’t wait to see what the future holds with this new carbon technology for BMW.
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via [BMWBLOG]