Revised hybrid BMW 745e gets engine more suited to a luxury automobile
BMW has revised its base model 7 Series plug-in hybrid with a more appropriate engine.
Sitting under the hood in place of the old turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder that made too much noise is the brand’s classic 3.0-litre straight-six.
According to Car & Driver, the old engine possessed a quality German engineers referred to as knurrij, which is an onomatopoeic word used to describe an engine that is too high-strung. The tiny four-cylinder was struggling trying to move around the almost-5,000 pound 7 Series.
Although the 740e was electrically assisted, and could tap up to 111 extra horsepower from the electric motor sandwiched between the engine and transmission,
the four-cylinder still couldn’t handle the weight.
Sitting in that place now is BMW’s 280-horsepower six-cylinder, which ups the combined system output to a quoted 389 horsepower and 442 lb.-ft. of torque.
Electric-only range for the new 745e is estimated at 50 kilometres thanks to the 12.4kWh battery found under the rear seats, and while it doesn’t offer as much economy as it
does a boost in performance, it’s still pretty trick. The electric motor’s positioning also ties it into the four-wheeldrive system, which allows for better battery regeneration.
The upgrades mean the cheapest 7 Series (US$95,000) is a more attractive option for those who want luxury but not the grunt and poor economy of the eight-cylinder or V12.