Now that I'm looking for these cars (and don't worry, 5 Series fans, I'll get some of your cars too), I'm seeing them all over the island. This '84 has seen shinier days, but it still gets its owner to work every day.


The list price for one of these babies? $36,335, or $76,510 in 2008 dollars. For that, you got BMW's 181-horsepower six, leather, and an instant credit line with your local retailer of white powder.

Driving one of these things back in the 80s showed that you were serious. At $36,880 list (well over 75 grand- and climbing- in today's inflato-dollars), you could have bought nine brand-new Yugos and had enough left over for a couple of pretty clean used Datsun B210s. Tough decision!


Nowadays, these cars have depreciated down to about 2-3% of their original purchase price. Pretty good bang-for-buck, in terms of how much German engineering and sophistication you get for your money: a 182-horsepower six-cylinder engine, big brakes, leather, the works.

After a quick glance we can positively say that despite taking it on the chin for the styling on the current 7-series, it seems BMW has only decided to fix one end of the car. The front end finally looks balanced and although bland, it's at least attractive with the headlights from the CS concept we expected it to receive. The tail end? Well, that's been "blessed" with some really odd, droopy tail lights at the corners. Seems they want to make you look at its ass, even if the only thing you'll do is make fun of it.

Also notable is the new 7 will be abandoning the goofy, column mounted shifter in favor of a more traditional console shift, even if it does look weird. The car will also be getting BMW's internet system, no surprise there, with what appears to be back seat individual monitors which we bet will hook up to the net when the car is in motion. While i-Drive remains, it seems button creep is working it's way into the new 7's cockpit, just as it is for other cars in BMW's lineup. Also, we see faux chrome side vents are continuing their onslaught on our senses with the new 7-Series. Look to hear a lot more about the car very shortly.

Oh and by the way, it's now pretty obvious that "purported" leaked shot of the 2009 BMW 7-Series was more like an "actual" leaked shot. [BMW via WCF]

[via Pistonheads via JF @ FastLaneDaily]

The above photo, allegedly the 2009 BMW 7-Series, is making the rounds through the BMW fan forums. While the "photo" is both pretty and sporting some dashing, Honda Civic-inspired headlights, it's almost certainly fake. But just because it's a probably an example of p-shop fakery doesn't mean we can't still have some fun with it. So go ahead and help us dissect the shot by telling us why you think this pic doesn't pass muster in the comments below — and no, it's not a fake just because it's lacking the optional "Flowbee" package. [Bimmerfile via 4wheelsblog]

This spy update is a little different than most. It's not so much about WHAT was photographed; it's more about WHERE it was photographed. While trolling the roads around General Motors' Milford (Michigan) Proving Grounds looking for GM prototypes, we were stunned to see a BMW 7-series prototype approaching us—about one mile from GM's track entrance. We pulled over just in time to snap a series of shots as the new 7-series rolled by, followed by a Mini Cooper apparently serving as a chase car. We had to wait about thirty seconds for traffic to clear enough to permit a U-turn to investigate further, and the delay cost another photo of the 7-series actually entering the GM's Proving Ground entrance. As we rolled up to the light outside the track entrance, the big Bimmer was just disappearing from view as it headed deep into GM territory.

It's a strange sight, indeed, to see another manufacturer's still-secret prototype entering another automaker's test facility. The incongruity can only be explained by one thing: the Global Hybrid Cooperation. The GHC is the Hybrid development program being conducted jointly by Mercedes, BMW and General Motors. This new two-mode Hybrid system was first unveiled on GM's GMT900 sport-utility vehicles, but will soon be adapted for use on the Saturn Vue, as well as for use on light-duty passenger cars—like this new 7-series, for example. BMW's development guru, Burkhard Goschel, explained the reason for the cooperative thusly: "The creation of a shared technology platform for hybrid drives will allow us to more quickly integrate the best technologies on the market." Industry sources suggest that the GHC is the most cost-effective, time-efficient method to play catch-up with the likes of Lexus, Toyota, and Honda, that have been focusing on Hybrids much longer.

DaimlerChrysler and BMW representatives were reportedly on hand for the late-April preview of the two-mode Hybrid system on the GMT900 SUVs, and fielded some questions on their participation in this joint Hybrid program. But when it came time to talk specifics about what BMW vehicles would get the two-mode Hybrid system, conversation ceased, and no details would be provided. This 7-series prototype's visit to the GM Proving Grounds appears to have answered that question without the need for any corporate disclosure. GM will be building the Hybrid transmissions systems for Mercedes and BMW at GM's Baltimore transmission plant, which may have necessitated this 7's visit onto GM Territory. Whether development of the 7-series Hybrid is far enough along to be offered at the launch of the rest of the new 7-series' lineup is not known, but it's development is now clearly under way.