The New BMW 760i Twelve-Cylinder

The New BMW 760i Twelve-Cylinder

The New BMW Twelve-Cylinder Power Unit, Supreme Power without the Slightest Effort.

The twelve-cylinder power unit in a BMW 7 Series luxury performance saloon guarantees a driving and travel experience quite unique in every respect. No other engine offers such an outstanding combination of power and refinement, no other power unit provides the same supreme standard of prestige.
Now these features come out even more clearly, with BMW’s new V12 offering significantly more power and torque compared with their predecessors, optimising engine response and the ongoing surge of power, and further refining the engine’s acoustics. The progress achieved in this way is clearly recognisable right from the start.
These features also stand out clearly from the BMW 750i which, with its modern V8 featuring TwinPower Turbo Technology and High Precision Injection, as such already offers the power and performance of a conventional twelve-cylinder.
Hence, the new V12 maintains the outstanding position of BMW’s twelve-cylinder models also in the new generation of the BMW 7 Series, giving the driver of a BMW 760i and, respectively, a BMW 760Li all the assurance of absolute supremacy in the luxury class. Yet a further point is that the new engines combine the outstanding qualities of a V12 with up-to-date efficiency, offering a level of fuel economy and emission management even better than eight-cylinder models in the same segment as the BMW 7 Series.
By tradition, the twelve-cylinder enjoys a special status worldwide unmatched by other engines of different design and configuration. The twelve-cylinder represents the highest level of competence in engine technology and justifies its outstanding position through qualities only this drive concept is able to offer.
The unique status of the twelve-cylinder as an incomparably powerful and, at the same time, refined power unit is based on a construction and design principle which offers perfect conditions for supreme power and performance achieved without the slightest effort. Benefiting from an angle of 60° between the two rows of cylinders, the V12, in its supreme elimination of vibrations, comes closer to the highest standard conceivable in physics than any other engine.
All components and design features on the all-aluminium engine block are built and constructed for supreme stiffness on minimum weight. Using a closed-deck structure combined with bolts holding the cylinder head down on the floor plate of the crankcase, the engine, to mention just one example, ensures maximum stability on the cylinder liners. Double bolts on the main bearings with an additional connection to the side panels through threaded support bushes and bolts reduce the influence of lateral forces from the crankdrive on the crankcase.
Further components of the engine block serving in typical BMW twelve-cylinder style to reduce vibrations to an absolute minimum are iron-coated aluminium pistons, forged connecting rods assembled through the cracking process, as well as the crankshaft also forged for absolute perfection. This also makes the sound of the engine when idling a very special experience where the driver first has to look at the rev counter to see whether the engine is running at all.
The new V12 power unit comes with 5,972 cc maintaining exactly the same cylinder volume as on the former engine. Displacing 497.7 cubic centimetres per cylinder, the engine therefore offers exactly the right size and dimensions acknowledged by engine specialists as absolutely ideal. Bore of 89 mm/3.50″ and stroke of 80 mm/3.15″ provides a ratio between these two parameters of 0.9, while the compression ratio is a remarkably high 10.0 : 1 quite unusual on a turbocharged power unit.
Introduction of TwinPower Turbo Technology on the twelve-cylinder.
BMW’s new twelve-cylinder comes with a number of special technical features serving to capitalise on the potential it offers through its design principle and basic structure. In particular, this includes the first-ever use on a twelve-cylinder of TwinPower Turbo Technology and ¬High Precision Injection with gasoline injected directly into the combustion chambers.
Featuring this combination of superior technologies already to be admired on BMW’s six- and eight-cylinders, responding sensitively and directly even to small movements of the gas pedal, maintaining a consistent torque curve and offering a level of fuel economy and emission management quite unusual for an engine of this calibre, the new twelve-cylinder again stands out from the competition in every respect.
Thanks to the small cylinder angle of just 60°, the two exhaust gas turbochargers developed specifically for the new V12 fit in compact arrangement on the outside of the two rows of cylinders, each supplying six cylinders with compressed air.
The turbochargers stand out in particular through their unusually good compressor and turbine efficiency – and through their particular position they provide ideal conditions for keeping the pipes between the exhaust manifold and the turbochargers short and straight for ideal flow conditions. Central supply of turbocharger air into the air collector, in turn, helps to optimise both the engine’s acoustics and charge cycle. The exhaust gas manifolds identical on each row of cylinders come in each case with two three-in-one connections geared to the engine’s firing sequence. In combination with the catalytic converters optimised for minimum counter-pressure, this special configuration of the exhaust gas manifolds sets the foundation for outstanding spontaneity in following the gas pedal as well as supreme power and torque coming from the twelve-cylinder.
Peak torque now increased to 750 Newton-metres or 553 lb-ft comes at just 1,500 rpm and is maintained consistently all the way to 5,000 rpm. Compared with the former engine, this means an increase in torque by 25 per cent now developed at an engine speed approximately 2,300 rpm lower.
Engine power is also built up more quickly than on the previous engine, as is borne out by the much steeper power curve leading up to maximum output of 400 kW/544 hp at just 5,250 rpm. On the road, this means performance borne out, for example, by acceleration from a srandstill to 100 km/h in both models in just 4.6 seconds.
Intelligent solution for even more power and supremacy.
The introduction of TwinPower Turbo Technology raises the twelve-cylinder to a level of output and torque a naturally-aspirated power unit would achieve only with much larger displacement. The increase in engine size and weight inevitable in such a case, together with negative effects on the centre of gravity, fuel consumption and the agility of the car, are all avoided most efficiently and intelligently through turbocharger technology.
A further point is that TwinPower Turbo Technology gives the new V12 its unparalleled power and performance characteristics borne out in particular by the superior development of full power and torque right from the start just above idling speed and then maintained over a wide load range.
To ensure sensitive and precise dosage of power at all times, the compressed turbocharger air is cooled by a technically very demanding and elaborate indirect intercooler. This serves to minimise the overall volume of air required and shorten any delay times, again enabling the engine to respond ideally to the driver’s foot on the gas pedal. An additional coolant pump feeds the separate coolant circuit required for this purpose with its air/coolant heat exchanger positioned directly on the intake unit.
The catalytic converters on the new twelve-cylinder come with the most advanced and sophisticated exhaust gas sensors and quickly reach their optimum operating temperature thanks to their special position close to the engine. Efficient treatment of exhaust gases ensures full maintenance of all international emission standards, the BMW 760i and the BMW 760Li fulfilling the EU 5 emission standard in Europe and the ULEV II standard in the USA.
To reduce counter-pressure the exhaust system comes on the underfloor with largely straight pipes and manifolds increased in size to the largest possible diameter. Exhaust flaps around the silencer masterminded by the electronic control unit as a function of engine maps provide exactly the right engine sound precisely geared to current driving conditions. When idling, therefore, the V12 remains absolutely silent, not emitting any noise at all. The same applies to cruising conditions, with only very discreet sound from the engine being emitted to the outside. So it is only at higher engine speeds that the driver receives appropriate acoustic feedback on the development of power, with the engine providing its muscular V12 sound when accelerating fast and under full power. Again, this special sound effect under such dynamic conditions authentically reflects both the capacity of the engine and the intensity of power coming from within the engine compartment, characterising the dynamic qualities of BMW’s twelve-cylinder.
Optimised combustion and maximum efficiency ensured by High Precision Injection.
BMW ¬High Precision Injection is a second-generation direct injection technology serving to optimise the combustion process and use the energy contained in the fuel with maximum efficiency. Piezo-injectors positioned in the middle of the cylinder head allow particularly precise dosage of the fuel injected into the combustion chambers.
In combination with TwinPower Turbo Technology, ¬High Precision Injection is featured in all gasoline engines in the BMW 7 Series. And now, in the new V12 power unit, this technology ensures particularly efficient and clean combustion as the starting point for a level of fuel economy and emission management quite unparalleled in this class of performance.
Opening up to the outside, the piezo-injectors are positioned in the cylinder head between the valves and, as a result, directly next to the spark plugs. They are supplied with fuel through stainless-steel pipes, fuel then being injected into the combustion chambers in finely atomised form at a pressure of up to 200 bar. This system pressure is generated by single-plunge fuel pumps on each row of cylinders and is maintained reliably at all times by short pipes and fuel travel.
The fuel injected in this process spreads out in conical form, thus burning in a particularly smooth and clean process. This, in turn, has a positive effect on engine emissions and sound, the cooling effect of the fuel/air mixture provided by direct fuel injection helping in addition to achieve a higher compression ratio than on a turbocharged engine with manifold injection. The bottom line, therefore, is an even higher degree of engine efficiency generating more power on less fuel.
In their configuration and structure, the cylinder heads largely follow the particular position of the injectors and spark plugs as well as the combustion process provided by ¬High Precision Injection. Short combustion phases optimised for maximum efficiency build up a high level of pressure and temperature requiring optimised cylinder head geometry and an effective flow of coolant. The cylinder head components cast in a gravity process stand out in particular through their very high level of stiffness, while the cylinder head covers are made of aluminium and come with rubber profile seals.
Double-VANOS and volume flow-controlled oil pump for
maximum efficiency.
Again in typical BMW style, the new twelve-cylinder comes with double-VANOS for infinite adjustment of camshaft control timing. This ensures part load running conditions with a high level of residual gas and reduced throttle loss for maximum fuel efficiency.
A further advantage of double-VANOS is its support in giving the engine a particularly direct response. Joined in a thermal process, the camshafts come with forged cams, additional triple cams on the intake side serving to drive the high-pressure fuel pumps. The valves on the exhaust side, in turn, are filled with sodium for optimum cooling and come with chrome-plated shafts.
The supply of oil to the new twelve-cylinder has also been optimised, the volume flow-controlled oil pump operating on individual demand with maximum efficiency: The six-chamber pendulum-slide pump delivers only as much oil as the engine requires at any given point in time under specific driving conditions.
An oil level sensor is integrated in the oil sump made of pressure-cast aluminium. And instead of a manual oil dipstick, an oil level indicator in the instrument cluster also operating while driving informs the driver of the oil level whenever required.
The new twelve-cylinder models in the BMW 7 Series again feature a wide range of technologies for minimum fuel consumption and emissions based on BMW’s strategy of ¬EfficientDynamics. These include Brake Energy Regeneration, electric coolant pumps operating on demand, and the volume flow-controlled oil pump further optimising the balance of load performance and fuel consumption.
With an increase in engine output versus the former models by 22 and an increase in maximum torque by 25 per cent, average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle has been reduced to 12.9 litres/100 kilometres (equal to 21.9 mpg imp) on the BMW 760i and 13.0 litres (21.7 mpg imp) on the BMW 760Li. The emission rating, in turn, is 299 grams and, respectively, 303 grams per kilometre.
The engine coolant system on the new twelve-cylinder excels through consistent integration of all pipes in the crankcase, optimised cross-sections and the surface structure ensuring a maximum heat exchanger function helping to warm up the engine far more quickly than before on the former power unit.
The arrangement of the coolant inlet immediately next to the main inlet duct for supplying oil serves in addition to connect the two media in thermal terms, again helping to warm up engine oil and maintain the ideal temperature at all times.
The flow of coolant is separated on the two rows of cylinders, in each case running diagonally from the rear outside to the front inside. And last but not least, the arrangement of the outlets again helps to consistently spread out and maintain the temperature level over a wide range of engine speed.

New and used automatic cars for the people

By Elaine Larkin
Transmission is something many people overlook when searching for a new or used cars.
Unlike the US or Australia, the majority of cars in Ireland are manual, or as the Americans might say ‘stick-shift’, and therefore many car buyers overlook the automatic, out of habit.
However, 10% of the new and used cars available to buy on Carlot.ie are automatic, so there is plenty of choice there for both fans of automatic cars and those who have yet to be converted.
The range of automatic cars on sale is wide and isn’t confined to what one would regard as a car suited to an inexperienced or learner driver. Top of the range Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW models make up the new automatic cars for sale through car dealers advertising on Carlot.ie.
It’s hard to say where Ireland’s dedication to and love of the manual transmission stems from. There are many opinions as to the pros and cons of a manual car versus an automatic car, which should be considered before buying a car. How real or perceived these actually are can really only be ironed out in an individual’s mind following a test drive.
The basic differences are simple. In a manual car there are three pedals, these are, from left to right: clutch, brake, accelerator. To change gears (first gear through fifth or sixth), the driver must press on the clutch, while taking their foot of the accelerator, put their hand on the gear stick and move it to the desired gear. That’s a lot to do at the one time for someone moving to Ireland from a foreign country where automatic cars are the norm.
A car with automatic transmission has just two pedals. From left to right they are simply the brake and accelerator. An automatic car doesn’t have a gear shift. The ‘gear stick’ is in the same place as a manual and has four or five options. The main four are P (Park), R (Reverse), N (Neutral) and D (Drive). Drivers simply move this to the desired setting depending on what they’re doing.
One of the benefits of a manual transmission is that it gives better control of the car by moving through the gears according to the road, traffic and weather conditions. It’s no surprise with Ireland’s miles of winding country roads that the manual transmission is favoured here.
However, Ireland also has miles of excellent motorway and dual carriageways some of which turn into car parks at peak hour. One of the things that attracts people to buy an automatic is not having to change gear so much on long commutes. They are also beneficial to older or nervous drivers or drivers with a disability. Another advantage is that not having to clutch and change gear simultaneously means the driver can devote their concentration resources to steering and watching the road.
While an automatic may seem like the perfect car for a learner driver, it should be noted that in Ireland if you do your driving test in an automatic and pass, your full licence only covers you for driving an automatic and not a manual transmission car. If you’re thinking of buying a new or even a used car, test drive an automatic, it could be the driving experience you’ve been seeking.

© Elaine Larkin

Car Buyers cool of with air con

By Elaine Larkin
Remember the last time you bought a new car and brought it on a long drive on a hot day? You were sweltering, because you’d forgotten to see if it had air con.

A/C which is the shorthand for air conditioning in the world of car sales and hotel rooms the world over, was not a listed feature. And because it was just another cool and rainy Irish day, you never even thought of air con.
If you’re thinking of buying a car and like taking long drives on sunny days or have a considerable commute to work and aren’t fond of sweat patches, write A/C on your list of important features for your dream car.
Although air con is a feature mostly found in cars in hot countries (and Ireland doesn’t generally fit this description), the availability of air con as a feature is increasing in new and second-hand cars.
Buyers of new cars often see the value in spending on extra features such as air con to help the car’s resale value when they decide to sell it privately or trade it in through a car dealer.
More air con in new cars means more used cars are appearing on the market with these features. Anybody who has experienced car tailbacks on a bank holiday weekend or traffic jams on their commute to work will attest to the value of having air con, even if they get to use it only a few days in the year.
Air conditioning in a car does a lot more than a fan blowing out cold air. It stabilises air temperature and humidity and makes the air within the car bearable, especially on humid or sunny days.
There’s other advantages too, this year German scientists released findings from a study they carried out on the quality of the air in air conditioned cars. The quality of the air improved by 80% when the air con was turned on – cutting out 80% of germs, fungal spores and particles from the air flowing into the car, which is particularly good news for people with allergies or respiratory problems.
Air conditioning was first installed in cars some 70 years ago, in 1939, so if air con isn’t on your must have list, it is fair enough to say you’re behind the times: air con has been around since World War II and became increasingly popular in the 70s (in the States at least).
There are perceived disadvantages to air con – that it results in more fuel being consumed. There are varying attitudes to this – one is that yes it does, perhaps using up to 11% extra fuel – after all the fuel in your car has to power the air conditioning. The counter argument is that if you were to drive with the windows rolled down (a popular alternative to air con), the wind drag will cause increased fuel consumption anyway.
The choice is yours. But if you do decide to buy a new or second-hand car with air conditioning, remember, don’t have the windows rolled down and the air con on, it defeats the purpose.

New Mazda Limited Edition

Mazda Releases ‘20th Anniversary’ Special Edition Roadster in Japan
- Special edition model features exclusive sport seats and badges -
HIROSHIMA, Japan—To commemorate 20 years of Mazda Roadster (known overseas as the Mazda MX-5) sales, Mazda Motor Corporation has released a special edition version of its lightweight, two-seat, open-top sports car for the Japanese market. The Mazda Roadster 20th Anniversary goes on sale today at all Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealerships nationwide.

Celebrating its 20th birthday this year, the Mazda Roadster has attracted a wide range of customers since its launch in 1989, and is currently sold in approximately 60 countries. The Roadster was certified as the world’s most produced two-seat, open-top sports cars by Guinness World Records when production reached 800,000 units. Total production of the Mazda Roadster now stands in excess of 860,000 units.

The Roadster 20th Anniversary is based on the Roadster RS soft-top model with a six-speed manual transmission, and the VS Power Retractable Hard Top (RHT) hard-top model with a six-speed automatic transmission. Special equipment includes unique red and black RECARO bucket sport seats, exclusive ‘20th Anniversary’ badges, and clear front fog lights.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (including sales tax) is 2,860,000 yen for the soft-top version and 3,110,000 yen for the RHT model.

Main features of the special edition Mazda Roadster 20th Anniversary

Base models
Mazda Roadster RS with manually-operated soft-top and six-speed manual transmission, and

Mazda Roadster VS RHT with Mazda’s groundbreaking power retractable roof system and six-speed automatic transmission.

Special equipment

- RECARO bucket sport seats (Black Alcantara®*1 and red leather)
- Exclusive ‘20th Anniversary’ badges (on each side fender)
- Clear front fog lights and bezels*2
- 205/45R17 84W tires and 17-inch aluminum wheels*3
- Front strut tower bar (cowl connecting type)*3
- Fabric soft top with glass rear window (soft-top model only)
- Heated seats with five temperature settings*4
- Soft padding (synthetic leather door armrests and center console lid)*4

*1 Alcantara® is a registered trademark owned by Alcantara S.p.A.
*2 Fog lamp bezels are black on the soft-top model and silver on the RHT model.
*3 Special equipment on the RHT model only (standard equipment on the soft-top base model).
*4 Special equipment on the soft-top model only (standard equipment on the RHT base model).

Body colors
All 20th Anniversary models come in Crystal White Pearl Mica, used for the first time on the Mazda Roadster.

Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen and most popular new cars in 2009

Part of the fun of buying a new car is to get noticed on the roads – having a 2009 number plate, or the latest model of your dream car.

Another way to get noticed, apart from the finish and colour and extra features, is what make of new car you actually decide to buy. Will you stick to your
local car dealer, buy the latest model of the car you’ve driven for the last 10 years, will you read car reviews avidly, or just decide to buy a popular make of car?

A definite way to make heads turn is to buy a new car that very few people are driving.

According to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office, 5 brands of car dominated new cars sales in Ireland in the first 6 months of 2009 – Toyota, Ford, Volkswagen, Nissan and Opel.

These 5 motoring giants accounted for 57% of all new private cars licensed in Ireland between January and the end of June 2009.

Two in 7 drivers of new cars in Ireland in 2009 are driving either a Toyota (15.4%) or a Ford (14.5%). 11% of newly-licensed cars over the first half of 2009 were Volkswagens, while 9.4% were Nissans. Just 6.7% of people buying a new car in 2009 bought an Opel.

The statistics, issued on a monthly basis, throw up some interesting facts.

The most popular new cars overall to drive in the first half of this year were:
1. Toyota 6. Renault
2. Ford 7. Audi
3. Volkswagen 8. Skoda
4. Nissan 9. Peugeot
5. Opel 10. Kia

While the top 5 cars to drive in Ireland have stayed the same every month, numbers 6 to 10 have varied.

The top 10 most popular car makes in June 2009 were:
1. Ford, 6. Audi
2. Volkswagen 7. Hyundai
3. Toyota 8. Skoda
4. Nissan 9. Peugeot
5. Opel 10. Mercedes Benz

The most popular new cars that people rushed out to buy or had pre-ordered at the beginning of the year were:

1. Ford 6. Renault
2. Toyota 7. Skoda
3. Nissan 8. Audi
4. Volkswagen 9. Peugeot
5. Opel 10. Honda

The Central Statistics Office’s new private car figures list approximately 40 models, with the about 1% categorised under ‘other makes’.

It’s quite clear from the statistics, which cover the first half of the year, there just a handful of certain car models were purchased new in 2009. There are a mere 2 2009-registered Smart cars on Irish roads, 9 Porches, 10 Jeeps, 14 Ssangyongs, 26 Vauxhalls, 31 Chryslers, 35 Dodges, 62 Daihatsu cars, 81 Saabs and 107 Land Rovers.

So, if you’re looking for a new car and don’t want to have difficulty finding yours in the car park, work down through the following list in order:
Smart, Porsche, Jeep, Ssangyong, Vauxhall, Chrysler, Dodge, Daihatsu,
Saab, Land Rover, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Lexus, Subaru, Mini, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Volvo, Suzuki, Seat, Citroen, Fiat, Honda, Mercedes Benz, Mazda, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Peugeot, Skoda, Audi, Renault, Opel, Nissan, Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota.

See Carlot.ie for a list of car dealers where you can buy your new car, whatever you decide on.

Bad idea to sell used cars on roadside

Up and down Ireland car parks and roadsides are littered with used cars, vans and commercial vehicles with a for sale sign placed in the window.

Worryingly, private sellers are turning to this method of advertising the sale of second hand vehicles. This is despite the fact the practice of selling cars on the side of the road is frowned upon by local authorities, banned by some county councils and oft labelled illegal.

Sometimes all the crude sign in the vehicle window will have is ‘For Sale’, followed by a mobile number. Some will advertise a price with o.n.o. (or nearest offer) as well as details of whether the car is NCT’d.

Apart from coming under the scrutiny of local Gardaí or councils, one of the downfalls of the roadside car for sale is that it’s a danger to other motorists. A car driving by at 100km which brakes suddenly when the driver or passenger notices it’s for sale could be a danger to other motorists. Reversing back up the road or doing a swift U-turn to check the price, mobile phone number, NCT details, or the year of the car for sale could also be hazard.

While it may seem like a good idea to people trying to sell used cars– passing motorists can see the make and model of the car, and even manage to take down the mobile number without causing an accident, it is hardly an effective way of making a sale compared to advertising it through a website such as Carlot.ie.

Having to resort to selling a second hand car on the hard shoulder has an air of desperation about it, which can transfer doubts into the minds of potential buyers.

Is the individual selling the car is so unsure of the worth and value of the car that they can’t go pay a fraction of the car’s worth on advertising? There is the tried and tested means such as an ad in a local or national newspaper’s motoring section, or a website such as Carlot.ie

One of the advantages of Carlot.ie, is that it is a website which attracts people interested in buying new and used cars; potential buyers can search the site for specific makes, models, prices, locations, body style, car doors, transmission, fuel and so on.

Unlike strawberries or new potatoes for sale at the side of the road, when it comes to second hand cars for sale on the grass verge, there’s no vendor there to give a potential buyer the sales spiel.

There’s also the chance that the car could be vandalised, taken for a joyride, put up on blocks, towed, clamped or impounded.

Even if a car for sale on the side of the road looks new and in good condition, and seems like a bargain it still may not sell – the right buyer might be sitting at home or in work looking at newspaper ads or doing car searches online. They may never even take the road the car is parked on the side of, or they could be in the next county. One of the beauties of online car sales is that people from all over Ireland can search for what’s available countrywide. And if they have a specific make, model, features or price in mind, there’s nothing to stop them travelling 100 miles for the car they want