BMW 7-series ActiveHybrid

With 427 HP on tap, the 750i ActiveHybrid concept just revealed by BMW ahead of the Paris Motor Show isn’t exactly going to appeal to most treehuggers. The concept’s more along the lines of the Mercedes S400 BlueHYBRID and the Lexus LS600hL — looking green without in any way being green. Of course, while it may share essentially the same mild hybrid system as the Mercedes, the BMW has a throbbing 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 compared to the Benz’s sensible V6. That engine combined with a 20 HP electric motor means a total of 442 lb-ft of torque. So what exactly is ‘green’ about this power-barge?

No performance claims have been made for the ActiveHybrid yet, but BMW claims it returns 15 per cent better fuel consumption than the new 750i upon which it is largely based, suggesting a combined average of around 28mpg.

Electric power is provided by BMW’s latest variant of Brake Energy Regeneration. The energy generated this way is then stored in a high-performance lithium-ion battery. But unlike Mercedes which managed to house the battery in the engine compartment, BMW integrated it in the luggage compartment. As with most BMW’s today, the ActiveHYBRID also features an auto-start-stop function that prevents the combustion engine from running in the idle mode.

The ActiveHybrid distinguishes itself from other 2009 7-Series models thanks to an aluminum band on the lower front fascia that improves airflow. The band resurfaces around the exhaust pipes in the back in order to tie together the unique look.

Paris will also see the X6 ActiveHybrid and the face-lifted 3-Series. The X6 will use the two-mode hybrid system developed with General Motors, Daimler and Chrysler. Both hybrids will launch in 2009, although likely not in the United States at the start.

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