BMW Killing Off Last V12 Model?

The German automaker reportedly won’t build another V12 model when the 7 Series is refreshed.

Bad news for fans of silky-smooth 12-cylinder engines. BMW will reportedly drop its 6.6-liter N74 turbocharged V12 from the M760Li xDrive when the automaker debuts a refreshed 7 Series, expected to launch sometime in 2019. That means you have a year, give or take a few months, to get your hands on what will likely be the last 12-cylinder BMW ever produced. Fan site BMWBlog reports the engine in the 7 Series isn’t long for this world as new emissions regulations in Europe make it increasingly difficult and cost prohibitive for BMW to keep the engine compliant.

The report made no mention of whether the M760Li model itself would continue with another engine or if the N74 V12 would continue to power BMW Group’s Rolls-Royce models—Ghost, Wraith, Dawn, and the new Phantom VIII. We’ll assume they’re safe for the time being. The N74 engine is BMW’s first-ever turbocharged V12—and likely its last. BMW launched the 6.0-liter N74 in the 2009 BMW 760i and 760Li as a replacement for the non-turbo N73. In the Bimmer, it produced 536 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. At around the same time, Rolls-Royce offered a 6.6-liter version of the same engine that produced 563 hp.

In 2016, BMW gave the latest M760Li a bump in displacement to 6.6 liters, good for 602 hp, 590 lb-ft of torque, and a sprint to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The largest N74 variant is used by the Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII; measuring in at 6.8 liters, the Roller twists its wheels with 664 lb-ft of torque. Those wanting to buy the last V12-powered BMW will indeed pay for the privilege. The M760Li is the most costly model in the 7 Series range with a sticker of $156,700 before delivery, taxes, and fees.

Get Ready Because BMW Will Be Killing The Manual Fairly Soon

Put it like this, it won't be offered a decade from now.

We know. We’ve heard this rumor before. Heck, this writer has asked more than one top BMW executive this very question, only to be reassured the manual transmission is alive as long as there’s enough demand, which mainly comes from the US. But not one of those executives could definitively tell us the manual will be around forever. That’s because it won’t be. According to Bimmerfile, BMW will be permanently ditching the manual over the next 2-6 years. And yes, this timeline also includes the US market.

Bimmerfile managed to get hold of a future product schedule for several redesigns of existing models and the six-speed manual, currently a no-cost option, is nowhere to be found. The demise begins in 2020 when the next 2 Series arrives. The ZF eight-speed automatic will likely be standard across the board for all 2 Series variants. And that includes the 2026 M2. Yes, it is a ways off, but Bimmerfile believes the next M2, M3, and M4, the latter two will arrive in 2020 or so, will be the last M cars to offer a manual. Chances are the ’26 M2 will be developed on the same drivetrain as the M3 and M4, thus allowing to cut development costs. Tossing a manual option into the mix, even for just the M2, makes absolutely no financial sense.

Also looking ahead to 2026, the replacement for the soon to be revealed next-generation 3 Series (yes, we know it’s far into the future) won’t have a manual option at all. Nor will the 2027 4 Series. Even the 2019 3 Series will only offer a manual in non-M models and in the 330i four-cylinder variant. Call this a manual transmission phase out. It won’t end abruptly, but it’ll be gone for good in BMWs within a decade.

BMW Could Be Killing Off One Of Its Most Pointless Models

Unfortunately it's not the X6 M.

The news has been piling up about the next-generation BMW 3 Series. We know than North American-bound 3 Series models will be built in Mexico and that the new car will be underpinned by the company's Cluster Architecture (CLAR), which will also underpin the new 5, 6, and 7 Series. BMW Blog is now reporting a new rumor about the next-generation 3 Series. We could see one of the 3 Series variants disappear in the next generation. Don't worry wagon fans, that model will be safe for now, but the 3 Series Gran Turismo may not be long for this world.

When the 3 Series GT was first revealed, we didn't think much of it. We thought it looked like a normal 3 Series with Quasimodo's hunch. The only pleasant thing about it was that BMW made it look better than the far worse 5 Series GT, which might still be the worst looking car the company has ever produced. When BMW updated the 3 Series GT, it did become slightly better looking, but we never really saw the need for the car in the first place. The 4 Series Gran Coupe does basically the same thing, but it looks much better. BMW is finally realizing that selling the 4 Series Gran Coupe and 3 Series Gran Turismo next to each other in the lineup was a mistake. The 4 Series is easily the better car.

The next-generation G20 3 Series should arrive in 2018 with the updated 4 Series set to arrive one year later and the wagon variant hopefully to continue as well. The 4 Series will continue to offer coupe and convertible trims, with the Gran Coupe taking over for the 3 Series GT.

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BMW Could Be Killing Off One Of Its Most Pointless Models

Unfortunately it's not the X6 M.

The news has been piling up about the next-generation BMW 3 Series. We know than North American-bound 3 Series models will be built in Mexico and that the new car will be underpinned by the company's Cluster Architecture (CLAR), which will also underpin the new 5, 6, and 7 Series. BMW Blog is now reporting a new rumor about the next-generation 3 Series. We could see one of the 3 Series variants disappear in the next generation. Don't worry wagon fans, that model will be safe for now, but the 3 Series Gran Turismo may not be long for this world.

When the 3 Series GT was first revealed, we didn't think much of it. We thought it looked like a normal 3 Series with Quasimodo's hunch. The only pleasant thing about it was that BMW made it look better than the far worse 5 Series GT, which might still be the worst looking car the company has ever produced. When BMW updated the 3 Series GT, it did become slightly better looking, but we never really saw the need for the car in the first place. The 4 Series Gran Coupe does basically the same thing, but it looks much better. BMW is finally realizing that selling the 4 Series Gran Coupe and 3 Series Gran Turismo next to each other in the lineup was a mistake. The 4 Series is easily the better car.

The next-generation G20 3 Series should arrive in 2018 with the updated 4 Series set to arrive one year later and the wagon variant hopefully to continue as well. The 4 Series will continue to offer coupe and convertible trims, with the Gran Coupe taking over for the 3 Series GT.