Jeff Davis | Vent Section Manager

1/05/02

Bimmer Motoren Werks. The very mention of this Olde Worlde company will turn anyone's head, no matter who that person is or how much that person knows about cars. Their signature grilles and headlights, nimble handling and cutting-edge technologies combined with classic style created what a majority of automobile critics believe to be the best and most lusted after automobiles in the world. With the 2002 makeover of the 7-series luxury sedans, BMW reveals that not only can it build a car that turns heads, it can build a car that will help other cars run with the big dogs. A huge list of new technologies has a few items that could very well make it into the new, more affordable cars of tomorrow.

To describe each revision the company made to this $68,000 car would take days, so the most innovative features are listed below.

Engine

Valvetronic: This BMW-patented design controls the adjustment of the intake valve lift from entirely closed to entirely opened. What sets this apart from other cars is that when you press the gas pedal, you are no longer telling the throttle plate what to go do with itself. Engine speed is now governed by the Valvetronic system: the amount of intake valve lift is based on how hard you hit the gas. There's still a throttle plate, but it is only used for certain functions a mechanic would perform or a failsafe. In most circumstances, the throttle plate is wide open, which means that there is no longer any vacuum in the intake manifold. To address this issue, BMW added a pump to provide vacuum for the brake booster.

The system allows the intake valves to open at as little as half a millimeter, which means the fuel/air mixture to enter the combustion chamber through a paper-thin opening. Fuel can combust more expediently and efficiently. Because of this feature, if the 4376-pound Bimmer needs to, it can get to 60 mph in under six seconds.

Transmission

The car is driven by a six-speed automatic transmission. You heard me right. Shift-by-wire technology means there are no clunky connections between the shift lever and the transmission. The unit is connected to an unusual torque converter that disconnects the engine from the transmission when the vehicle stops moving, which improves fuel economy and doesn't allow for that creep that happens when you put any other car in "Park." To operate the transmission, push the button on the column-mounted selector in for "Park," move the wand down for "Drive" and up for "Reverse." Just like Grandma's Olds in that respect, and that respect only. Buttons on the steering wheel allow you to choose 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st gears for when you'd rather be telling the car what to do instead of letting it think for itself. Ferrari has come close to such technology in the very recent past with a semi-automatic six speed, controlled by a paddle in the center consoles of their Berlinettas and Modenas. Now someone can get better technology for about $70,000 less.

Suspension

An all-aluminum suspension system means there is much more resilience than in a steel system. There's less force that creates a bouncing motion on rough surfaces, so tires stay glued to the road. And I thought quattro® was a breakthrough (for those of you who don't know, quattro was the first all-wheel-drive system, created a few decades ago by Audi). Air suspension is available as an option for the rear. Active Roll Suspension steals the suspension show, however, with its front and rear active anti-roll bars. These sway bars are cut in half and attached at the center to a control unit using hydraulic pressure to apply a reverse-twist to the bar in order to control body lean. All this is controlled via computer. The suspension will also allow for some lean to let the driver know when the car has reached its cornering limits. Being upwards of sixteen feet long, it'll be a while before this car is a cinch to parallel park or take a twist on the Blue Ridge Parkway at 40 miles an hour.

Safety

ISIS: The Intelligent Safety Integrated System is a system that allows for activation of the slew of air bags the car has in addition to belt tensioners and active headrests (think whiplash protection-sorry, litigators). For instance, this system activates the right airbag, at the right density, at the right time. Normally all or most bags would go off. If the car is salvageable, it can mean replacing parts that are worthless, such as the steering column, because the bag has been fully activated. Other safety features include adaptive belt force limiters and a new seat structure to improve protection during side impacts.

Other Really Cool Stuff

iDrive: In the center console, there is a push-down knob that BMW crammed over 700 functions into, everything from the power sunblinds for the rear passengers to the radio to the fan.

The car also has a very fresh new look that should set an anti-Pontiac-Aztek precedent. The car's doors can remain stationary in any position and don't have to obey preset positions. The car's ignition key can store information about service records in its memory chip. The emergency brake can be utilized with the push of a button. No more "erk" sounds people can hear miles away when you park on a hill.

After looking at all this you're probably thinking, why the hell did he write a review on a car I could never afford, especially when I often live off seven bucks for two weeks at RU? Think of it this way: features such as air conditioning, power locks and windows and even anti-lock brakes were once high goals for the Honda Civics and the Chevy Cavaliers of the proletariat highway. Only carmakers like Mercedes, Audi, Volvo and BMW had them. With the current state of technology, you'll probably see a few of these features in the Hyundais of the latter half of this decade.

Sources: Car and Driver.com, FamilyCar.com.