The upcoming 2016 BMW 7-Series was caught on its long wheelbase version on the Ring, while being put under heavy tests.

The video with the 2016 BMW 7-Series LWB is showcasing the model on the Ring, wearing some camouflage, which is a clear indication that the flagship sedan will come with important changes.

More than that, the video also reveals a slight image with the interior of the car, which will also come with some modifications, with the dashboard wrapped in camouflage as well.

What we know about the 2016 BMW 7-Series LWB high-end model, is that it will be standing on the fresh 35up platform, being built from high-strength steel, carbon fiber reinforced plastic or aluminum, which would make the car lighter with around 200 kg.

Under the hood, the 2016 BMW 7-Series will be powered by a tuned up 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder, or the new 4.0-liter V8 and the 6.0-liter V12.

More versions are rumored to come up, like the entry-level 2.0-liter four-cylinder or a plug-in hybrid, while an M version is not in discussion for the moment.

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Marcus M.

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The post Video: 2016 BMW 7-Series LWB Caught on the Ring appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

As you are aware, BMW invested not just a lot of time in the small electric car, the i3, but also huge amounts.

This money went into developing new technologies, as this is the first EV to come from the Bavarians, and the most important piece of tech seems to be the CFRP.

The CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) was used extensively on the i3, and even its bigger brother, the i8, and its success was quite resounding. The materials performed so well, that the car maker decided to use it in all of its cars. And while any Bimmer car benefit from the new material, BMW didn’t stop there.

Recent reports state that the CFRP will also be an important part in the 2017 Rolls-Royce Phantom. On pretty much any other cars, i’d say that would be a great move, but considering the fact that the Phantom feels right weighing two tons, I remain unconvinced. And if that sounds a tad iffy, Rolls-Royce also stated they will be upgrading the looks to a less formal variant.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post The Rolls-Royce Phantom will be using BMW i3 technology appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) is, by some, an amazing product and by others, a big gamble that BMW just happened to win.

Either way, it is well known that the material was developed for use in the i models, as a cheaper version of the regular carbon fiber, with a huge investment from the German car maker.

The success of both the i models and the material itself spurred BMW on to further invest into it. The latest manages to reach $200 million, all of which will be used to expand the Moses Lake plant in charge of producing CFRP. The new wing is expected to be done by 2015, and once it will be operational, it will make the plant the largest carbon fiber producing unit in the world.

Right now, the plant is good for about 3000 tons of CFRP each year, with plans to increase it to 6000 tons by the end of 2014. The new wing will bring an additional 3000 tons a year, raising the total to 9000 tons. 120 workers will be needed for the new wing, and with such impressive quantities of CFRP projected, most BMW models are expected to wear in one form or another.

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Marcus M.

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The post BMW will invest an additional $200 million into CFRP appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

The BMW i3 electric city car was not just an EV from BMW, but an innovation for the whole automotive industry.

Or, at least, that is what the German car maker kept saying ever since they announced it last year and, for the most part, they were spot on.

One of the many innovations, and a pretty important one at that, is the CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic), which they developed, becoming a cheap way to widely use carbon fiber in a car. As such, the whole of the BMW i3 passenger cabin is built from the material.

In fact, the CFRP was such a success, it became an important material for pretty much every other BMW model that followed. Some might suggest the CFRP was a gamble for BMW, as the initial research and development took a big chunk of BMW’s capital, but I believe it turned out well for the manufacturer.

Now, with the BMW i3 already on the market, and already a big success, BMW decided to share with us a bit of the inside procedure that turns a single strand of carbon fiber into the full hull of the i3. Enjoy the video below.

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post How carbon fiber is used on a BMW i3 appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.