Meet the new flagship of the BMW luxury line-up, the 7 Series M760Li xDrive with a massive 6.6-litre V12 churning out 600 horses

BMW fans over the globe have been crying themselves hoarse for some time now for a purebred M7, a blue-blooded M variant to BMW’s flagship 7 Series. BMW have never given them one, but now they can have this instead, the new BMW M760Li xDrive. While not exactly a full-fledged M car, but more of an M Performance variant much like the M235i and X4 M40i, it’s the closest thing we’re going to get to a proper M7 for now. It is a fair deal though, because this new car packs enough ammo to even rival proper sportscars on most parameters.

Let’s get the numbers out of the way first. Powering this behemoth is a massive 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V12 putting out 600PS at 5,500rpm and peak torque of 800Nm at 1,500rpm, mated to a faster, M-tuned 8-speed automatic and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system modified to have a rear bias. This prodigious power is good enough to propel the M760Li xDrive V12 to 100kmph in 3.9sec - 0.8sec faster than the current range-topping 750i M Sport - before reaching a limited top speed of 250kmph.

For comparison, a Porsche 911 takes 4.6 seconds to complete the same sprint, although has a higher top speed at 295kmph. That said, the M760Li xDrive isn’t actually the fastest and most powerful 7-Series you can buy from a BMW dealership abroad, as that title goes to the Alpina B7 xDrive introduced earlier this week and which has a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 delivering 608PS and 800Nm for a 0-100kmph time of 3.7 seconds.

All M760Li xDrive feature an eight-speed automatic gearbox complete with steering wheel-mounted paddle-shifters, and there’s even a launch control function to optimise acceleration away from the line. Suspension is the same ‘Executive Drive Pro’ suite as on the standard 7-series, uprated for the M-Performance variant. So you get air springs with Dynamic Damper Control and Dynamic Drive to reduce roll and increase comfort, or tighten things up when you need to fling yourself down a backlane. It also features cameras that actively scan the road ahead and precondition the suspension settings.

Visually, the M760Li xDrive can be distinguished from its more sedate 7 Series siblings by its 20″ wheels M light-alloy wheels in matte Cerium Grey metallic. That same Cerium Grey finish extends onto the kidney grille frame and the fronts of the grille bars, along with the front apron strip, the strips on the exterior door handles, Air Breathers, side door trim elements and boot lid handle, all add color accents.

Inside, we get Fineline black fine wood interior trim strips with high-gloss metal effect team up with high-quality deep-pile floor mats in the rear compartment and an Alcantara Anthracite headliner to generate a luxurious ambiance. Exclusive Nappa leather trim covers the seat surfaces, seat side sections, head restraints, door cards, center armrests and side armrests to round off the elegant atmosphere in tasteful style. The steering wheel has been redesigned too, resembling a sporting evolution of the 7 Series’ wheel. All of the same interior technologies on the standard 7er are present, including Gesture Control and inductive charging for mobile phones.

For customers looking to downplay the aggressive performance for something classier, the V12 Excellence option is also available as a no cost option. The package replaces the wheels with 20-inch BMW Individual light-alloy wheels in W-spoke 646 design with mixed-size tyres.

When launched, the BMW M760Li xDrive will internationally go up against the likes of the Audi S8 and the more expensive Mercedes-AMG S65. No word yet on when it will land in India, though. 

Courtesy : Zigwheels

It's good news for all petrol heads. Volkswagen has made a bold move an announced that they will launch the Polo GTI in India later this year.

1.) Engine:

Over the past few months, Indian automotive enthusiasts have got something to cheer about with the launch of the Fiat Punto Abarth and the Avventura Abarth. Volkswagen is about to bring more in that direction with the launch of the Polo GTI later this year. Powered by a 1.8-litre TSI petrol unit that makes the 180PS and 250Nm, the Polo GTI will be one of the most powerful hatchbacks in India. If these figures don’t give you an adequate perspective, picture this – it is the same petrol engine that works force on the likes of the Audi A4 and the Skoda Octavia hiding under the hood of this compact hatch. The Polo GTI employs a 7-speed DSG transmission.  

2.) Design: One of the biggest let down of the Polo GTI is its design. Apart from the 3-door design, it looks extremely identical to the regular Polo. Some vinyl stickers that flaunt the GTI badge, side skirts, and better looking bumpers would have been much appreciated. The 17-inch alloy wheels too could have sported a better design. 

3.) Unique Interiors: While much of the interiors of the regular Polo and the GT are identical, the same is not the case with the GTI. The car gets smart looking red accents on the steering wheel and the floor mats. The chequered fabric design also gives the Polo GTI a distinctive feel.  The Polo GTI also features a new touchscreen infotainment system. 

4.) For the enthusiast: With the Polo GTI, Volkswagen intends to fill the gap between the Punto Abarth and the Mini Coopers. In fact, the Polo GTI will be one of the first entry-level hot hatches in its true essence to be launched in the Indian market. The Polo GTI is the only 3-door offering to be sold in India apart from the Mini Coopers. With the Polo GTI, Volkswagen is not looking at the playing the numbers game completely aware of the fact that it is being targeted to a very niche market. 

5.) Price: Considering the fact that it will come to India via the CBU route, the Volkswagen Polo GTI will carry a heavy sticker price. Expect it to be in the range of Rs 20 lakh. However, if Volkswagen manages to produce the engine from the factory in Chakan and increase localistaion, the Polo GTI might just be launched at an extremely competitive price. 

Courtesy : Zigwheels

The four-seater FF has been facelifted and reworked in its second generation, and now bears a new name – GTC4Lusso.

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso is essentially a facelifted, retuned and reworked-on-the-inside FF– the only four-seater supercar from Maranello. The new name is in line with Ferrari’s latest trend of borrowing monikers from its glorious past, as seen with the 488GTB and the F12 TDF.

The GTC4Lusso gets several improvements over the FF. It is now more aerodynamic, with Ferrari claiming that its drag coefficient is “substantially lower” than that of its predecessor's. The aerodynamic improvements include a new front grille with integrated air intakes, new air vents on the rear wing, a new rear diffuser and a roof-mounted spoiler.

Though the engine in the GTC4Lusso is the same one that powered the FF, it has been tuned to produce an extra 29bhp, bumping the power output to 680bhp, reached at 8,000rpm. Peak torque of 71kgm is produced at 5,750rpm, but as much as 80 percent of it is available from as early as 1,750rpm. The engine will be mated to the same seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The extra power allows the GTC4Lusso to reach 100kph from a standstill in 3.4 seconds – that is 0.3 seconds faster than what the FF managed; top speed is unchanged at 335kph.

The GTC4Lusso retains the four-wheel-drive layout of the FF, but it also gets rear-wheel steering. The new and improved system has been christened 4RM-S. It has Ferrari’s Slip Slide Control setup integrated within it, and works in conjunction with the car’s electronic differential and dampers to improve handling and control.

The GTC4Lusso's cabin has also received several upgrades. It gets a new infotainment system developed by Delphi that has Apple CarPlay and a 10.25-inch screen. It gets Ferrari’s dual cockpit display, with the addition of a G-force meter in the instrument cluster. The steering wheel is smaller than that on the FF, and features more ergonomic controls. It also receives a recess in the centre console designed specifically to hold the key.

The GTC4Lusso will officially make its debut at the Geneva motor show, which is when we expect the carmaker to reveal information on the price.

Courtesy : Autocar

Force India protege Jehan Daruvala picked up his third victory in the 2016 Toyota Racing Series, going from fourth to first in a four-way battle on the restart to steal the win at Taupo.

The 16-year old Mumbaikar headed M2 teammates Lando Norris and Guan Yu Zhou.

Devlin DeFrancesco’s eighth place in Race 1 gave him reverse-grid pole position for Sunday's first race, but the Canadian's bid was over almost instantaneously – as he dropped behind Brendon Leitch off the line and subsequently slipped to the back of the field.

As Leitch took over out front, Daruvala settled into second, but was deposed by Ferrari junior Zhou on lap three.

By that point, Leitch was firmly in the lead with a three second advantage, but four laps later, the race was neutralised with a safety car for Rodrigo Baptista spinning off and coming to a halt.

The race got back underway with six laps remaining and Daruvala, running in fourth place behind Norris, subsequently sneaked past the trio ahead to take a surprise lead.

The Indian then proceeded to pull away from his chasers and was handed the win when a red flag soon after ended the race prematurely.

Courtesy :  Autocar