2009 7-series will be first BMW hybrid

Just like lexus. LOL to the german fanboys

If there were no German brands, there would be no Lexus today.

If there were no Lexus, I don't think German brands would have pushed their technology to the next level.

Couldn't have said it better, Hwany

Hating bitches.

if Lexus were doing something BMW has, they would be copying. You all are a bunch of hypocrites

actually it is not like lexus. Diesel variants with a new brake regeneration hybrid battery. Lengthens lifetime, doesnt require as much space and gets about double the gas mileage of the Lexus hybrid. Oh yeah, they are similar.

Competition of all models and new technology as the world progresses is the reason for creating new ideas. Lexus didnt start it or is the reason for it, not BMW, not mercedes, not Audi but by all manufacturers who strive to create new technologies to meet enviromental demands.

rationalize it all you want BMW fanboys, but BMW is going hybrid. And of all the Lexus hybrids to emulate, the top end? the one that gets the most flak? By the time the 7 series "mild" hybrid actually arrives, the LS600hL will have gen4 HSD and the German brands will be back to playing catch up.

I hope you're right, really, because the CURRENT Lexus flagship hybrid sure doesn't have anyone trying to play "catch up" with it. The only games I've seen people playing with it are:

a) the "what's the point" game,
b) the "great marketing, but does nothing the marketing promised" game,
c) the "not as good as the non-hybrid version of the same car" game, and
d) the "pointless compared to a good diesel" game.

So again, I hope you're right and Lexus learns from their mistake the next time around.

1970, watch this car not only outrun the LS600hL but get significantly better mileage.

I don't care if Lexus (LS)fills the damn thing with chipmunks on a wheel - it is still going to be a Luxo-barge that is competent,focused on older demographics, and more concerned with being a great appliance than a drivers car.

It looks too much like the rest of the Toyota/Lexus lineup(ES/LS are way to close in appearance) and already is not aging well.

By the time the new 7er,A8 come out the LS will be back being compared with the Buick/Cadillac group whose demographics are going younger while their autos are getting better and better.

Lexus has to come to the table with more than what they have to be a truely "world-class" luxury maker.
IMO

toyota:

at the moment, the LS600 is nothing to catch up with. boring driving dynamics, 20mpg, and styling that fades into the wordwork when parked next to an S-class.

I know this car is amazing, it's going to blow the Lexus out of the water, with superior mpg, performance , emissions. How many years away from production is it?

Gimme a break, it seems like we've been getting these stories all week about these Euro concepts. Until one actually arrives, I'm taking each article with a grain of salt. You all can keep salivating at the porpsects of these vehicles some day showing up. Yet keep on dissing the Toyotas and Lexuses that are already here. No matter, hundreds of thousands (over a million by now?) of early adopters are enjoying their rides while you sit and wait for yours.

No one knows what the Toyota upcoming concepts are like, what the new engines have in store, because Toyota doesnt tip its hat ahead of time. They dont have to. Their current products have set the bar so high, that all these other brands are scampering to put out concepts with inflated numbers, none of which have been validated in the real world. If you have issue with the LS600hL, fine, but to compare it to a car that doesnt exist, well who can argue with fiction?

1970, Well said. No matter what anyone says about Hybrids, Lexus has them on the market TODAY. Not BMW, MB, or Audi...Lexus.

toyota:

no need to wait! the S-class blew every version of the LS out of the water. and the 5 year old 7-series is holding it's own quite nicely against the LS. not to mention, both cars have far superior driving dynamics and are better looking. ; )

It's because they both lost the war, sorry, couldn't resist =)

English is the #1 language around the world.

It's not Spanish like the Mexicans think it is ;-)

What do you mean "English letters"?
German, English, and all the Romance languages use the Latin alphabet...the letters are all the same. The letters stand for something, in German ie SL - Sport-Leicht.
Do you really think German uses another alphabet, like Cyrillic or something?
And there are a lot of Spanish signs in the US as 17% of the US population speaks Spanish at home.

I was stationed in Germany with the military and travelled all over Europe. I don't recall there being English signs guiding me around everywhere, you still had to know what you were looking for ("Bahnhof, Flughof, Nord, Sud, etc.). If there are English signs, I'd guess it has less to do with Americans than the fact that Great Britain speaks English and is also in Europe. Also the fact that in Europe there are so many different countries right around one another that all have different national languages and dialects that it would make sense to have some signs in a language pretty much everyone over there speaks.

Wow...you really need to get out more. English is the Intl language of Business, traffic controllers,etc. If you have to choose a language to appeal to the most tourist possible that would be English, since it is the most popular second languages taught in schools around the world.

The Latin alphabet used by german mftrs always have german meanings.

Good luck with getting out a little more.

you're a genius!

what do you think germans use...the cyrillic alphabet? kanjii? katakana?

the romance and germanic (english is a germanic language) use the same alphabet.

it's the japanese that use a foreign alphabet for their cars...even in their own country!

this car is ridiculously HOT.

diesel-hybrid, lexus has no diesel

IS220d

He meant not a serious diesel that can compete with Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

"He meant not a serious diesel that can compete with Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz."

How exactly does the IS220d NOT compete with the likes of Audi, BMW, or Mercedes? There are tons of reviews out there that praise the IS220d for it's abilities. It's everything a Lexus is except, it's a diesel. Your comment is rubbish.

The new 7-Series will crush Lexus like a coke can ;-\

Really, so how many diesels does Lexus sell in Europe compared to Audi, BMW and MB. The serious diesels come from Europe not Japan.

I recall BMW was developing hydrogen based cars in the last few years and even talked about hydrogen filling stations (vs. gas station) in Europe. I think I noticed BMW showing hydrogen cars at car shows as recent as 2007 or 2006. Did they completely ditch the development?

... do you understand the point of hybrids? wait what am i saying, you drive a rx7. reasons for hybrids and green vehicles is to save money at the pump and be friendlier to the environment. something im sure you care less about with your turbo spooling carbon monoxide generator. so what if hybrids are slow, theyre never suppose to be fast (apart from lexus contradicting gs450h performance hybrid).

I'm really not fan of hybrid cars that have more than 4 cylinders. But it would be interesting to see what MPG numbers the 7 series will have compared to the LS600h.

I think this is a great concept. Looking forward to the comparison of this BMW 7-Series Hybrid vs. the new A8l which will have the V12 TDI in it.