Ever the technology showcase, the latest 7-series shouldn’t disappoint anyone with a love for electronics. Ahead of its official debut at this year’s Paris show, BMW has released preliminary information and images of the revamped and restyled 7. The fifth-generation 7-series will come to the U.S. first as the V-8-powered 750i and its long-wheelbase counterpart, the 750Li. Though the model designations remain the same as before, the V-8 underhood does not. As we expected, the 750 models will get the 400-hp twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 that first appeared in BMW’s X6. A smaller engine with a big dose of technology goes a long way, as the direct-injected turbo engine makes more power than the outgoing 750’s 4.8-liter normally aspirated V-8, and more torque than the V-12 currently found in the 760Li. The 7 will continue to use a six-speed automatic transmission.

When it comes time to put the 7 in Drive, drivers will now make use of BMW’s console-mounted joystick gear selector which replaces the electronic column-mounted shifter of the previous-generation car. We see also that the odd steering-wheel-mounted shift buttons (with two for upshifts on the rim’s front, and two for downshifts on the rear) have gone away. Manual shifting can be accomplished once the joystick-style selector is tilted to the left.

BMW’s improved iDrive controller is located next to the gear selector, and with it comes a revised interface that is more intuitive than that on the outgoing model and which we expect to be more in line with BMW’s other iDrive-equipped offerings. Menus are now displayed on a larger (10.2 inches vs. 8.8 inches), higher-definition central display. GPS navigation software is now stored on a hard drive, which can also be used to store about 13 gigabytes of music (auxiliary, USB, and iPod interfaces will also be included). The 7-series will also adopt the programmable memory keys seen on other BMWs that allow for one touch access to user-defined vehicle functions. BMW also notes that the steering controls can access more functions than before.

Not to be outdone by the central display, the 7’s new instruments make use of what BMW calls Black Panel technology. We gather that this is similar to the instrument layout in the Mercedes-Benz S-class, though the 7-series has four permanent chrome rings bounding its virtual instruments.

On the dynamic side of things, the 750s receive a new suspension, as well as the normal raft of 7-series technologies like roll stabilization, stability control, and traction control. New for 2009 is BMW’s Integral Active Steering, which adds speed-sensitive rear-wheel steering and is included with the Sport package. The new Driving Dynamics Control selector is located on the center console and allows drivers to select between Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus modes. Each setting has its own characteristics for suspension damping, throttle response, transmission shift points, power-steering assist level, and Dynamic Stability Control mode.

The safety technology ante has been upped with active cruise control that can now bring the car to a complete standstill, allowing it to be used in stop-and-go traffic. Other safety features include a lane departure warning, blind spot detection, a head-up display, automatic high beams, night vision (now with pedestrian detection), as well as side view and backup cameras. Side view cameras are mounted at the front corners and show the images in the control display when traveling at low speeds.

Always searching for the most advanced solution to a problem, BMW has solved a dilemma caused by the abundance of technology in the 7-series by including an electronic owner’s manual accessible via, you guessed, the iDrive interface. The included digital information includes animations and slide shows to explain vehicle functions, which could be much easier to understand than traditional printed pages. BMW’s Integrated Owner’s Manual is also vehicle-specific and therefore tailored to the exact options of the 7-series it is housed within. For quick reference, specific subjects can also be stored on the programmable memory keys, provided you can figure out how to store them.

Photo Gallery: 2009 BMW 7-Series - Latest News, Features, and Reviews - Automobile Magazine

We’ve seen the innovative features and levels of refinement Dodge is bringing to the 2009 Ram 1500, but company executives have said little about the brand’s other pickup offerings - until now. During our recent drive of the new 2009 Ram 1500, we sat down with a number of engineers and planners and gleaned some surprising insight into what Dodge has in store for the heavy-duty Rams and the ailing Dakota.

Heavy Duty

While factories tool up for the 2009 Ram 1500, Chrysler engineers are already toiling away on the next series of heavy-duty - or 2500 and 3500 - Ram models. We’re told that for the first time, the larger trucks will sport a unique front fascia, but we’re happy to hear that the large Rams will make use of the same interior as the 2009 Ram 1500.

Historically, Dodge received a lot of complaints about its truck interiors, and that’s an issue Ralph Gilles, vice president of Jeep, truck, and advanced interior design, took to heart. The new interior is exponentially nicer than that of the outgoing Ram, and it is the first product of Chrysler’s new interior design effort.

Expect to see the output from signature Cummins diesel engines remain about even with today’s engine (350 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque), or even drop slightly in order to improve fuel economy. Scott Kunselman, vice president of truck product development, believes fuel economy is more important to truck buyers than the ability to pull the largest possible trailer up huge hills at 85 mph. Beefing up the transmission, chassis, and other related components to handle much more power would add weight and cost to the truck and only a handful of buyers would ever make use of it. Most of these heavy-duty trucks are used in fleets, and fleet managers are more interested in reducing fuel cost than seeing outrageous power levels.

Dodge will likely stick with the Ram HD’s current absorber NOx catalyst system, for future 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty trucks instead of the urea treatment most diesel passenger cars use to meet EPA regulations. However, Dodge will use urea for its class 4 and 5 cab and chassis Rams because the emissions certification process is different for the larger trucks. Storing enough urea to last between oil changes is one problem for trucks with factory-installed beds, plus the urea can freeze and thus be rendered useless in northern climates. If the price of the catalyst system - which uses plenty of exotic materials - continues to rise, Dodge may have to re-evaluate this approach.

Though the Ram 1500’s multi-link coil suspension makes a lot of sense for light-duty trucks, it doesn’t in the heavy-duty segment. Virtually all three-quarter and one-ton trucks use a main leaf spring pack and a set of helper leaves to handle overload situations. There isn’t any way to add helper springs to coil springs. Dodge’s current strategy gears the 2500/3500 trucks for maximum towing and hauling, so the traditional leaf springs will remain on these models.

Though Ford has received lots of press surrounding the introduction of a consumer-oriented F-450, Dodge has no plans to play in that space. The market is simply too small for consumer pickups above the one-ton range. Dodge will continue to play in the class 4 and 5 truck segment, an area where it performs well, but these trucks will strictly be cab-chassis vehicles for commercial users.

Dakota

The Dodge Dakota is clearly in trouble. A revised truck debuted at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show, but sales have slowed down significantly in recent months. For the first five months of 2008, Dodge sold 14,936 Dakotas, compared with 24,343 during the same period in 2007. The Dakota is even being outsold by the Honda Ridgeline - a unibody sport utility pickup criticized by traditional truck buyers as not being a “real truck.”

Rumors of a future unibody Dakota swirled just as the curtain dropped at the current truck’s 2007 Chicago auto show reveal. Those rumors have escalated to a virtual confirmation of the fact that the next Dakota won’t be built as a body-on-frame pickup. Jim Press, vice chairman and president of Chrysler LLC, has gone on the record stating he thinks the demand for smaller, more fuel-efficient trucks will continue to rise as fuel costs soar.

Just a year before the new Dakota was introduced, Dodge showed off the Rampage concept, clearly aimed at the Ridgeline, but packing the ubiquitous Hemi V-8 engine. Designers, engineers, and product planners are all talking about Rampage now. Kunselman wouldn’t say much about the Dakota - but he did tell us that the “Dakota is one we’re in the process of re-evaluating.”

If the Ram 1500 moved to coil springs at all four corners, a unibody structure isn’t that blasphemous for a smaller truck. Once the Ram proves the new suspension is just as capable as the outgoing 1500, Dodge buyers will likely be more accepting of new and different solutions to the modern pickup.

Crossover vehicles with unibody construction are starting to replace many body-on-frame SUVs, so it makes sense for the smaller trucks to adopt this same strategy.

One of the main challenges with a unibody Dakota is making sure it would handle the stress that pickup owners regularly dish out. Potential buyers are interested in increased fuel economy, but switching to unibody construction will not dramatically change fuel economy by itself. If the research shows most owners aren’t using Dakota to the 95th percentile of its abilities, the duty cycle of the truck isn’t as much of a concern and other measures can be taken to reduce weight and improve fuel economy as well.

A New Firecracker?

Dodge is also considering a truck that would slot in below Dakota’s replacement. The M80 name came up just as often as Rampage did during our conversations with Dodge officials this week. M80 is a concept truck that debuted at the 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The truck was conceived to slide in under the Dakota in terms of size and price, but looked like a miniature revival of the legendary Power Wagon.

Those looks would have to change if the M80, or some variation on its theme, makes it to production. Gilles thinks the unibody trucks would need to look different from the body-on-frame Rams. Gilles says buyers know the trucks have vastly different uses, and it would be insulting to the buyers to lump all trucks together with a common look. With a different look, and an emphasis on efficiency, for the new Dakota and small truck, there is suddenly an opening for a third new truck in the Chrysler family.

Jeep’s Wrangler-based JT concept could be the next body-on-frame product to come to a Jeep dealer. Some people will continue to need the capability of a body-on-frame truck, and Jeep is the perfect brand for such a vehicle. Many Jeep owners wish for a small truck with excellent off-road capability, and have been drooling over the JT since it appeared at the 2007 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. Such a vehicle could also bring back credibility to the brand, something many purists find lacking after the introduction of the car-based Compass and Patriot.

Back to the 1500

While the development teams at Chrysler have their hands full, there are still plans to improve the new Ram 1500 in the immediate future. The first upgrade we’ll see is the integrated trailer brake controller that Dodge is sorely lacking. Both Ford and GM have factory installed units available, and each works flawlessly. Expect to see Dodge’s version offered within a few months of the truck’s launch this fall.

Improving fuel economy is a major focus for the Ram team. Dodge has already announced plans for a two-mode hybrid truck and a light-duty diesel. Expect to see the hybrid as a 2010 model, with the Cummins-powered 1500 appearing shortly thereafter as a 2010 or 2011 model.

It makes most sense for the Cummins to be tuned for fuel economy, not outright power. We weren’t able to get much in the way of fuel economy figures, but when we suggested a minimum of 22 mpg, Kunselman told us, “I think we’ll blow away 22 mpg.”

Hopefully such a truck could return 25 mpg, or better, on the highway and cost substantially less than a diesel heavy-duty truck.

Photo Gallery: 2010 Dodge Ram - Latest News, Features, and Reviews - Automobile Magazine

The price of filling up is getting painful, but where some see a problem, others find opportunity. If you’ve ever harbored a desire to learn to ride a motorcycle, for instance, now could be your chance. “With gas prices today we’re getting a lot of people coming in,” says Chris Kirkness, of Cliff’s Cycle Revolution in Connecticut. “It’s a great excuse for the spouse. ‘Honey, I’m going to save so much in gas.’”

Personally, I’ve always been a dedicated car person. When I got my driver’s permit, I threw down my ten-speed and embraced four-wheeled transportation. Although I have admired the design of various motorcycles, I never saw myself as a motorcyclist - the leather, the tattoos, the danger, none of it was for me.

But when I received an invitation to learn to ride a motorcycle, I was intrigued. Why not, I thought? How hard could it be?

Harder than you think, based on the DVD I watched beforehand. A companion piece to Christine Firehock’s Kickstart Motorcycle Training Series, it’s narrated by Ms. Firehock, a fourth-generation biker chick (her great grandma rode in 1913!) with big blond hair and a distinct New York accent. She’s been teaching motorcycle riding for years, but I can’t say she makes it sound easy. Just getting on the bike, for instance, is a multi-step process. “Common injuries would be to dislocate your knee or break you ankle,” advises Christine. And that’s just mounting and dismounting the bike.

Nonetheless, two days later I was in Lime Rock, Connecticut, ready to go from motorcycle virgin to easy rider - or, perhaps, to traction, followed by several months of recuperation.

The first thing you learn as a novice motorcyclist is that there’s a reason biker dudes walk the way that they do - it’s because they can hardly move. The leather jacket fits like a girdle, the motorcycle boots barely flex, and the stiff leather gloves come complete with pointed knuckles. I haven’t even gotten on the bike and I already look completely ridiculous.

The bike, by the way, is a Ducati Monster, so at least my steed looks cool even if I don’t. Despite its name, the Monster is relatively light at 355 pounds (dry), but that’s at least ten times heavier than the last two-wheeler I rode. Therefore, our first exercise is to straddle the motorcycle and just sort of tip it from side to side to get a feel for how far it can lean before it reaches the “pivotal point,” or the point at which it’s going to lay over and make some unfortunate modifications to its handsome bodywork, and some painful modifications to your own. We also walk the bike forward and back, and it’s a laborious exercise.

We try out the controls, and nearly everything is the opposite of a car’s. You clutch with your hand; shift with your foot; throttle with your hand; and brake with one hand and one foot. Got all that? Great, time to push the starter button and fire ‘er up.

Over the course of the day, I will start the motorcycle maybe a hundred times, although I’ll try to start it many more. In the process, I’ll confirm - repeatedly - that: the motorcycle will not start if the key isn’t turned on; the motorcycle will not start if the kill switch is in the off position; the motorcycle will not start if it’s in gear unless the clutch is engaged; the motorcycle will not start if the kickstand is down.

Ah, but if all the conditions are met, the engine jumps to life with a push of that button and it’s a sweet moment indeed. It sounds great; it smells great; and it gets the blood pumping. We’re finally ready to get the bike moving, and it takes some finesse. If you’ve seen people pantomime motorcycle riding, holding their hands out in front of them on imaginary handlebars and twisting their right wrist (possibly while making WaaWaaWaaa noises) their actions reflect actual motorcycle riding about as accurately as playing air guitar mimics playing guitar. The throttle is super sensitive, so you’re really making only tiny motions with your wrist. Slipping the clutch - something that’s done a lot more on a bike than when driving a car - also takes practice to master, as all the action happens in the last inch or so of travel, with the lever just at your fingertips.

Naturally, this leads to a lot of stalling. Christine’s advice: “If you stall, keep your head up; act like you’re checking for traffic; clutch in; hit the starter. The most important thing is to look cool.” If the most important thing is to look cool, I’m going to have to sign up for another whole course of study.

Actually, Christine’s enthusiasm is infectious. When we finally shift up into second gear, she lets out a big whoop of excitement. Unfortunately, we spend a lot of time in first, learning to feather the throttle, slip the clutch, and drag the rear brake. As Christine says, “Going fast is easy; going fast is fun. Going slow is hard work.” It is indeed, but that’s also where you need real skill. We practice pause-and-go, slow-speed cone weaving, stopping on a hill, and stopping and turning. During breaks, she discusses issues such as lane positioning (she favors the center of the lane); signaling your intentions; protecting your space; among other things that are of specific concern to motorcyclists.

When we finally progress beyond walking speeds, the real seduction begins: listening to the revs climb, leaning into the turns, swerving the bike by swinging your hips. As we develop the muscle memory for the motorcycle’s unique controls, it frees the mind to take in the sensations. By the end of the day, we reach third gear and maybe 30 mph, which I’d say is the adrenaline equivalent of about 80 mph in a car.

Motorcycles aren’t EPA rated for fuel economy, but the Ducati people estimate that the bikes we drove should return mileage somewhere in the 40s. That may not be reason enough to trade in your four wheels for two. But saving gas isn’t really why people take up motorcycling anyway. “We ride motorcycles to look cool and to have fun,” says Christine. For me, at least, it was a lot more about the latter than the former. As an absolute beginner, I can’t say riding a motorcycle is easy, but it’s definitely cool.

Photo Gallery: Not So Easy Rider: Motorcycle School on a Ducati Monster - Latest News, Features, and Reviews - Automobile Magazine

If it seems that all the trendy parts of town are overrun with Ducatis these days, it’s probably because of the Monster. The Italian motorcycle maker was barely visible on the U.S. motorcycle scene back in 1992 when the Monster was introduced. Today, Ducati sells more than 10,000 bikes a year here. Sure, a good many are the superbikes and the retro-cool Sport Classics, but the Monster still comprises the bulk of Ducati sales.

For 2009, the Monster has been treated to its first real redesign, which makes it more rider-friendly with a more upright riding position, closer handlebars, and a narrower waist. The new chassis preserves the signature exposed-framework (”naked”) design, but the bike’s look is updated with a reshaped tank, an oblong headlamp, and LED taillights. Ducati also offers various accessories that allow owners to customize the design.

The 696, which replaces last year’s 695, is the base model (MSRP $8775), and is the first of the redesigned Monsters to arrive. Its 696-cc, L-twin engine sports new cylinder heads, which yield more power: 80 hp at 9000 rpm and 51 lb-ft of torque at 7750 rpm, all sent through a six-speed gearbox. New brakes, by Brembo, help reign in overexuberance.

Having driven the new Monster 696 for my first-ever motorcycle lesson, I can tell you that I thought it was cool, though I obviously have no point of reference for comparison with other bikes. I also can tell you that I barely tapped its performance capabilities (less than 3 seconds from 0 to 60 mph, and a top speed estimated at 135 mph). It was kind of like taking Drivers’ Ed in a Ferrari.

Base price: $8775
Engine: 696-cc, 4-valve, L-2
Horsepower: 80 hp @ 9000 rpm
Torque: 51 lb-ft @ 7750 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Drive: Rear-wheel
Curb Weight: 355 lbs
Fuel economy (estimated): 45 mpg

Photo Gallery: 2009 Ducati Monster 696 - Latest News, Features, and Reviews - Automobile Magazine

No automobile company has a longer history with diesel engines than Mercedes-Benz. At the launch of the brand’s new 50-state BlueTEC diesel SUVs, Mercedes-Benz had a display of several of its significant diesel-powered cars through the years.

1939 260 D

Mercedes-Benz claims that the 260 D, introduced in 1936, was the first diesel-engine passenger car. This 1939 model was slightly reworked compared to the first-year cars, with a four-speed transmission, and was one of four body styles offered: Six-seat Pullman sedan and Landaulet, 4- or 5-seat sedan, and 4- or 5-seat Cabriolet B.

1955 180 D

Mercedes-Benz began fitting a diesel engine to its “pontoon” sedan one year after the model’s introduction in 1953. For ‘55, power increased from 40 hp all the way to 43 hp. This is the car with which Mercedes-Benz initiated diesel sales in the USA, in 1960.

1968 200 D

The 1968 200 D is a classic example of the “fintail” Mercedes sedan, which first appeared in 1961. By the time this 1968 model arrived, Mercedes had sold 360,000 diesel-powered fintail sedans, a number bolstered, no doubt, by the availability of an automatic transmission, which was first paired with the diesel engine in the 1963 model year. The 200 D and the 220 D were the two diesel offerings for 1968. The four-cylinder 200 D cranked out all of 55 hp, giving the car a 0-to-62-mph time of 28 seconds and a top speed of 81 mph.

1978 C 111-III

The C111-IID and the C111-III streamliners helped the diesel engine shed its reputation for pokiness. Both used the five-cylinder engine configuration, which first appeared in production cars in 1974. In this C111-III, the turbocharged 3.0-liter boasted an output of 230 hp. During a series of speed record runs on a racetrack in Nardo, Italy, the C111-III reached speeds just shy of 200 mph. That same year (1978) saw the introduction of the turbocharged diesel engine in the U.S. market, making 115 hp from five cylinders.

1980 300 SD

The turbo-diesel engine first appeared in the U.S. S-Class in 1978. Interestingly, a turbocharged diesel wouldn’t appear in Europe until 1980 (in the 300 TD station wagon) and a diesel S-Class wouldn’t be offered in Germany until 1992. Diesels had become very important to Mercedes’ U.S. market, so much so that in the following year, 1981, four out of five Mercedes sold in America were diesels.

2000 C220 CDI

Direct injection technology came to the diesel engine in the 2000 C220 CDI. Direct injection ushered in the modern diesel era, paying benefits in fuel economy, smoothness, power, and, especially, torque. (The 221 lb-ft of torque in this C-Class doubled the torque output of the previous diesel.) In the USA, however, interest in diesel engines had waned, and Mercedes-Benz did not, and still does not, offer a C-Class diesel in the U.S. market.

2005 E320 CDI

Mercedes’ U.S. diesel engine had grown to six cylinders, and a V configuration, by the time this 2005 E320 CDI took part in a 100,000-mile, high-speed endurance drive. Teams of six drivers drove each of the cars 20,000 laps over a track in Laredo, Texas, running 24 hours a day and averaging more than 136 mph.

2006 E320 BlueTEC

The arrival of ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel to the U.S. market in October 2006 set the stage for the introduction of the cleaner-burning E320 BlueTEC. The new diesel engine also provided Mercedes-Benz with the excuse to undertake another high-profile endurance drive, as three E320 BlueTECs joined a fleet of E320 CDIs trekking from Paris to Peking. Automobile Magazine’s own Joe DeMatio, sharing wheel time with Denise McCluggage, drove one of the U.S. cars on the last leg of the trip.

Vision GLK BlueTEC hybrid

The Mercedes GLK BlueTEC diesel hybrid concept points to a possible future that merges clean-burning diesels and hybrid technology for even bigger fuel economy and lower emissions. The compact SUV pairs a 2.2-liter diesel with an electric motor for a combined output of 224 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque, with an estimated average fuel consumption of 40 mpg. No word yet on when this next chapter in the diesel story will see production.

Photo Gallery: Mercedes Benz Diesel History - Latest News, Features, and Reviews - Automobile Magazine