BMW Says New Cars Need To Go On A Diet

Not everyone's happy with BMW's latest design direction. The cars keep getting heavier and the grilles grow exponentially with each passing model. Despite this, owners seem to be perfectly content with their cars. That being said, BMW knows it has strayed far from its lightweight, driver-focused roots, and that a strict diet must be implemented. Speaking with 7 Series product manager Christoph Fagschlunger, Car Sales learned that we have reached the point where BMW can't make cars any heavier.

The recently-revealed 2023 BMW i7 electric sedan tips the scales at 5,820 pounds. For reference, that's roughly 1,000 lbs more than the V12-powered M760Li xDrive. The facelifted BMW X7 is similarly porky, weighing up to 5,661 lbs.

"I don't think cars will get more heavy than they are now, and there are many reasons for that. For us, as a company who offers passenger vehicles, it is still possible to cover all the requirements within the existing weight restrictions," Fagschlunger said.

There are many reasons why BMW cars have packed on the pounds so much in recent years. Modern luxury buyers demand features like massage, which require a much heavier seat with upwards of 15 air bladders. Fagschlunger estimates one massage seat weighs about 88 lbs more than a traditional seat from a few decades ago. Automakers like BMW will find ways to make new technology lighter in the future.

"Technologies to get comfort are getting smarter," Fagschlunger said. "You can kill road noise with masses all around the car, or you can have active road noise cancellation."

The other reason for the tremendous weight gain is the move towards electrification. Just look at the i7; it weighs around 1,100 lbs more than the lightest six-cylinder 7 Series.