BMW’S redesigned 7 Series was revealed for the first time in early July ahead of its official world debut at the Paris motor show on October 2 – and now have been given a sneak preview of the first ever hybrid version of BMW’s flagship model.

The 7 Series ActiveHybrid will be revealed as part of BMW’s all-new limousine range, including the 750i sedan upon which it is based, at the same show Mercedes-Benz car will unveil its first S-class mild hybrid - the S400 Blue Hybrid, which was developed under a joint-venture program with BMW and goes on sale in Europe in mid-2009.

BMW cars is expected to produce a second-generation version of the hydrogen-powered Hydrogen 7, but the 7 Series mild hybrid is expected to enter production for the US before it in late 2009 – though it may not be offered in right-hand drive guise for markets like Australia.

It differs from the Concept X6 ActiveHybrid revealed last year in that the X6 hybrid concept is a full parallel or dual-mode hybrid that, unlike the 7 Series ActiveHybrid, can be driven in electric-only mode and is the product of a joint-venture hybrid program between Daimler and General Motors. Both the BMW and Mercedes-Benz mild hybrid limousines employ a boot-mounted lithium-ion battery pack (in what Benz claims is the first series-production application of such technology), as well as regenerative braking and idle-stop technology.

But the 7 Series ActiveHybrid differs from the 3.5-litre V6-powered petrol-electric S400 via its use of the new twin-turbocharged direct-injection 4.4-litre V8, which BMW says delivers the same 300kW and 600Nm of torque as offered by the X6 50i.

Combined with the 15kW and 210Nm of peak torque produced by an electric motor integrated into the transmission housing, replacing the alternator and starter, the 7 Series hybrid produces a total of 315kW and 810Nm.

But while the S400 is claimed to deliver combined performance outputs of 220kW and 385Nm with an average fuel consumption of 7.9L/100km, BMW says only that the 7 Series hybrid reduces fuel consumption by 15 per cent compared to the 750i.

In typical BMW style, this new concept car combines a significant reduction in fuel consumption and emissions with a standard of driving dynamics never seen before even in this class of hybrid cars.

Do you like four wheel drive cars? Most people who do will appreciate the amazing Porsche Cayenne. The Porsche Cayenne also has Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Porsche Cayenne S car for sale models. Porsche Cayenne is a beautiful car which when driven is sure to turn heads. This 4 wheel drive car is reassuringly expensive.

The Porsche Cayenne comes in two models the manuals gear box and the Tiptronic S. When it comes to technical specifications both cars are very similar. The main differences are the gearbox ; the Tiptronic S. is a paddle shift gearbox similar to the system used in most formula cars. Both cars have a 6 speed gear box. The Porsche Cayenne Tiptronic S is slightly heavier then its Porsche Cayenne manual counterpart and slightly more expensive but currently prices start from £37,590 incl VAT. The manual Porsche Cayenne model is slightly faster that it’s Tiptronic S counter part achieving accelerating to 100mph in 20.1 seconds compared to 20.6 seconds for the Tiptronic S.

The Porsche Cayenne like many of it’s counterparts four wheel drive cars is very fashionable. It is particularly popular amongst high earning young professional and married couples with young families. The Porsche Cayenne typically also gives the driver and their passengers an elevated seated position. This makes the car feel more expensive, reassures the driver that they have made a good investment in the Porsche Cayenne and gives an excellent surrounding view whilst driving. The Porsche Cayenne is slightly different to it’s four wheel driver counterparts due to the soft lines in the design of the body. The interior is also very luxurious

The rooms that the cars gives you is particularly good for sticking the golf clubs in the back of the car, going on a shopping trip, picking and dropping the children to and from school. The car is also very practical as the rear seats can be folded down to create more room for extra luggage.

Although the emissions of four wheel drives are traditionally higher than their smaller rivals, manufacturers like Porche are continuing to make in roads into this particularly topical area. It is only a certain amount of time before a hybrid car for sale version of the Porche Cayenne is released to make it more environmentally friendly. Whilst the Porsche Cayenne does use a lot of Petrol, other costs are levied against it’s owners to ensure that they put something back into the environment, like higher road tax charges and higher congestion charges in London.

The purchase of a Porsche Cayenne can be supported by Porsche’s exemplary after sales service. As well as their exclusive 24 recovery services which operates any where in Europe you can maintain your full service history by continuing to have your Porsche car services at anyone of the authorised Porsche serving centres across Europe.

When picking out a hybrid car, many customers seem to overlook all the hybrid car information that they should be looking at. Granted, many cars manufactured at present (hybrid or not), really do sell on their looks and just how comfortable they ride. But buying hybrid cars are slowly changing car shopper habits.

Mileage

When you think about a hybrid car or when you choose one, it all boils down to one thing: mileage. What shoppers didn’t know in the past is that mileage means everything. It dictates how far a car can go on a gallon of gas and even tells you a little something about the gas that is being used and how much emissions a car makes.

Features

Now, since hybrid cars are essentially cars of the future, you might want to look at every square inch of it as well. These new cars are not just designed to look great and save gas. It’s their technological features that should be taken to consideration.

The Engine - First of all, the hybrid engine is something that everyone should marvel about. Many hybrid vehicles actually use two engines and this is important hybrid information for anybody in the market for a hybrid vehicle. One engine runs on gas and it provides juice for a separate electrical engine that will help power a hybrid.

The Battery - Another great technological feature is that as a hybrid runs along on the road, the gas engine and the movement of the vehicle help to charge special battery cells that power the electrical engine. This is a great way to conserve energy and it does not take a lot of fuel to run a hybrid either.

Lastly, a stop start feature that is gaining recognition in the motorist world is something that was first seen in hybrid vehicles. Basically, this technology allows a car to shut down almost completely when it is on stand still which means no gas is being used when one is stuck in traffic. The car starts up and moves again when the accelerator is pressed again.

The Advantages

There are so many advantages to consider when using a hybrid car. Current manifestations of these vehicles definitely dispel the idea that hybrid cars are too small and too unattractive to be seen driving around in.

Looks - Take the Toyota Prius as an example. It is one of the leading hybrid vehicles that not only boast of one most fuel-efficient technologies, but it looks good as well. Its sleek body has been the inspiration for many other car manufacturers looking into getting into the hybrid car craze but trying to make their cars look good as well. Some mid-SUV range vehicles are also now getting into the hybrid engine craze and this is a perfect idea for those who want to make a change but still want to own a car that’s large and commanding.

Hybrid cars are definitely worth looking into if you are looking to buying something new for your everyday usage. Know what to look at first and remember to ask all the important hybrid car information such as what technology it uses and what mileage particular models can achieve to the gallon.