In 1977, the original BMW 7 Series was launched exclusively with inline-6 propulsion. The United States first met the BMW 7 Series in the 1978 model year as the 733i Sedan. The 733i featured a 3.2-liter inline-6 engine rated at 197 hp. The 733i remained on sale in America until it was replaced in 1985 by the BMW 735i Sedan. The 735i, which featured an updated inline-6 engine producing 218 hp from 3.4 liters, enjoyed a production run that lasted through the end of the 1992 model year. The 735i was joined by the extended-wheelbase 735iL in May of 1988.

A key element of BMW’s EfficientDynamics philosophy is “virtual displacement” (aka downsizing)—the notion that BMW’s modern engines of smaller displacement can equal or exceed the outputs of traditional engines of larger displacement and more cylinders.

This principle is already seen in the BMW 750i model, which features a twin-turbocharged V-8 engine performing at the level of BMW’s previous-generation V12 engine.

The 2011 BMW 740i and 740Li feature BMW’s the twin-turbocharged inline-6 engine with up-rated output of 315 hp (235 kW) at 5800 rpm and 330 lb-ft (447 N·m) of torque from 1600-4500 rpm.