BMW took the opportunity of September’s Mondial de l’Automobile in Paris to show a concept version of its new BMW 7 Series equipped with a mild hybrid driveline incorporating the new eight-speed  ZF automatic transmission.

All current production models of the new 7 Series have ZF’s six-speed automatic; no production applications for the eight-speed have yet been announced. The eight-speed was also shown on an earlier BMW concept: the Vision Efficient Dynamics, displayed at the Geneva show in March. This X5-based mild hybrid SUV concept had a two-liter turbodiesel engine and claimed CO2 emissions of 172 grams per kilometer, a strong performance for a powerful premium SUV.

Confusingly, the previous year’s Concept X6 Active Hybrid was shown with a V8 engine linked to the full hybrid Dual Mode Hybrid powertrain, jointly developed by BMW, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors. This drivetrain incorporates an electrically-controlled CVT transmission.

The Concept 7 Series Active Hybrid is a mild hybrid and teams a direct-injection twin-turbocharged V8 gasoline engine with an electric motor incorporated into the transmission housing. The BMW exhibit included a display of the eight-speed gearbox unit, even though no mention was made of the transmission in the documentation accompanying the Concept.

Industry insiders believe BMW will be anxious to offer the ZF eight-speed on production models in the near future. Not only does it promise a wider spread of ratios for improved economy, but it is also an important weapon in the sales battle against Mercedes-Benz, which currently has seven speeds in its top automatic transmission.