Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're going all-out with a flagship EV the BMW i7... Then, it's the cold truth about the air your engine breathes in "Your Drive."

We relive our rebellious years on a two-wheeled Honda cruiser... Then, it's back to everyday life in the latest Nissan Altima...

So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

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JOHN: When it comes to German luxury brands, Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs constant desire to one-up each other has led to some amazing vehicles and significant advances in vehicle design, especially when it comes to their flagship sedans.

So, it makes sense that when both brands have given the full electric treatment to their trendsetters.

But how they are doing that is the real story.

♪ ♪ Regardless of what income bracket you find yourself in, cars like this all-new 2023 BMW 7 Series are a big deal.

It's a given that the new styling themes and technology introduced on luxury brand flagship sedans eventually filter down to the brand's more affordable vehicles and are usually echoed by other brands as well.

But when it comes to flagship sedans as EVs, the two segment leaders, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, are taking very different paths.

Where Mercedes brought battery power to their top sedan with a distinct model as part of an all-new sub-brand separate from the traditional S-Class, BMW has introduced its latest generation of 7 Series with both internal combustion engine options as well as a full battery electric and lets the buyer decide.

The benefit of this approach is being able to more easily adjust production on the fly to meet customer demand.

Being the forward-thinking types, we chose the fully electric i7 xDrive60 as our introduction to the new 7, and much like it looks like every other 7 Series, it feels like them too, and not really like an EV outlier at all.

It's splendid to drive on the open road.

An automatic magic carpet ride that has you floating far above life's imperfections.

You can feel the significant weight of the vehicle, almost 6,000 pounds.

Still, it comes off more as super solid than cumbersome.

But, that weight also lead to some surprises on our Mason Dixon handling course.

After a quick turn in, weight transfer seemed to induce a tendency to oversteer.

Something that reminded us of BMW sport sedans before modern electronics muted all the fun.

Still, our test car's winter tires, likely skewed the outcome.

Steering is light, as expected in a modern flagship sedan, though we would still like more feedback through the wheel.

In acceleration, it doesn't feel ludicrously quick off the line, launching more like an ICE vehicle, with a noticeable ramp up to peak torque, but it's much quicker than it feels, hitting 60 in just 4.3 seconds.

That's more than enough for any real-world driving situations.

Throughout the 12.7 second quarter-mile it felt serene and well-settled at high speeds, finishing at 113 miles per hour.

This is enabled by the xDrive60's standard dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup with front and rear-mounted motors that together put out 536 horsepower.

Ironically, exactly the same as the 760i's V8, and the EVs torque rating is actually slightly lower than the V8s at 549 pound-feet.

A 740i 6-cylinder is also available.

Just one battery size, 105.7 kilowatt hour; though range varies between 296 and 318 miles depending on wheel choice.

And like most large luxury vehicles, it's not the most efficient, though when equipped with the 21 inch wheels of our test car, this EV has a good efficiency rating of 39 kilowatt hours per 100 miles.

The new 7 has grown in size of course, more than 5.0 inches longer, though wheelbase only grows 2/10ths of an inch.

Proportions are still elegant, attention to detail excellent, and you can even have Swarovski crystals added to the headlights because...well, why not?

Inside, materials are as exquisite as you'd expect, with real wood and aluminum; and whether you go real leather or non-leather, selections are equally luxurious.

The large slightly curved display that sits in front of the very linear dash is made up of twin, clear displays; 12.3 inch for instrumentation, and 14.9 inch for infotainment.

Adding the Rear Executive Lounge Seating option will be a big hit for anyone spending time back here, with reclining seats, a huge Theatre Screen, and their own control panel.

17.7 cubic-feet of trunk space in the i7, other 7s better, at 19.1.

The i7 does sit at the top of the new 7 Series lineup starting at $120,295, with the 760i xDrive just below it at $117,395, and the rear-drive 740i the value option at $96,695.

Likely, the 2023 BMW i7 won't dissuade Tesla fans from buying a Model S. But for BMW brand loyalists, and anyone else with an open mind, it's a fast green dream come true.

And ultimately, we're not saying BMW's multi powertrain platform flagship approach is better, but if you can have your EV and it still drives like a true BMW, we're all in.

♪ ♪ Part of the appeal of owning a motorcycle is the feeling you can take off on some epic adventure at the drop of a hat.

Well, our Two Wheelin' guy Brian Robinson never needs an excuse to hit the open road, and this week he's found a rebellious new companion from Honda.

♪ ♪ BRIAN ROBINSON: When Honda revamped the Rebel two years ago adding a new 1100cc version, it became a bike that was screaming for a road trip, and now Honda has outfitted it for doing just that.

While, domestic companies such as Harley-Davidson and Indian make up the bulk of the cruiser market here in America, the segment is so large that having even a small piece of that pie can mean big sales numbers.

And that was the reasoning behind Honda making a grown-up version of their Rebel cruiser.

For 2023, the lineup expands even further with this Rebel 1100T.

Being a minimalist at heart, I would agree that you don't necessarily need a windscreen and hard bags to go touring, but we can all agree it looks killer and having waterproof places to easily store your gear is a luxury we can all appreciate.

The painted hard cases are lockable, flip forward to open, and hold 35 liters worth of goods, with nice wide openings that make for easy grabbing and going.

The fairing is fork-mounted; more wide than tall, but still fully surrounding the LED head light with its quad projector beams.

Just a small non-adjustable tinted mini-screen up top, but a taller one is available.

There's also a central opening to allow for some airflow.

Same solo seat as before, so if your plans include a plus-one, you'll have to add a passenger perch and pegs from the accessory department.

Likewise, the engine is the same retuned 1,084cc parallel twin from Honda's Africa Twin adventure bike.

It doesn't seem affected by the added weight; as there's still plenty of punch off the line, and smooth power throughout the rev band.

Identical single right-side mounted muffler that allows for a little bit of rumble... ...and chain drive delivering the power to the 16 inch rear wheel wearing 180 rubber.

The 3.6 gallon tank is identical too, giving a range of about 150 miles between fill-ups.

The T for touring is strictly available with Honda's 6-speed DCT automatic transmission.

And while that may give purists pause, it does make long days in the saddle just that much easier; standard cruise control helps as well.

ABS brakes are standard too, with a single disc up front and in back.

Pertinent info is displayed on a fully digital but classically styled gauge array, delivering plenty of information including current riding mode whether Standard, Rain, Sport, or Individual.

If I could offer one suggestion, moving the USB charge port from under the seat into one of the saddlebags would have been a nice addition, but baby steps, I guess.

Pricing for the 1100T is $11,299 or $1,200 over a DCT Rebel.

Could you throw some soft bags on the back of any Rebel and get an aftermarket fairing for less?

Possibly.

Would it look this great?

Very doubtful.

That's no knock on your handiwork, just a reminder that with the 2023 Rebel 1100T Honda has found another way to make things more practical in their typical value-added no compromise way.

That should have more people ridin' on a Rebel.

JOHN: One popular modification for enthusiasts is an engine cold air intake.

But what is it, and what are the real benefits?

Logan McCombs filters through the facts in MotorWeek's "Your Drive."

♪ ♪ LOGAN McCOMBS: So, you just bought yourself your first car, and you're looking to modify it, but you no idea what direction you want to go.

So, you can either go in a more performance style, which could be for drifting, or track, or autocross, drag racing, anything that you're looking to do on track, you could go that direction.

Or you could go with a more traditional sense which would be just look good and sound good when you're on the road.

One thing that you're always going to hear when you first start to modify your car and you're looking into parts, is you're going to hear a lot of different names thrown at you: Turbochargers, manifolds, intercoolers.

There's a lot of different things that you're going to hear.

But, one of the most common modifications that you're going to hear as a great building block for just starting out modifying your car, is a cold air intake.

One thing with a cold air intake: Is many people just feel that it is just a piece of tube and a filter on the end of it.

But it's much more than that.

It's going to do so much more for you and your car in the long run, and just in general for your knowledge of working on your own car.

With a cold air intake, you have a pipe that leads from your throttle body on your motor to the end of a filter that pulls in air and sends it into your motor.

Over here, in the Mustang's engine bay, you can see that we have a stock intake assembly.

With our stock intake assembly, it sits further back in the engine bay and it sits pretty close to the motor as you can see.

One thing that we don't like about this is, your engine bay is like an oven.

It's very hot in there.

So, with your intake sitting inside the engine bay, it allows your motor to pull in hot air.

That's not what we want.

With a cold air intake, we are able to flip it around, put it further towards the front of the car, which allows us to pull in the coldest air possible because colder air is much more dense and allows you to make more power whenever you're open throttle, half throttle, and anywhere in between as you're driving you're car.

The thing with an air intake inside your engine bay is, it's going to bog your motor down and you're not going to see those performance gains that you're looking for out of the car.

And that's the two main differences between these two systems.

If you have a question or comment, drop us a line right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Let's take the scenic route for the latest round of QuickSpins!

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: It wasn't that long ago when we got behind the wheel of the all-new Toyota Prius; a stylish, comfortable, and fun-to-drive take on the brand's hallmark hybrid.

And we're back in San Diego, California, for our first taste of the 2023 Prius Prime.

Just like before, Prime denotes a plug-in powertrain.

This time, Toyota's 5th generation hybrid system, pairing a 2.0 liter engine with a bigger electric motor to drive the front wheels.

Net horsepower is rated at 220-- 100 more than the prior generation.

Torque see's smaller, but still noticeable gains from 105 pound-feet to 139.

And believe me-- it is noticeable.

One of my favorite parts about the last generation Prius Prime was driving in EV mode.

I thought it was well executed last generation.

It was honestly my favorite mode to drive in that vehicle because when you would switch from EV to the hybrid, the last gen was so underpowered that it was really disappointing.

But now in the new Prius Prime you have much more power... ...so while the EV mode is still very peppy and fast, and quick, and very smooth, so that transition from EV mode to hybrid is really seamless.

And just overall, this Prius drives so much better on the improved platform for the new generation.

Speaking of EV-driving, expect an all-electric range of up to 44 miles; another big increase, made possible by the larger 13.6 kilowatt hour battery.

In hybrid mode, the Prime is looking at up to 52 MPG combined.

Most everything else is on par with our previous Prius experience-- a low center of gravity, a robust safety suite, and the expected interior updates-- this time sporting exclusive red accents.

The 2023 Toyota Prius Prime will start around $33,000 with delivery, with top trims around $40K.

The Prius has rarely been described as "cool," but the 2023 model is exactly that-- and this all-new plug-in is primed to be equally popular when it hits dealer lots this May.

GREG CARLOSS: The Infiniti QX50 is largely unchanged since our last outing; but, some additional standard features and a new Sport trim elevate this premium utility even higher.

We wish the "Sport" moniker meant meaningful performance upgrades, but unfortunately that's not the case.

What you do get, though is still pretty sweet: A variable compression 2.0 liter inline-4, turbocharged to the effect of 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, delivered to standard front, or available all-wheel-drive.

Either utilizes an Xtronic CVT automatic-- the only sticking point here.

Separating the Sport from the lineup is a number of visual changes.

A unique front fascia and dark 20 inch wheels are chief among them, complemented by black trim pieces.

Inside, expect semi-aniline, leather-appointed seats and a Bose 12-speaker system.

On top of that, the QX50 receives more standard features across the lineup, like remote start, heated exterior mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and a wireless charging pad.

Great additions to an already impressive list.

The 2023 QX50 starts over $41,000 with delivery.

The Sport grade hits $50,000, with all-wheel-drive as a 2-grand upgrade.

All-in-all, a stylish choice for utility-persuaded buyers.

And we'll have more QuickSpins, soon!

JOHN: The midsize Nissan Altima sedan may not be able to boast the sales numbers of either the Camry or Accord, but in recent years, it has definitely been sneaking up on them.

So, let's find out what's new for '23, and if we think Nissan will be able to keep the momentum going.

♪ ♪ This 6th generation Nissan Altima arrived for the 2019 model year.

For 2023 it receives some well-thought-out improvements in style, tech, and safety.

They enhance Altima's already segment exclusive variable compression ratio turbo engine option, not to mention, available all-wheel-drive.

The already stylish Altima was an early adopter of the floating roof design motif, but perhaps its most recognizable asset is the large V-motion face.

It's upgraded for '23, with the grille taking up even more real estate, complete with a stand-out version of the Nissan logo.

This SR trim features an even better take on the theme with black chrome trim and unique grille pattern, but all Altima's now get standard LED headlights; plus, there are four new alloy wheel designs and some fresh color options as well.

Inside there are attractive improvements in material quality.

Our SR features a new dual-stitch fabric.

There is also a bigger infotainment screen, 12.3 inches, same as the one that debuted in the Armada, a significant upgrade over the previous 8.0 inch screen.

It's not only bigger, but much clearer and allows for full wireless connectivity of Apple CarPlay.

But, in a surprising move counter to most of the current car culture, Nissan is actually eliminating their top Platinum trim in the Altima for '23.

Our take; most still see Altima as a practical, family or business workhorse.

The Zero Gravity front seats remain as comfortable as advertised.

There is plenty of both head and leg room in the back seat for adults.

There are no changes to powertrain offerings, standard is a 188 horsepower 2.5 liter I4, to which you can add all-wheel-drive.

And exclusively front-wheel-drive is the variable compression ratio turbo 2.0 liter 4-cylinder that arrived in 2019.

This VC-turbo system improves both acceleration and fuel economy, and is rated at 248 horsepower, and 273 pound-feet of torque.

Xtronic CVT with both engines, however.

Standard paddle shifters here in the SR trim in case you want to act like you're fully engaged in the process.

No need for such things for our test track acceleration run.

Just floor the pedal and enjoy this VC-Turbo's ride.

While not overpowering, there was a surprisingly speedy scat off the line.

We hit 60 in a fine 6.4 seconds.

The CVT kept power delivery very consistent, joined by of course extended periods of exaggerated engine noise.

Quarter-mile completed in 14.8 seconds at 98 miles per hour.

Even with no AWD here in this SR, it's where you want to be if handling is your priority, with unique chassis tuning, 19 inch wheels, and Intelligent Trace Control which uses selective braking for corner rotation.

And it all makes this family sedan great fun through the cones.

Lots of grip, good steering feel, very little body roll, and virtually no understeer.

In braking runs, we experienced quite a bit of ABS pulsing through the very firm pedal, but stops were straight with fade-free results of just 110 feet from 60.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the 2.0 turbo are 25-City, 34-Highway, and 29-Combined; we averaged a very good 31.6 miles per gallon of Regular.

That's a slightly better than average Energy Impact Score too, with 10.3 barrels of annual oil consumption and 5.1 tons of CO2 emissions.

More good vibes when it comes to pricing, as the Altima starts at just $26,585, topping out with this VC-Turbo equipped SR for $36,285.

While, not quite an underdog, the Nissan Altima, especially in SR VC-Turbo form, is surely an underappreciated sport sedan hiding in family car clothing.

For 2023, it not only gets a sportier looking wardrobe, but upgrades in tech, and safety that make it more of a stalwart sedan contender than ever, and one that no car buyer should overlook.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time... ...when we'll see if the all-new Dodge Hornet is worthy of all the buzz.

Then, we'll turn and burn in another performance EV, the Kia EV6 GT.

Until next time, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek ... Television's original automotive magazine, visit... To order a DVD of this program, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... ANNOUNCER: For more than 30 years Lucas Oil products has helped people tackle mechanical problems in the automotive, marine, and industrial fields.

From our original four core products... Lucas Oil has developed over 400 custom products to help both professionals and do it yourselfers.

To learn more visit Lucasoil.com.

Lucas oil, keep that engine alive!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

Learn more at AutoValue.com and BumperToBumper.com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek .

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it Tire Rack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(car engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.