Ultimately, this lowers the cost of the engine. Valvetronic is sort of a bittersweet addition. Amazing technology for sure but it is a pain in the ass for tuners to work with. Valvetronic is solely responsible for tuners never touching the existing 550i, 650i, and 750i (now replaced).
The 8 speed from ZF is a work of art. See these articles on GCC:
ZF Develops 8 Speed Automatic
New Hydraulic Oil Element
The 8 speed will shift faster AND be more efficient AND it allow for skipping gears. Thus, in theory, you could be cruising along in 7th and drop it directly to 2nd for an overtaking maneuver.
Anyone else think that the piping (DP?) from the turbo to the catalyst looks RIDICULOUSLY small?