In the segment of the luxury gliders it had become somewhat quiet in the last years around the battleship from Munich. Now Bayern want to accumulate to new size and ensure not only the grille of the BMW 7 Series.
Since 1977 there is the fight of the giants in the luxury segment. Because exactly since this year BMW with the 7 of the competition from Stuttgart, which drove with the S-class seemingly undisputedly ahead, put a tried opponent to the side. In recent years, it has become quiet in the competition of luxury liners. Mercedes had presented with the new S-class already six years ago and refreshed two years ago. Two giant screens span the faucet, ambient lighting and relaxation functions make the interior an oasis of well-being and a whole host of assistance systems ensures the safety of the occupants.
Where is the 7?
And where is the 7? At the time in the background. Sure – he was never gone, always there, but only now bring the Bavarians with a more than lifted 7 series to counterattack. Not only that, everything is packaged in luxury Bavaria, which makes travel pleasant, the design has also bravely oriented to the taste of the most interesting target groups in China and the United States. For example, the radiator grill, which grew by five centimeters, can be explained in the form of the BMW kidney. Unlike harshly criticized by many journalists, a lance for the bulky front should be broken here. For in fact she does what she should: she strengthens “the presence”. If she did not do it, nobody would have noticed and left blank.
The biggest fear of the critics could be that the “oversized” grill is a blatant contrast to the performance of a BMW and probably as an aerodynamic disaster, the car like a sail caught in the wind. Not at all, the cW value is 0.27. In a first exit with the 750i, the 5.12-meter-long ship was probably the most dynamic luxury sedan on the market. You could also say the car is the car for the oligarchs on the run. Granted – the V8 under the hood, which draws its power from 4.4 liters displacement and makes 530 hp, is a revelation. The eight-wheeler, whose twin-scroll turbochargers are placed between the cylinder banks arranged at 90-degree angles, gets to work with incredible ease.
Hands like a rabbit
The will to become dynamic when cornering becomes even clearer. Hanging like a hare, the 7-series hits its hooks with a wheelbase of 3.07 meters. The reason for the desire to bend is not only the electromechanical rack-and-pinion power steering, but above all the finely balanced Integral Active Steering, which combines the electromechanical front-wheel steering and the variable steering ratio with a steerable rear axle. So, those who meander around the bend with something tasty have less steering wheel movement because they hit the front wheels by up to three degrees. Anyone who still tightens the suspension and sharpens the gas curve and switching points of the eight-speed steptronic by driving mode switch will be amazed how little weight seems to put into the curve of the already mentioned two tons. So again:
But the great Bayer can of course convince in the longitudinal movement. Whoever has set the driving mode to sport and spontaneously steps on the gas pedal, will hardly have a tenth of a second of thinking time, before the eight-meter throws his 750 Newton meters maximum torque on both axles and the 245er tires fall into the asphalt, and then push with mighty buzz. In this moment, it is only to be hoped that the second row has already leaned back in the electrically adjustable seats, the head gently resting in the cuddly soft headrest, because in exactly 4.0 seconds the luxury glider accelerates its sluggish masses at highway speed. In the top the obligatory 250 km / h are indicated.
“Hey BMW, I’m tired”
Anyone who has survived the rocket launch in the rear safely, may worry about the leisure activities. Does he want to work, feel-good functions such as massage, temperature, music and lighting with a voice command such as “Hey BMW, I’m tired” initiate or can be provided via the rear seat tablet with entertainment? No problem, because even in sports mode, the 7 Series glides confidently and tonelessly over what drives other drivers into the loins as a pothole or cross-gap. Responsible for this is a standard installed adaptive chassis with electronically controlled dampers and a two-axle air suspension with automatic level control. The height of the vehicle body can be controlled by it.
Incidentally, the air supply to the suspension is regulated individually for each wheel and can thus also compensate for uneven loading. So who loads the boot, which offers at least 515 liters of storage space, stupid, must not be afraid that he throws on the run or the delayed departure to date the unfortunate weight distribution from the web. Speaking of fast travel: Of course, who is traveling with high performance requirement, also live with a corresponding consumption. While the data sheet for the 750i in the third-mix 12.5 liters noted, it can be in the real world even to the 20 liters, which are sucked from the 78-liter tank. In normal driving but is expected to be almost 14 liters.
Hybrid for the ecological conscience
Who at this point is plagued by the ecological conscience and who still does not want to give up the luxury and sportiness of a 7 Series, could certainly make friends with the 745e. Here, the mixture of inline six-cylinder gasoline engine and electric motor also pushes nearly two tons. The system performance is 394 hp, the maximum torque at 600 Newton meters. The sprint from 0 to 100 km / h succeeds in 5.2 seconds and in the top of course also Tempo 250 is possible. However, that will not be the goal of the ecologically driven. For him, it is more interesting that the pure electric range between 54 and 58 kilometers, the 12 kWh storage in 4.4 hours at 3.7 kW (16A 230V) is again 100 percent loaded and purely electrically a top speed of 140 km / h is reached.
Otherwise, nothing can be said on the driving characteristics other than what already applies to the 750i. Well, with one difference: the 745e can not acoustically fire so well from the tailpipes as the Achtender with flap-controlled exhaust system. But do not make the diesel. Yes, BMW also holds three diesel ready for the 7 Series. An inline six-cylinder makes here between 265 and 400 hp, with the maximum torque of 620 to 760 Newton meters. From the state of accelerate the diesel in 6.1 seconds to 4.6 seconds to 100 and are also specified with a Vmax of 250 km / h. All engine variants are Euro 6d-Temp certified.
Fine from the wizard
So different the possibilities of propulsion, so equal to the options of the assistance systems. As standard there is a cruise control with brake function. Optionally, the Active Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go function is available. In addition, it is also possible to comply with the prescribed speed via traffic sign detection. Of course, the 7 Series on request also has a Driving Assist, which intervenes when leaving the track between 70 and 210 km / h and gently brings the car on the right path. This is not new, but works much better than the system in the BMW X2. Well, they probably do not play in the same league. If you really want to be on the safe side, you can order the Driving Assistant Professional for your 7 Series.
Here is also a navigation-based adaptation to the speed is included. When approaching curves, intersections or roundabouts, the speed is changed accordingly. This is not new, Mercedes and Porsche work with the same system. But it should not go unmentioned. Just as the reversing assistant: namely, can remember a way of up to 50 meters and back without the driver’s intervention. That works very well. If in the meantime, an obstacle in the way, the car comes before course to hold.
Let’s take a look at the prices that have to be paid for a luxury liner in the shape of the 7 Series. The cheapest entry into the luxury class of Bavaria is the 730d with 88.690 euros. For the 750i xDrive then 117,490 euros are due, while the plug-in hybrid starts in the form of the 745e from 101,290 euros.