But Comfort mode can also let the car oscillate up and down when going over sequential bumps, suggesting barf bags should be an accessory. If only the actual steering feel weren't quite so artificial, the 7-Series would comport itself better than any of the large German luxury liners. . As a big sedan, the 740i is very practically designed, with plenty of headroom and easy trunk access. So, for the first 5 months, rear wheel drive only.
The V-8 7 Series comes in regular and extended lengths with rear- or all-wheel drive and in 13 different models, including new hybrid models and Alpina B7 versions. The feature that does the most, and takes the most heat, is iDrive. The 7-Series' extreme helping of safety gear also earns our respect, along with the big score. Optional multicontour seats offer power-adjustable bolsters, lumbar support, headrests, and just about every other means of shaping the seat to your body. The instruments can be completely blacked out when needed; otherwise they glimmer softly amid densely grained wood trim, ceramic-finished knobs, and the futuristic controllers that direct the transmission and driving dynamics, as well as the iDrive system.
The only times when the engine begins to feel the slightest bit underpowered come when accelerating during long, steep hill climbs. The new austerity means the horsepower wars of the '90s are over. At the bottom of the tachometer sits an analog fuel-use gauge. The audio quality of phone calls is excellent, aided by the standard 10-speaker stereo system. The in-line six versions are sprightly enough; the twin-turbo V-8s are thrusty joys to drive. The optional M Sport Package augments the exterior with more aggressive lower bodywork, 19-inch wheels and darker Shadowline door and window trim.
The Power Within In the 740, the aforementioned N54 3. Depending on the model and the options packages, the rear seats can be a bench or a pair of buckets, and they can be fitted with ventilation, heating, a massaging function, or bathed in warm or cool air via a four-zone climate control system. The direct-injection V-8's power soars through the miracle of tuning, from 400 hp to 500 hp; the transmission and adjustable steering and shocks are tightened up. Although this generation of iDrive is a huge improvement over previous efforts, some screens are not intuitive enough. After all, the 7-series was a six-cylinder-only model from its U.
It's a nifty tech piece that projects navigation instructions, vehicle speeds and other functions into the driver's view, but it clutters up our view of the road ahead. For the first time since 1992, a six-cylinder engine is available in the U. In the process, it's dialed back more physical controls into the cabin--while the original goal was to replace all of them with a single wheel. Most importantly, the new 740 cars are still pretty darn quick. The optional M Sport Package augments the exterior with more aggressive lower bodywork, 19-inch wheels and darker Shadowline door and window trim. We haven't had the chance to test the six-cylinders, but other publications have noted the six-cylinder's smooth, linear acceleration and the fact that it's more than 200 pounds lighter than the V-8 versions.
Right behind them is one of the most expensive and complex 7-Series sedans, the ActiveHybrid 7. At its upper end, a blue zone shows when the 740i is using its excess energy to help charge up its battery. While it weighs plenty, the 7-Series' lightweight control-arm independent suspension front and rear gives its responses an airier touch. As it's improved, iDrive's also been augmented with new bookmark buttons and direct-function buttons that let you drill more rapidly in through its deep database. Stomp on the gas, and the 740i digs its tires into pavement and leaps forward with a palpable feeling of acceleration. Sport Plus brings in the additional fun of turning off traction control. Instead of pumping up displacements, automakers are looking for ways to generate power efficiently.
The navigation system looks like a video game in urban areas. But handling is the 740i's real strength. The shoulders fit just right; the trunk has been smoothed over, its taillights more tightly integrated. Aesthetically, the car looks nice, but isn't anything to drool over. The V-8 7 Series comes in regular and extended lengths with rear- or all-wheel drive and in 13 different models, including new hybrid models and Alpina B7 versions. Details on that will follow in a bit, but we will say that the most important items carry over untouched: the comfortable ride and sporty dynamics of the 750i, a car that beat out the Mercedes-Benz S550 in a.
The wheel-driven infotainment controller has been massaged, reprogrammed and flanked by reinstated buttons over the years, and finally it seems to wade into the car's climate, audio, phone and telematics services with something approaching ease of use. Exterior The current 7 Series adopts more conservative styling than its predecessor. At the top of the prestige scale is the twelve-cylinder 760Li, a long-wheelbase-only edition fitted with a 537-hp twin-turbo V-12. Manual gear shifts are quick and snappy, and even in standard drive mode, under hard acceleration the 740i lets the tach needle tap the red. With the optional active suspension, the 740i handles like a sports car. When we listened to tracks that emphasized a female vocalist, the system did an excellent job of making the background instrumentation pleasantly audible. And the system doesn't make it very clear what you are supposed to do at each step.
From there, fuel economy slides more perceptibly. Options remain, including night vision, massaging rear seats, adaptive cruise control, and a choice of wood trim. The 740 will be rear-wheel drive only and pack regenerative braking technology; the 740Li will be an extended model, just like in the rest of the range, for more interior room. The cabin has far more room than you might expect, based on the overall sizes of previous 7-Series cars. The cockpit is a win, too, with the chaotic mix of buttons, screens, and knobs reduced where possible, and regrouped into a more logical mien. The V-12 may be overkill for anyone who can't afford one--and the new Hybrid, a first important step into new technology that could use some smoothing over. A rear-seat entertainment system is optional on V-8 cars, and standard on the most expensive 7ers.