7 Series (G11) BMW 7-Series (G11/12) reviews, test-drives, etc.

[hoffmeister_fan]

2016 BMW 7 Series First Drive [w/video]
Lighter, Loaded, And Ready For Battle

Flagships demonstrate strength. "This is what we can do," these cars say with emphasis. Since 1977, the 7 Series has been a rolling showcase of BMW's capability. Sure, BMWmakes racecars, but the mighty 7 is a proud reminder that the Roundel also stands for luxury.

Except the 7 Series has been eclipsed by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, a technological tour de force that Mercedes haughtily calls the industry'sflagship. BMW makes a pretty nice car, but no one would dare call it that. Bimmer should probably just lower the flag, right?

Not yet. Most of history's famous flagships have been fighting machines. They exude confidence, but also pack a punch. And with the 2016 7 Series, BMW is unleashing a broadside on Mercedes and the rest of the industry.

Rather than raw power, the sixth generation of the iconic 7 Series is loaded with sophisticated technology that makes the new sedan more luxurious and comfortable. While it looks familiar from the outside, most of the improvements are in the cabin or under the skin. Things like the carbon fiber used for the passenger cell that help the 7 Series shed 190 pounds compared to its predecessor. Or the touchless gesture control that allows you to accept or decline phone calls with simple hand motions. Even the infotainment system is better, with a pinch-to-zoom feature that makes iDrive less confusing and more like the user-friendly iPad.

It's a lot of high tech stuff, but the driving experience is still the top priority for BMW. To test its mettle, we traveled to the Monticello Motor Club in rural New York. After several hot laps on the road course (more on that later) we slip behind the wheel of an Arctic Gray Metallic 750i xDrive for some public road driving. The big car immediately masks its largess on the twisting rural state routes. With 445 twin-turbo V8 horsepower urging us forward, we barrel ahead as the countryside blurs by.

Once we settle into a relaxed, legal pace and get our bearings inside the car, we check out some of the new tech. The gesture control is easy to activate while driving, and with a twirl of a finger we turn up the silky-sounding Bowers & Wilkins system. Gestures actually work as advertised. No one calls us, but during an earlier demonstration we were able to decline a call with a dismissive backhand. It felt good. "Gesture control is one of those things that you when you have it, you wonder how you ever lived without it," BMW board member Ian Robertson said.

Behind us, the back seat is equally opulent. The new car is more than an inch longer than its predecessor and only comes in long-wheelbase form in the United States (Europe and other markets will offer a shorter version). This test model has the rear executive lounge package, which adds reclining heated and cooled seats, footrests, a fold-out table, and two 10-inch screens controlled via a seven-inch touchscreen command tablet. And though you won't notice it when seated, the wood accent at the base of the C-pillar might catch your eye – or that of a discerning executive – as he or she gets into the back. The optional panoramic Sky Lounge LED roof promises to be more striking, and the lights are said to create what looks like a star-lit canopy at night.

In the 7 Series, you get your own galaxy, but the astral surroundings don't distract from another reality: this car is fun to drive. Not in the same manner as the 3 Series, obviously, but it's hard not to like a beefy V8 sending big time power and 480 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels. The 750i xDrive can hit 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds, which is half a second quicker than the Mercedes S550 4Matic based on manufacturer claims. Flashing back to our laps at Monticello, we're still smiling from the exhilaration. Yes, you can lap Monticello in a 7 Series if you want to. We switch into Sport mode, steady our nerves, and follow in the wake of Bill Auberlen, who drives a BMW Z4 in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship. Screeching and sliding as we push it around the track, the 7 Series handles well, and not just for a car that weighs 4,610 pounds.

BMW added four-wheel steering to the xDrive-equipped 7 Series for the first time, and it helps the car feel stable and confident at high speeds. Conversely, slow-speed maneuverability also improves. Wheeling around the track means there are no parking lots in our immediate future to check the steering's ability in tight spaces. But our laps at Monticello exhibit the V8's strength, the eight-speed transmission's smoothness, and the adaptability of the chassis. The electric power-assisted steering offers the right feel in corners and communicates smartly.

For now, US customers get the 4.4-liter V8 or a turbocharged, 3.0-liter inline-six that makes 320 hp and 330 lb-ft. This new 7 Series doesn't offer a V12 like the old one did, though there's a new plug-in hybrid variant coming next year that pairs a four-cylinder engine with a lithium-ion battery pack. Total electric range is 23 miles.

While BMW's flagship passes our tests at a variety of speeds, it flunks one situation: in park. We stop to take pictures, and the car locks itself while we're outside. We leave the new LCD touchscreen keyfob in the center console, which isn't smart, but a BMW engineer assures us it shouldn't lock up, and couldn't explain why it did. After a brief delay, the car is unlocked remotely and we're on our way.

During that interlude, we absorb the 7er's fresh design. It doesn't look that much different, but Habib and his team dressed up the styling to make the car more tastefully modern. The fifth-gen car arrived int he US in 2009 was beginning to look a dated. The new version still looks like a 7 Series, but the details are busier. Like the chrome hockey stick-shaped element stretching from the vents in the front fender all the way through the rear door. The creased hood and piercing LED lights make the front end appear more pointed than before. A flap now hides behind the kidney grille to feed extra air to the radiator when the engine requires more cooling. Otherwise, it remains closed to aid aerodynamics. The body forms are moved around, and the door handles blend into the top character line. The appearance is more attention-getting, but not overdone.

Launching in showrooms this October, the new 7 Series is refashioned with more features that make life better and more luxurious. They're sophisticated upgrades – things that passengers will like once they're inside, but won't notice from the curb. Our gut says the Mercedes S-Class still feels more decadent, and BMW needs to show more of its cards (like more powertrains) to truly close the gap. But based on our early impression the so-called industry flagship once again has a formidable challenger from Bavaria.

For additional pics:
http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/27/2016-bmw-7-series-first-drive-review-video/

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

2016 BMW 7-series / 750i xDrive
BMW's new luxury barge crams several barges' worth of features into a lightweight shell.

FIRST DRIVE REVIEW
Luxury is a great intangible. There’s no formal test to detect it or means of measuring it. It’s nothing but an impression and, as such, can lack real substance. But BMW’s new 2016 7-series has plenty of substance, starting with the very substances from which it’s constructed.

In one of the more startling cross-pollinations in the car business, BMW is applying lessons learned from the i3 and the i8 to its new luxury flagship. The 2016 7-series boasts what is probably the closest thing yet to mainstream application of structural carbon fiber. (It’s debatable just how mainstream $90,000 luxury sedans are.) Cast carbon-fiber panels are bonded over steel in the B- and C-pillars, as well as the center tunnel, adding stiffness and strength. The parcel shelf behind the rear seats is a cast carbon panel. Sturdy woven tubes stiffen the sills and form the longitudinal roof rails reaching from the A-pillars back to the Cs. The roof bows are also carbon fiber. Forming so much of the upper structure from the lightweight material helps drop the center of gravity compared with the outgoing car. (You can read more about the new structure in our 7-series prototype drive story.)

Carbon fiber isn’t the lone lightweight material in the 7. The doors—both the inner and outer panels, as well as the crash structure inside—and the trunklid are made from aluminum, as are the front and rear shock towers. The dash support is a magnesium casting spanning the width of the firewall. BMW says it trimmed 80 pounds from just the body in white, while dropping 190 from the car as a whole.

Other standard and optional luxury goods include a trunk that opens when you wave your foot under the rear bumper, wireless phone charging, a Mercedes-style scent diffuser that can be loaded with twoperfumes at a time, a key with a smartphone-esque Gorilla Glass screen that can tell you if you locked the car and closed the windows (even though the car will sense rain and shut the windows and sunroof automatically) or how long it is until your next oil change. In other markets, the key also will control the car’s automatic parallel and perpendicular parking function from outside the car, but since our lawyers can out-litigate their lawyers, American drivers will have to remain in their seats for that show. Neither will we get the laser headlights that are available elsewhere. U.S. parkers will be able to enjoy the new Surround View parking aid, which goes above the recent spate of bird’s-eye systems and generates a fabulously detailed third-person view of the car and its surroundings, which should greatly ease parking for avid video gamers.

Any button that looks metallic is real metal, which head designer Karim Habib points out means that they’ll be cool on cold days, warm on warmer days, and will burn off your fingerprints on scorching-hot days to aid your latent career in safe-breaking—okay, we made up that last bit. Unlock the doors, and LEDs shine on the ground a pattern that BMW calls Light Carpet. Habib says it’s meant to evoke a red carpet, because entering a 7-series is cause for celebration. (If that’s the case, they’re missing the champagne fridge.) And the car is now a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. Connect your phone, and you can use it to stream video to the entertainment screens. We have seen the future, and it is frivolous.

Keep Your Jokes to Yourself
The most frivolous feature of all, though, is BMW’s new Gesture Control, which recognizes five different gestures. Pointing at the iDrive screen accepts an incoming phone call. Swiping a hand left or right denies the call—surely a natural gesture for 7-series owners who are accustomed to dismissing servants, insubordinate children, and disobedient spouses (and ex-spouses) with a similar wave of the hand. Twirling a finger clockwise turns the radio up, and twirling it counterclockwise turns it down. A two-finger point can be programmed to do any number of things: start navigation to your favorite B-Dubs, call your favorite paramour, tune the radio to the paramour’s favorite radio station, navigate to the nearest Ritz Carlton for a rendezvous, whatever. BMW swears that, once you’re used to Gesture Control, you’ll wonder how you ever did without. But we found it lacking in precision—how many degrees do I need to twirl my finger to turn up the volume three steps?—and for others who are similarly unimpressed, BMW retains the usual iDrive buttons, central controller, and voice controls. Plus that optional tablet in the rear seat. Because buyers accustomed to golden parachutes don’t tolerate inadequate backup plans.

In Comfort Plus, the squishiest of the suspension settings, the 7-series surrenders to a surprisingly Lincoln-like float, heeling over in turns and generally betraying all of the brand’s core beliefs. We can’t imagine many returning BMW customers engaging that one, but the option might ease the transition for those downgrading from Rolls-Royces. Even regular Comfort struck us as rather soft, although in a less heretical way, and it might entice customers more accustomed to, say, a Mercedes S-class. Sport is the true BMW setting, nicely balancing control with comfort. We’d leave it in that mode unless we were trying to rock a baby to sleep.

MontiDoubleBass
Sport mode also was our choice for tearing around New York’s Monticello Motor Club racetrack—yes, we tracked this $100,000 luxury sedan. It’s lively enough for a 4650-pound, 17-foot-long thing, and it feels largely neutral, since fore/aft weight distribution seems to be the most sacrosanct of BMW’s tenets. This one actually has a forward bias, with 54 percent of the car’s mass riding up front. It’s easy to adjust your line with throttle, and, although the car feels nimble, its 126.4 inches of wheelbase mean you don’t have to worry about it rotating any faster than you’d anticipated. The brakes are strong and progressive, but the pedal is rather soft—and got softer as the laps progressed. The steering is responsive and linear but light on feel, which engineers tell us is intentional, as the typical 7-series customer finds the little twitches and tugs emblematic of good steering to be annoying. Makes sense to us: Long-wheelbase luxury barges are parked on the other side of the pit wall. Even this one was competent but not thrilling. It will do what the driver asks of it, but we never stopped wondering why we were asking it to do those things.

BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 is largely unchanged. A half-point bump in compression ratio from 10:1 to 10.5:1 is claimed to yield a small increase in fuel economy, but output stands pat at 445 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. The latter now peaks 200 rpm earlier, at 1800 instead of 2000. It’s a strong, smooth engine and, with the same ZF eight-speed automatic shuffling the gears, whisks the 750i xDrive to 60 mph in a claimed 4.3 seconds. We figure that’s conservative, however, and predict a sub-four-second sprint. Sound unlikely? Consider that such a time would merely tie it with the Audi A8L 4.0T we tested in 2013.

What Drives You?
Or if you don’t want to drive, BMW’s Traffic Jam Assistant will do it for you—although it’s not supposed to. It will stay between lane lines or follow the car ahead, but if you take your hands off the wheel for more than 15 seconds, it will beep at you to take over and turn itself off. “Fine, you don’t want to drive? Me, neither.” And then tree branches and truck bumpers and little old ladies come rushing through the windshield.

A car that drives for you might be the luxury of tomorrow, but as far as the luxury of today is concerned, the 7-series’ expanded Individual program offers all anyone could want—contrast stitching, quilting, piping in matching and contrasting colors—and that’s just on the seats. Add in all the rest of the safety, tech, and luxury features, and the 7-series owner will want for nothing. The 740i will start at $82,295, while the 750i xDrive like we drove will start at $98,395. A rear-drive 750i will rejoin the lineup later, as will a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid. The diesel 740d, V-12–powered 760i, and another Alpina B7 with overlapping output haven’t been officially confirmed but will almost certainly appear in another year or so. Luxury might be hard to pin down, but if you measure it by the length of the list of features and choices available, the new BMW 7-series definitely delivers it in spades.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-bmw-7-series-750i-xdrive-first-drive-review

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

2015 BMW 730d review
BMW gives its flagship 7 Series an extensive overhaul in a bid to tempt buyers of luxury cars away from the Mercedes S-Class, Audi's A8 and the Jaguar XJ

What is it?:
The sixth-generation BMW 7 Series is a pivotal new luxury saloon that looks set to make quite an impact on the luxury car ranks when it goes sale here in November following a debut at next month’s Frankfurt motor show.

As befits its range-topping status, the new four-door comes loaded with a host of new technology. Among its highlights are intelligent lightweight carbonfibre construction solutions, new-generation six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, a high-quality interior with the latest in internet-supported connectivity and gesture-based controls, stereo camera and radar-based autonomous driving and safety features and an optional smart key that allows you to monitor functions such as fuel range and interior temperature from the palm of your hand.

Also available with an autonomous parking function that enables you to step out and park the car it at the press of a button, it aims to launch a serious challenge to the sales dominance of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class while providing stiffer competition to the Audi A8, Jaguar XJ and Lexus LS than the seven-year-old model it replaces.

The new 7 Series, which is available in both standard and long-wheelbase guises, receives an evolutionary design that helps provide it with visual continuality. But despite flaunting a bolder face than before, it lacks the outright presence of some rivals.

Its slightly sleeker form provides it with a class-leading drag co-efficient of just 0.24. In combination with a new turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder diesel engine in the rear-wheel-drive 730d driven here, the slippery shape contributes to exceptional combined fuel consumption of 62.8mpg and average CO2 emissions of just 119g/km.

The evolutionary approach evident in the styling is also reflected in the dimensions. At 5098mm long, 1902mm wide and 1478mm high, the new 7 Series is just 19mm longer, the same width and 7mm higher than its predecessor in standard-wheelbase guise. The long-wheelbase variant is a further 139mm longer – 18mm longer than the model it replaces – at 5238mm. Both the standard and long-wheelbase variants share the same wheelbase measurements as those of the outgoing models, at 3070mm and 3210mm respectively.

Yet while the overall appearance and size of the new 7 Series are clearly similar to the old model, its construction and engineering introduces new processes and materials that are set to revolutionise the next generation of BMW models.

Drawing on methods first explored in the development of BMW’s i models, it incorporates a number of load-bearing carbonfibre-reinforced plastic components. The lightweight material, which can be found within the header rails, sills, B-pillar, centre tunnel and C-pillar, combines with additional aluminium elements to bring a 40kg reduction in weight over its predecessor. Further weight savings have been achieved with changes to the bodyshell, which receives newly designed aluminium doors (weighing 12kg less than before) as well as an aluminium roof panel.

The new 730d as tested tips the scales at 85kg under that of the outgoing 730d, at 1755kg, making it 25kg lighter than the Audi A8 3.0 TDI and Mercedes-Benz S350 CDI. It’s also 200kg lighter than the Jaguar XJ 3.0D.

When it hits UK showrooms, the new 7 Series will be offered with the choice of two new six-cylinder engines, both mated to a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox that uses a longer final drive ratio and a shift strategy that operates in conjunction with the satellite navigation system for greater efficiency. Buyers can choose a Steptronic variant of the ZF-produced gearbox with shift paddles on the steering wheel as an option.

The B57 engine used by the 730d develops 7bhp and 45lb ft more than the N57 engine it replaces, with 261bhp and 457lb ft. Along with the aforementioned consumption and CO2 emission figures that better the old 730d by a staggering 12.4mpg and 29g/km, it endows the most affordable of the new 7 Series models with the same 0-62mph time of 6.1sec and 155mph top speed as its predecessor.

Also included in the line-up is BMW’s new B58 petrol unit in the 740i. The turbocharged 3.0-litre engine delivers 6bhp more than the old N55 powerplant it replaces, at 321bhp. Torque remains the same at 332lb ft, endowing it with a 0-62mph time of 5.5sec and 155mph top speed, along with combined fuel consumption of 42.8mpg and CO2 emissions of 154g/km.

What's it like?:
BMW has always endeavoured to make the 7 Series the most engaging car in its class to drive, often at the expense of outright comfort. For this sixth-generation model, however, the focus has shifted.

The agility and sportiness inherent in the previous versions remain at the core of the new model, and in certain cases is improved upon by the inclusion of a rear-wheel steer function in combination with the BMW’s xDrive four-wheel drive system. But it is now supported by additional levels of primary and secondary comfort, making this latest 7 Series more limousine-like in character than any of its predecessors.

This impression is apparent the moment you sit on the new seats, which are more softly cushioned and more substantial than those used by the fifth-generation 7 Series, both up front and in the rear. They are just one example of BMW’s efforts to instil greater levels of comfort. Another is its newly developed suspension system, which now boasts air springs front and rear, rather than just at the rear as before.

As a result, the new model adopts continuously variable damping control, automatic self-levelling and an ability to alter the 135mm ride height on the go. The driver can raise ground clearance by 20mm at speeds below 22mph, while in Sport mode the ride height is automatically reduced by 10mm at certain speeds.

The new 7 Series also comes with optional electro-hydraulically operated roll bars as part of an optional Executive Drive Pro function on most models. They replace the previous hydraulically operated roll bars, bringing what BMW describes as faster damper reaction times for improved ride comfort, a more progressive build-up of lean and reduced body roll.

In 730d guise, the new BMW is reassuringly muscular and satisfyingly refined. Its six-cylinder diesel engine provides lively off-the line acceleration and gathers speed in a wonderfully nonchalant manner on a pegged throttle. It can get a little vocal when you switch into manual mode and hold on to lower gears longer than is absolutely necessary, but in automatic mode the revised gearbox shifts up well before engine noise threatens to become an issue.

Unsurprisingly, the 730d feels most at home at a steady cruise on the motorway. The long-legged gearing and relatively strong reserves of low-end torque make it every bit as impressive from the driver’s seat as it is with your legs stretched out in the back. There is some light buffeting of wind around the door mirrors, although only at very high speeds.

The 7 Series now offers four differing modes via an optional Driver Experience Control function, including a new Comfort Plus mode. You can also dial up Comfort, Sport and Adaptive modes, the last of which is also new and seems the most logical choice in everyday driving.

There’s a new subtlety to the way the new saloon gets along, both around town and on the open road. In Comfort Plus mode the new BMW is much quieter and noticeably smoother than its predecessor. The suspension is far less sensitive to surface coarseness and has greater ability to sponge away bumps, making it more relaxing and unruffled to travel in over longer distances.

Crucially, the softer-riding traits of the new car do not compromise its handling when you switch to Sport. Superb damper tuning provides excellent body control and truly impressive B-road ability for such a big car. There are also impressive levels of grip.

As part of BMW’s weight saving efforts some 40kg has been pared from the suspension, bringing a 10kg reduction at each corner. As before, it also claims a perfect 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution, while the efforts to trim weight within the roof have resulted in the centre of gravity being lowered slightly.

Allied to the new suspension is a new electro-mechanical steering system. It reverts to a fixed-ratio rack in place of the variable-ratio rack of the old model. As fitted to our test car, the new 7 Series also comes with an optional rear-wheel steer function, providing up to 3deg of countersteer for added manoeuvrability in town, or 2deg of parallel steer for greater agility on the open road.

Having initially praising the new steering following a brief run in a prototype version of the 740i, we’ve got some reservations after trying it on the road. The weighting is lighter and more accommodating than before, but it lacked the consistency of the earlier example we drove when turning from dead centre. It is fine at lower speeds around town, but the combination of increasing assistance and weighting often proves more of a hindrance than a benefit at higher speeds.

The interior receives an evolutionary update with a new dashboard that is finished in higher-grade materials that help provide a more luxurious feel than at any time in the model’s 38-year history. Among the highlights are new digital instrument graphics that change colour depending on the driving mode, a redesigned multi-function steering wheel, touch-sensitive air conditioning controls and revised switchgear.

There’s also a fifth-generation iDrive system with a new touchpad and touchscreen functions as part of an optional Navigation System Professional, allowing you to operate various functions in a similar style to that of a smartphone with pinch, point and swipe commands, or alternatively via the rotary dial on the centre console.

Optional gesture control is also offered for the first time. It uses a three-dimensional sensor mounted within the headlining to detect hand movements that control functions including the volume of the stereo and the acceptance or rejection of calls. If that’s not enough, an upgraded speech control system is also available.

Despite only incremental increases in exterior dimensions, there is a feeling of greater accommodation whether sitting up front or in the rear – the latter of which feels truly expansive in long-wheelbase guise.

Should I buy one?:
It is hard to see why not. The new 7 Series is a significantly better car than its predecessor. Its evolutionary styling may not move the game along in the way some BMW diehards may have hoped, but its classy interior, added interior space, high-tech underpinnings and dazzling range of options elevate it to a new level of excellence, making it a much more serious rival to the A8, XJ and S-class than the old model in terms of pure desirability.

In 730d guise, it delivers strong performance and impressive refinement along with outstanding economy. Most important, it still manages to provide an engaging driving experience while delivering much-improved ride comfort. It is equally as compelling from the driver’s seat as it is from the rear quarters. Be careful in choosing those options, though. From its attractive base price of £64,530, the new BMW quickly becomes a much pricier proposition.

BMW 730d

Location Portugal; On sale November; Price £64,530; Engine 6 cyls, 2993cc, diesel; Power 261bhp at 4000rpm; Torque 457lb ft at 2000-2500rpm; Gearbox 8-spd automatic; Kerb weight 1755kg; 0-62mph 6.1sec; Top speed 155mph; Economy 62.8mpg (combined); CO2/tax band 119g/km, 21%


http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/first-drives/2015-bmw-730d-review

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

New BMW 7 Series 2015 review
Luxury new BMW 730d saloon is set to give S-Class a run for its money
BMW has striven for many a year to match the Mercedes S-Classin the luxury executive market with the 7 Series. It’s now 38 years to be precise, and with this latest sixth-generation model, we think the company has finally achieved its aim – this is one of the finest big saloons we’ve ever driven.

The exterior looks are a modest evolution of the outgoing car’s and whether they’re a success or not will be in the eye of the beholder. It’s neither ugly nor out-and-out beautiful; the large kidney grilles and plain flanks are among the less impressive

design details, but the tidy light clusters and sculpted bonnet which now closes flush to the front of the car add more appeal.

However, the interior is a different story; it’s sensationally good. The quality is first-rate wherever you look (Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW’s design chief, proudly stated that there is no black plastic whatsoever on show inside) and, crucially, it is spacious and opulent, even in the regular-wheelbase model we drove. Go for the long-wheelbase version and rear legroom increases by a huge 140mm. However, the weight of the car also climbs by 45kg, and this in turn has a punitive effect on economy and emissions.

Standard equipment is as generous as you’d expect, and includes air-suspension with Dynamic Damper Control (DDC), gesture recognition and head-up display across all models. But it’s the options list that makes for the most jaw-dropping reading. This BMW can, with the right extras, park itself, display ambient lighting in the twin ‘Sky Lounge’ panoramic sunroofs, massage, recline, heat and cool the rear-seat occupants. It can also run semi-autonomously with a driver assistance package, illuminate the road ahead with laser lights and incorporate a tablet control function screen for rear-seat entertainment.

A further option is xDrive all-wheel drive, available at cost on the 730d/Ld and 740Le models, and standard fit on the range-topping 750i/Li – but this also brings a 70kg weight penalty. And that undoes the ‘Carbon Core’ lightweight build ethos, learned from the BMW i3 and i8 EVs, that has seen up to 130kg shaved from the old car’s specification.

So, stick to a rear-drive, regular-wheelbase version like our test 730d and you’ll end up with a stunning machine. It has excellent sporting credentials for a limousine, something that the 7 has always had over rivals, but that dynamic prowess doesn’t come at the expense of comfort. The 730d’s mighty 620Nm makes a mockery of its 1,755kg kerbweight, while the eight-speed Steptronic auto is seamless, the brakesare faultless and the body control on the air-suspension is marvellous.

The steering is a little light for our tastes, no matter what mode it’s in, but it is at least faithful and direct, which makes the BMW an absolute pleasure to drive when you want to press on.

However, the truly world-beating display from the 730d comes when cruising. Aside from very mild wind noise around its heavily stylised exterior mirror mounts (thin blades of metal protruding from the chrome window trim surround), the 7 is serenity personified. Both the engine and tyre noise are subdued to silence, while the ride is out of this world – the 7 Series floats along without ever introducing jolts and thumps into the cabin.

The new car shows its range in the corner of the fuel gauge at all times, and our model managed 500 miles-plus to empty; covering every last one of those miles would be a breeze. One word of warning – on a mixed test route, we saw 33.2mpg. Motorway cruising did see it rise to more like 55mpg and near the official figure, but reckon on a real-world return of between 40 and 50mpg.

The starting price for 7 Series ownership is £64,530, while the petrol-fuelled 740Li costs from £72,060. Pick a few choice options on this 730d and you’ll be left with an executive saloon that will give the S-Class a run for its money. The latest 7 Series really is absolutely excellent in every respect.

Key specs

• Price: £64,530
• Engine: 3.0-litre 6cyl turbodiesel
• Power/torque: 261bhp/620Nm
• Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic auto, rear-wheel drive

• 0-62mph/top speed: 6.1 secs/155mph
• Economy/CO2: 62.8mpg/119g/km
• On sale: 2015

Verdict
4 Stars

Trying to knock the S-Class from its perch has to be one of the most difficult challenges in the game, but the new BMW 7 Series matches it punch for punch. BMW has built a model which can finally stand up to the Mercedes. It’s relaxing and lavishly kitted out – for those in the front as well as the back – ensuring execs will have a real decision to make when choosing their next luxury limo.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/7-series/92625/new-bmw-7-series-2015-review

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

4 stars only? The comments of the review indicated it should be 5 stars. Probably because it doesn't carry a 'British' badge.

 

[SDNR]

4 stars only? The comments of the review indicated it should be 5 stars. Probably because it doesn't carry a 'British' badge.

Judging by the sales figures, even the Brits don't take the biased opinions of their motor journalists too seriously.

 

[Serpens]

Meh. These reviews don't seem over the top in praise. I feel like some of the 7's finer qualities will become more apparent when the real road tests happen.

 

[Merc1]

Clearly Mercedes-Benz is still the leader in this segment because BMW who is supposed to be the sportier sedan in this class has gone super lux. Perfume dispenser, air springs, quilted leather, pillows, long wheelbase only and on and on.....ALL S-Class features. Super soft cushy mode suspension???? The S doesn't have anything to worry about until the next A8 arrives.

M

 

[ThroughandThrough]

The S doesn't have anything to worry about until the next A8 arrives.

M

...or the Equus.

 

[slicknick]

Seriously, am I the only one who would buy one of each (S-Class & the 7-series) if I were to be able to afford them?

 

[tristatez28lt1]

This one actually has a forward bias, with 54 percent of the car’s mass riding up front.

From Car and Driver. Is this true? That would make it the first BMW without more or less 50:50 weight distribution. Under which conditions was this measured? Fully loaded with passengers? All fluids?

 

[tristatez28lt1]

This is what I've gathered from reading all American and the two German reviews:

Strengths
- Lightweight
- Safety
- Technology
o Remote parking
o Autonomous driving
o Electro-hydraulically operated roll bars
o Air springs front and rear
o Carbon Core
o Gesture control (albeit useless)
o Headlight, camera, navigation and suspension communication
- Incredibly luxurious
- Efficient
- Almost perfect interior

Weaknesses
- Artificial steering feel
- Driving pleasure takes a backseat to electronic assistance systems
- Tame styling
- More cruiser than sport sedan
o Competent but not exciting
o Neither BMW sporty nor Mercedes comfortable
- 515L trunk space
- 54:46 weight distribution
- Braking system not up to track use
- Cannot match S Class’s rolling ride comfort

 

[Betty Swollocks]

4 stars only? The comments of the review indicated it should be 5 stars. Probably because it doesn't carry a 'British' badge.

SO even when the Jag isn't mentioned once, you still manage to bring up "bias"? I too did think a four star rating after their comments a little surprising, but the bias thing being brought up every single time, even when no mention is made of any British cars, is utterly pathetic.

 

[slicknick]

First time we see the non-prototype use of the remote-controlled parking


And the first video review

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[Mr Robert]

Damn! Why are all of these youtubers delivering these crap reviews? What are they using? An iPhone 4? The sound is terrible and the filming is like something my 4 yo would do better. The editorial is... well, if you could hear it, one of the worst I have almost heard.

I'm so sorry I clicked that.

 

[martinbo]

I'm getting old and jaded, clearly, because I think these reviews (i.e. of super luxury cars) are full of sh!t. How do they arrive at a four star rating when the car is essentially flawless - it must be when you write words like "absolutely excellent in every respect", "marvelous", "high-tech underpinnings and dazzling range of options elevate it to a new level of excellence", and then dish out a four star rating.

And then you write this drivel:

making it a much more serious rival to the A8, XJ and S-class than the old model in terms of pure desirability.

Really? By whose standards? What a waffy, useless piece of English.

For its intended purpose - the new 7er just like the S-Class can only be a five star car as there is nothing objectively which one can lay fault with given its reason for being.

 

[slicknick]

Damn! Why are all of these youtubers delivering these crap reviews? What are they using? An iPhone 4? The sound is terrible and the filming is like something my 4 yo would do better. The editorial is... well, if you could hear it, one of the worst I have almost heard.

I'm so sorry I clicked that.

Why don't we have an "apologetic" icon at the bottom, to rate posts? Would have used that if I could

 

[klier]

Clearly Mercedes-Benz is still the leader in this segment
M

Hilarious.
Truly.

Clearly it is because MB fanboy number 1 says it is.

but the bias thing being brought up every single time, even when no mention is made of any British cars, is utterly pathetic.

The only thing that's pathetic is the British non stop bias on everything British. Autocar keeps mentioning the Jaguar XJ as a rival, for example. As if they have to keep remembering people Jaguar makes an XJ.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

How do they arrive at a four star rating when the car is essentially flawless -

The rating doesn't make a lot of sense considering the review.

The only thing that's pathetic is the British non stop bias on everything British. Autocar keeps mentioning the Jaguar XJ as a rival, for example. As if they have to keep remembering people Jaguar makes an XJ.

"non-stop bias"? Auto Express didn't even mention Jaguar, and the comment by @Mr. Mercedes, and my response was regarding that article, so your post is irrelevant.

 

[Merc1]

Hilarious.
Truly.

Clearly it is because MB fanboy number 1 says it is.




The only thing that's pathetic is the British non stop bias on everything British. Autocar keeps mentioning the Jaguar XJ as a rival, for example. As if they have to keep remembering people Jaguar makes an XJ.

Likewise the BMW fanboy number 0 will say the same thing.

M