The fifth generation of BMW’s flagship, the 7 series, is becoming quite a common sight on the streets of our Capital. So much so that it appears to be taking over from the Mercedes Benz S Class as the current car of choice for the elite.

The S Class, which is marketed as the ‘best car in the world,’ has been the ubiquitous symbol of power and prestige the world over, but the BMW 7 series has been making consistent inroads with each generation. The new 7 leaves behind the somewhat frumpy looks and complex iDrive interface of the previous generation, and aims to mount a serious challenge to the S Class, which, thus far, has been secure at the top of the helm. The question is – is the new 7 series really that good? Or, is it more a case of the Merc being a victim of its own success – simply by becoming the default, and therefore uninteresting, choice? Well, let’s find out.

Oh, and one more thing, even if you can’t exactly write out a check for either the S Class or the 7 series, you still ought to read this. Why? Because these flagship models from Mercedes and BMW are traditionally the bearers of pioneering technology, which, in time, finds its way into lesser, more affordable, cars – so, think of this as a sneak peek into the future.

From the Outside



For starters, gone are the somewhat odd proportions and challenging lines of the previous generation 7 series – most notably the strange contours of the infamous ‘Bangle butt ’ – replaced by clean, taut lines, reminiscent of the great BMW designs of the early 90s. Of course, in keeping with current trends, it has a very distinctive face with a bold kidney grille upfront. The shark like front end is very impressive, and certainly ensures that people waste no time whatsoever in getting out of your way.

The car is designed, after all, to underline the status of its well heeled occupants. The car we tested was the top-of-the-line 750Li, which is 14cm longer than the already imposing standard 7. Nevertheless, the extra length is nicely integrated into the overall design, and the rear doors don’t for a minute appear disproportionately large. In fact, the design ensures that the car on the whole appears smaller than it really is.

On the whole, it’s a good looking car – imposing but subtle, conventional but modern – and there certainly is an element of timelessness to the shape, as is often the case with great designs.

From the Inside



Step into the 750Li, and you’re immediately aware that you’re entering a world not only of luxury, but also technology. You’re required to use just enough effort to ensure that the ‘soft-close’ door simply makes contact with the frame, as it seals itself shut thereafter. And it doesn’t matter if you’re in the front or rear, the seats are incredibly comfortable and infinitely adjustable to suit every size and shape – you can even adjust the bolstering on the drivers’ seat. And there are memory seats front and back. Plus, should you feel the need, you can also get a Shiatsu massage while driving.

Being the extended wheelbase version, the rear legroom in the 750Li is truly fit for a King – in fact I dare any dictator to suggest otherwise. And, as you’d imagine, the interior is draped in only the finest quality leather, and there isn’t a surface, switch, or button that isn’t soft and/or pleasing to the touch.



From the drivers’ seat, it’s still nice to see a straightforward set of analogue gauges incorporated into an informative, modern and well laid out instrument cluster. The fly-by-wire gear lever is once again mounted on the center console, as compared with the previous model, which had a somewhat fiddly stalk on the steering column. There are screens aplenty in the 750Li, which we’ll get to in a moment, as we explore the sci-fi tech a little more closely.

The Technology

The technology is the new 7 series is truly incredible. It all starts with the now customary keyless-entry-and-drive system in most luxury cars. As long as you have the key-fob on your person, you can get in and start the car – courtesy of some sensors and a start-stop button. But, as you’d expect, there are some elements here that separate this system from the rest. To lock the car once you’ve gotten out, you simply have to place your finger for a second on a particular groove in the door handle – very James Bond style. Once inside, the first welcome sign is a revised iDrive system. Thankfully, the new system is far easier to use than the infamous previous generation. The interface now has a good mix of individual buttons for standard functions, combined with a revised and now much more logical menu system. You’ll still have a tough time explaining it to your chauffeur though.

In addition, if there’s one field in which modern high-end cars have made valuable leaps forward, it’s in the area of preemptive safety – and leading the charge on that front are advancements in headlight and braking technology. Let’s start with the headlights:

Adaptive headlights



It goes without saying that the 750 has auto headlights – not to mention a light beam, courtesy of its bi-xenons, to sufficiently illuminate even the darkest corners of the earth. The spread of light truly is extraordinary. But what’s more extraordinary are the adaptive headlights that automatically turn with the steering wheel, so as to sufficiently light up the road ahead as you go around a corner. The active headlights also adjust the lights based on the conditions, and speed of the vehicle – for instance, the beam extends further as your speed increases, and if you’re going uphill, the lights automatically dip to avoid blinding oncoming traffic. Very clever.

The Engine

The 750Li doesn’t come with a 5 litre engine as the name may suggest. Instead, it has a 4.4 litre, twin-turbocharged, direct injection V8 that produces 400 horsepower and a mammoth 440lb/ft of torque. You can still get 12 cylinders in the 760i if you so desire, but once you’ve spent five minutes behind the wheel of the 750, I doubt very much you’d feel the need for a V12. The idea behind using a twin-turbocharged V8, as opposed to a larger engine, is to increase efficiency – in keeping with BMW’s Efficient Dynamics technology. The two turbochargers are, for the first time ever, fitted centrally within the V of the cylinder banks. This not only makes the engine more compact, and saves weight, but also reduces pressure losses between the intake and exhaust sides, which results in greater efficiency and less turbo lag. And since the 7 has two smaller turbos, versus a larger single turbocharger, lag is reduced that much more. It also has direct injection, which results in instant power delivery.

And, while the engine is whisper quiet ordinarily, step on the accelerator pedal with real intent, and the engine growls purposefully while it delivers its power in epic fashion – it is very much an experience to savour.

And if there’s any doubt that BMW makes the best engines in the world, you need only look at the 2008 results of the International Engine of Year Awards – 6 out of 12 awards went to BMW. After all, BMW, which stands for ‘Bayerische Motoren Werke,’ or Bavarian Motor Works, really does have ‘engine’ as its middle name.

As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. In this case, in the performance of the 750Li, as it completes the 0-100km/h sprint completely effortlessly in a mere 5.3 seconds, which is thoroughbred sports car territory. And just to put that further in perspective, the previous generation 745i, which had a 4.4 litre V8, did 0-100km/h in 6.3 seconds, while the last gen 760i, with its 6.0 litre V12, took 5.5 seconds.

One final thought regarding the engine – it has what BMW calls ‘condition based’ service intervals. Essentially, sensors and algorithms take into account the conditions in which your BMW is used, and, on the basis, calculates appropriate service requirements.

Active Steering

Active Steering, which, in this case, also includes four-wheel steering, is a highly recommended BMW innovation. It essentially consists of a constantly variable steering rack that makes the 7 series feel about half its size from behind the wheel. The system varies the turning angle of the wheels relative to the steering wheel movements based on the speed of the vehicle. As a result of Active Steering and rear-based steering, the 750Li turns-in instantly, and responds to every minute movement of the steering wheel. Steering effort is always light, and you can feel the steering ratio adjust in your hands. But it doesn’t feel unnatural, and always retains the purity that you expect from a BMW. It truly is an incredible system, which succeeds in reconfiguring your brain cells into believing that you’re driving a sports car, as opposed to a 2-tonne luxury behemoth.

Head-up Display & Cameras



Courtesy of your favorite jet fighter, the Head-up display is a digital display of speed projected in the direct field of vision of the driver. Initially, I thought it would take some getting used to, but, now having driven a few BMW’s with this technology, I’ve found that it’s completely intuitive and unobtrusive, while ensuring that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road – another very useful innovation.

The 750Li also has a rear camera to help you reverse – much needed in a car of this size. The quality of the image, both in the day as well as at night, is exceptional. It also has guide-lines to tell you the expected trajectory of the vehicle based on steering angle.

Two options that were missing on our test car, which could also be quite useful, are front cameras and Night-Vision. The front cameras are mounted on the sides of the front fenders and provide a dual view of the road ahead when you come to an intersection – needed in a car with a front end as long as this. The Night-Vision, on the other hand, has a camera mounted on the front bumper that gives you an infrared view of the road ahead at night.

In-car infotainment



Needless to say, in a car like the 7 series, you expect to be pampered, and the 750Li doesn’t disappoint – either in front, or at the back. The car has dual ACs front and back, as well as iDrive controls for the rear seat passengers in the center arm rest. The rear also gets dual 8-inch screens to navigate through vehicle functions or watch DVDs. And, should the driver feel left out, when the car’s stationary, the iDrive screen in the center console can also be used to view said DVD as well.

The 750Li has a single CD player in the center console, and a 6 CD/DVD changer in the upper glove box. Our test car came with the high-end stereo that has (brace yourself) 16 speakers and 2 subwoofers that work through 9 channels of amplification to deliver 600 watts of pure listening oomph and pleasure – and boy does it all work beautifully together. In fact, once you’ve experienced this kind of sound quality, it’s hard to go back – it really is amazing how quickly you get used to one crore worth of luxury. Also, there’s very little to rival watching a DVD through the rear seat entertainment system – and with surround sound, it feels like you’re in your very own personal movie theater.

The 750, of course, has a USB port and an Aux-in jack to connect your iPod – although it requires a proprietary BMW lead. The car also has an 80GB hard disc to store maps for navigation. It can also store upto 16,000 of your favourite songs. And while it’s a shame that we don’t get to use the navigation system in India, the hard drive also has an in-built owners manual – so you can learn about the various features of the 7 on the move. Plus, the 750 has a voice-recognition system that I found especially useful to access the owners' manual without having to go through any menus. Voice recognition can also be used to for traditional functions such as switching between various modes of music, etc. However, once the novelty wears off, you’ll find yourself using ‘traditional’ buttons instead. And don’t even try dialing a phone number through the voice recognition system – it’s an exercise in futility, as the lady assisting you in your quest can’t seem to differentiate between most digits. Of course, the problem could be my inability to enunciate, but that’s another story altogether.

The one piece of technology that I found a little overbearing, however, was the speed sensitive volume control of the stereo, which increases in conjunction with road speed. It’s a little intrusive – not to mention the fact that it numbs the illusion of speed, which could be dangerous as well.

Safety Features



As you’d expect, the 750 has the traditional battery of safety features – ABS, 8 Airbags, active headrests, traction control, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, etc. But here again, there’s more than merely the traditional:

The 7 also has CBC (Cornering Brake Control) and Adaptive Brake Assist, which automatically applies maximum brake pressure when the brakes are pressed quickly, as it senses an emergency stop. Moreover, the adaptive LED brake lights increase in their intensity with increased brake pressure to effectively warn drivers behind.

The traction control system consist of DSC (Dynamic Stability Control), which reduces engine output and applies brakes at individual wheels to keep the car on course, but it also has DTC (Dynamic Traction Control), which is a variant of DSC that’s optimized to ensure minimal intrusion in forward momentum.

Dynamic Drive



Dynamic Drive and Dynamic Damper Control work not only to increase safety, but also to make the driving experience more rewarding.

Dynamic Drive reduces side inclination of the vehicle body using active stabilizers on the front and rear axle, which regulate vehicle movements within fractions of a second. Dynamic Damper Control works in conjunction with this system by reducing unwanted vehicle movements fore and aft. Adaptive Drive, on the other hand, gives the driver the option of choosing between various drive-settings ranging from ‘Comfort,’ to ‘Sport,’ and even ‘Sport Plus.’ In ‘Sport’ the ride is firmer, shifts are quicker, and throttle response is enhanced. In ‘Sport Plus,’ DSC is turned off (well, partly anyway) to give you even more control if you so desire.