BMW 7-Series
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BMW’s flagship model is the seven Series, taking on the likes of the Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8. It’s about as high up as you can go on the luxury sedan totem pole before you get to Rolls-Royce territory (where the Ghost, incidentally, is based on the previous-generation seven Series). But while others in this segment favor a cushy, coddled rail, Munich’s big boy has traditionally taken a more performance-oriented treatment.
BMW launched its very first seven Series back in 1977, and it was powered by an array of six-cylinder engines. Now in its sixth generation, the latest model marks the forty th anniversary of the breed, but technologically speaking, it’s light years ahead of its progenitor. The BMW seven Series is built partially out of carbon fiber, and is suggested globally with gasoline engines ranging from four cylinders to twelve as well as diesel and hybrid variants.
BMW sells about 50,000 of them around the world each year (give or take), which makes the seven Series more successful than rivals including the Lexus LS, Jaguar XJ, Maserati Quattroporte, and Audi A8—but only around half as ubiquitous as the Mercedes S-Class, which consistently leads the market by some margin.
The Latest Generation
BMW introduced the current seven Series halfway through 2015, which makes it the newest model in its segment. Introduced as a two thousand sixteen model-year vehicle, it packs cutting edge technologies, including inductive charging for mobile devices and the world’s very first gesture control system for a production car.
In the U.S., it’s available with an array of powertrain options, including the six-cylinder 740i, the hybrid 740e, and the V-8-powered 750i. Those greedy for spectacle, however, will be drawn towards the M760i and the Alpina B7 – both of which suggest six hundred horsepower, five hundred ninety lb-ft of torque, all-wheel drive, and 0-60 times below four seconds
Why You’d Consider One
If it’s the “wow” factor you’re after, and you have the means, the BMW seven Series just might be the car for you. The fresh kid on the block performs more party tricks, packs more tech, and boasts better spectacle figures than its rivals.
“Effortless acceleration, quick shifting, planted – this is where the seven is most at home,” said associate editor Christian Seabaugh after driving the 750i xDrive around the high-speed oval.
Why You’d Look Elsewhere
Unluckily for the big Bimmer, not every aspect of its spectacle struck. “The rail was good, tho’ not as good as that of the S-Class,” said editor-at-large Angus MacKenzie.
As for all that tech, senior feature editor Jonny Lieberman found it all to be “unnecessary…tech for tech’s sake.” Seabaugh was no more amazed: “This is stuff the dealer shows you to wow you into a purchase or stuff you showcase your friends at a country club to display off.”
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