It’s fitting in this Olympics year to use an athletic metaphor to describe the all-new 2009 BMW 7 Series, which comes to America next spring in 750i and 750iL trims. After our first drive of the new luxury sedan, in advance of its public debut at this October’s Paris auto show, the best comparison we can make to the realm of heated blood and straining muscle is to call the fifth-generation 7 Series a champion pentathlete.
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Including BMW’s 7 Series in that distinguished group is nothing new, but this latest, (mostly) all-new version comes to the U.S. in the spring of 2009 as a leading contender for the gold, reflecting the skills of the pentathlete with its unerring velocity, crisp footwork and quick reflexes, command of the elements, muscular elegance, and swift endurance. However, the large and lithe sedan also can do it all without breaking a sweat.
The primary component of any BMW is the engine, and here Munich’s engineers have outdone themselves with the 4.4L twin-turbo V-8. First offered in the X6, it will lead the 7’s entry into the American market in both the 750i and 5.5-in.-longer 750iL.
We’d also like BMW to bring in the 730d as soon as possible. This powerful (398 lb-ft of torque) and economical turbodiesel will be the model of choice for the European market, and we would choose it, too, over the V-8 if it were imported, gladly giving up its slightly reduced performance for the increased economy and immaculately clean emissions. For example, on the European urban cycle, it uses almost half as much fuel per kilometer as the V-8, and it produces much less C02 per mile driven.
Both new engines rely, still, on a torque-converter six-speed automatic gearbox (a BMW engineer told us more gears will come when “the gearbox meets our expectations”) to transfer power to the rear wheels, but this familiar transmission has been massaged to be faster, smoother, and more economical. More significant, the new, larger E-Shift lever now juts from the center console. Moving it from the steering column allows a more conventional way to shift manually through the gears, though it seems to have robbed a bit of storage space.
To craft a pentathletic automobile, power and speed are essential, but more important is the management of that energy through the chassis, wheels, and brakes, and BMW does this as well as anyone. What BMW does do better than anyone is retaining the “machine-ness” of its vehicles so the driver feels in command over a precision instrument and not just a passenger in a luxury liner.
To continue this acronymic progress through the long list of chassis controls would wear out the caps-lock key on our computer, so we’ll refer you to other sources for a deeper understanding of the many dynamic controls in this highly computerized automobile, but their net effect is to provide an entertaining yet controlled driving experience no matter road or weather conditions.
The new, optionally available Integral Active Steering, a first in the car’s class, adds rear-wheel steering to the previously available variable-ratio front steering. At slow speeds, the wheels turn opposite to the front wheels to help negotiate tight spots, while at higher speeds they’ll turn along with the fronts for improved directional stability. We could not feel the system in action except that the 750iL would go everywhere we pointed it without the need for extraneous adjustments to the steering wheel. It was especially effective when we managed a few flat-out romps on the autobahn. “On rails” may be hackneyed, but no better term describes the sensation.
Also enhancing the driver’s touch to the outside world is a new night-vision system that can alert the driver to a pedestrian’s presence, and even reveals whether the walker is heading parallel to the road or about to cross it. Other notable safety features new to the 7 include a head-up display that is easily legible and highly useful, a newly introduced Active Blind Spot Detection system, and the Lane Departure Warning and High Beam Assist previously available on some other BMW models. Our favorite, though, is the new sideview camera system that lets the driver view oncoming traffic when trying to enter a road from, say, an alley or garage exit. It’s part of the optional package that also includes the rearview camera, and it’s one we’d happily pay for.
Which brings us to cost. Despite the plethora of newness and the high levels of standard equipment, it’s expected the new 7 Series will transact for little more than the current model. We may get more details on this aspect of ownership at the Paris show, and we’ll certainly keep our reports on this remarkable new sedan up to date. For now, if you like the idea of being able to shoot, fence, ride, swim, and run with the best, you’ll love the new 7 Series.
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