BMW 7-Series Research
The BMW 7-Series is a full-size, luxury four-door sedan that’s the luxury flagship of the BMW lineup.
Through its lifespan of several decades, and now six generations, it’s been powered by a broad range of engines, from more efficient turbodiesel and gas 6-cylinders to a twin-turbo V-12, presently rated at six hundred horsepower.
With the 7-Series, BMW shows off everything it’s capable of doing as a car company. Carried over for the two thousand seventeen model year, mostly, the 7er offers a lineup that includes the V-12-powered M760i xDrive, the performance-oriented BMW ALPINA B7, an all-wheel drive 740i (740i xDrive), and the 740e xDrive iPerformance plug-in hybrid. Prices lightly soar above $150,000.
Rivals include the Audi A8, the Jaguar XJ, and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
A sixth-generation version of the BMW 7-Series arrived for the two thousand sixteen model year. It placed supreme importance on weight reduction and took advantage of carbon-fiber expertise gained from the company’s work on the i3 and i8 electrified vehicles. Weight reduction is claimed to near three hundred pounds thanks to use of composites, magnesium, and more aluminum.
There’s already a range of powertrains for the fresh 7-Series, including turbocharged inline-6, V-8, and V-12 engines, plus the 4-cylinder-powered plug-in hybrid. The 740i and 740i xDrive have an inline-6, while the 750i, 750i xDrive, and ALPINA B7 xDrive have twin-turbocharged Four.4-liter V-8s. The B7 xDrive also has Integral Active Steering, which combines variable ratio electrical steering system at the front axle with active steering on the rear axle. It can get to sixty mph in just Trio.6 seconds and has various other spectacle upgrades. The M760i xDrive features a V-12 making six hundred hp and five hundred ninety pound-feet of torque. The fresh plug-in hybrid 740e xDrive iPerformance model teams a turbocharged Two.0-liter 4-cylinder with a 111-hp electrified motor and a 9.Four kwh lithium-ion battery pack for a total of three hundred thirty two hp and three hundred sixty nine lb-ft of torque. It has fourteen miles of all-electric range, a sixty four MPGe rating, and a twenty seven mpg combined city/highway rating from the EPA.
The latest 7-Series adds many fresh features, including the capability to park and retrieve itself from taut catches sight of with the driver outside the vehicle. The iDrive infotainment interface also gains a touchscreen—finally—in addition to the now-customary controller and touchpad.
There’s a possibility the fresh 7er will get an ultra-luxury model to sit above the V-12 model and below the 7-Series-based Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan; this fresh model would go after the recently unveiled Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
The very first 7-Series was introduced in one thousand nine hundred seventy seven and was sold through the one thousand nine hundred eighty six model year. A large, roomy four-door, the original “7er” came to America in three versions: 733i, 735i, and L7. The U.S. models were outfitted with power features, leather and wood trim, and a sunroof, as well as fatter bumpers to sate crash requirements, and they were marketed as luxurious competitors to the most expensive Mercedes four-doors. Some versions of the European-market, turbocharged 745i were sold in the U.S. in the gray market—technically not illegal, but not imported by BMW itself. The L7 was a version of the 735i fitted with more leather trim and more standard features, as well as an automatic transmission and a driver-side airbag—making it the very first vehicle sold in America with that safety feature.
For the second-generation 7-Series, which was sold from one thousand nine hundred eighty seven to 1994, BMW added a fresh engine. The 730i sported a Trio.0-liter inline-6; the 735i carried on with its Trio.5-liter inline-6; and the fresh 750i arrived with a 300-hp V-12 under its fetish mask. The fresh sedan’s styling was more sleek and yet still dynamic, with the quintessential BMW twin-kidney grille tilted forward at the front and inwards, a functional—almost austere—cockpit that still featured a manual gearbox on some versions. An “L” version added length to the wheelbase, and late in life the 7-Series gained a fresh Trio.0-liter inline-6 and a Four.0-liter V-8.
The third-generation 7er underwent a styling switch that brought clean and crisp styling that some found underwhelming. That said, the 1994-2001 7-Series still looks fresh today. This generation did without 6-cylinder power, instead suggesting 740i and 740Li models originally featuring a Four.0-liter V-8 and later receiving a Four.4-liter replacement. There was also a V-12-powered 750Li. These cars all used a 5-speed automatic. The third-gen 7-Series was treated to the usual mid-cycle face lift and also had a brief role in the one thousand nine hundred ninety seven film “Tomorrow Never Dies,” where James Bond drives the car remotely using an early smartphone.
The fourth-generation 7-Series switched dramatically, and with that switch came controversy. This 7-Series, sold until 2008, brought with it a radically “flame-surfaced” style that was said to have been a response by chief designer Chris Bangle to a BMW board request that their cars become more expressive. Expressive they were, but critics contended the high roofline, big glass areas, and oddly tiered styling didn’t work well, and disrupted the company’s concentrate on “Ultimate Driving Machines.” BMW would go on to sell more of this generation 7-Series than any before, but sales grew thanks to expansion in fresh markets, particularly China. Over its lifespan, this generation would include short- and long-wheelbase variants, rear- and all-wheel-drive versions, but no manual-gearbox versions.
Perhaps the most disliked feature of the fresh 7-Series was iDrive. BMW pioneered the round controller on the center console, which takes the place of dozens of buttons and switches in its cockpits. iDrive proved difficult for many users to master, even with haptic feedback and a large LCD screen for navigation. Switching radio stations could be an exercise in frustration; even redundant voice controls for the car’s navigation system proved to be a hurdle. Widespread dissatisfaction with both the car’s styling and iDrive didn’t temper enthusiasm for its treating nor for its brisk acceleration, however. In 2006, BMW upgraded the V-8 engine to a Four.8-liter version with three hundred sixty hp, and switched the car’s nomenclature to 750i/750Li. It had boosted the V-12 to 6.0 liters and four hundred thirty eight hp in 2004, making it the 760Li. In two thousand seven it reintroduced an ALPINA B7 with the Four.4-liter V-8, with output rated at five hundred hp.
BMW introduced the fifth-generation version of the 7-Series in 2009. With a revamped look that greatly muted the prior car’s humps and crests, the fresh car turned out much more attractive, particularly inwards, where iDrive lost the battle to control every function, and the dash was clarified into a more logical, luxurious lump. The iDrive system itself received an entire rethink, more logical act, with intuitive icons, along with more redundant buttons that “bookmarked” settings for audio, climate, and navigation—whatever the driver’s preference. Spectacle came primarily from a range of V-8 engines for the very first model year, with a 6-speed automatic the norm in the 750i and long-wheelbase 750Li; for the two thousand ten model year, BMW added 6- and 12-cylinder (740 and 760) versions, as well as a hybrid teamed with lithium-ion batteries, and fresh all-wheel-drive versions—and wait, there was also a fresh ALPINA edition. The V-12 version brought with it a fresh 8-speed automatic transmission, which eventually made its way through to the rest of the lineup. BMW also suggested bulletproof versions of that latest 7.
The two thousand thirteen BMW 7-Series lineup brought an extensive mid-cycle refresh. While the exterior design didn’t switch significantly (a fresh grille and front fascia were the most noticeable parts), the two thousand thirteen 7-Series sedans packed next-generation turbocharged V-8 engines in the 750i variants, plus xDrive all-wheel drive suggested on most of the lineup and an 8-speed automatic for all models, with both power and fuel economy figures rising for all of these models. Bang & Olufsen premium audio system arrived for these models; iDrive received a revised menu structure and voice-command system, while the navigation system suggested swifter rendering and 3D maps. Also in 2013, BMW very quickly sold out of a limited-edition 25th anniversary version of the two thousand thirteen BMW 7-Series, and rumors of a possible M Spectacle version began to stir.
The two thousand fourteen model year spotted few switches to the 7-Series line. For 2015, BMW left most things alone again but added a diesel model, the 740Ld. Only available as a long-wheelbase sedan, the compression-ignition 7er drew its power from a 255-hp turbodiesel inline-6 with four hundred thirteen lb-ft of torque. LED headlights were available on the two thousand fifteen model.