BMW 7 SERIES (2002 TO DATE)
MODELS COVERED: (4 dr saloon, 3.0, 3.5, 4.4, 6.
0 petrol 3.0 diesel [SE, Sport])
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
"The more you see the 7 Series on the road, the easier it is to gear to it quickly. Only people who say 'I've got to not like something,' have a problem with it. This is the car to make a long-term statement, which will get its following and build on it over many years. If people have difficulty coming on to a design, then OK, back off and give them time to work on these things. Yes, more than ever I am convinced that we did the right thing with this car.
" These are the words of Chris Bangle, the man responsible for the design of the 7 Series. Love it or hate it, the 7 Series is impossible to ignore and there are enough fans of the marque for it to have notched up some respectable sales. Controversial styling notwithstanding, the 7 Series is holding its value remarkably well as a used proposition.
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Never a company to duck a challenge,
BMW have certainly bitten a big bullet with the latest Seven Series. That tacked-on boot may well be the most unusual styling detail since
Fiat figured a people carrier that looked like a frog would sell, but if you put that detail aside, can the latest 7 Series compete against the unremitting excellence of the executive elite? Trouble is, that boot is so difficult to set aside. Its there peering back at you from the rear-view mirror, your eye catches one of its upper corners as you approach the otherwise sleek car from the front three-quarter whilst from the rear its plain bizarre. Still, when we think of some of the cars that we considered radical but soon got swallowed by the mainstream, BMWs high-rise bootlid may not be the big but we all thought it was.
In many respects the styling of the 7 Series is a masterstroke. It hunches over its wheels, all the weight stored in its haunches think
Lexus GS430 without the bulky bloat. The headlights chew down into the butter-smooth front bumper unit, stern beads that wear LED indicators as jewelled eyebrows. The chrome kidney grille has been warped wide like a digital stretch effect, whilst pinhole parking proximity sensors are dotted at intervals along a sleek dado rail at the front.
The signature cutback of the rear passenger window remains as a legacy of the bloodline, but in most other respects this is a breed apart from the flat planes of the previous generation Seven. The roofline arcs in a coupe-like sweep, a trick pulled off by the Mercedes S-class some years back now, but deftly performed by the Mac-meisters in Munich. Its a sleek shape that would be a winner if it wasnt for that tacked on trunk. Lets give it time.
The other discussion point is BMWs iDrive system, a set-up that dispenses with most of the previous cars 117 separate switches, levers and buttons in favour of a rotary dial that accesses a menu-based system that flashes up on an LCD screen. At first its desperately frustrating finding yourself adjusting the front/rear balance of the stereo when all you wanted was to demist the windscreen and your initial response to iDrive will probably be,"UDrive, Im off to learn something easier like advanced Thai or particle theory." Get the system right and youll look like some sort of techno guru, a few deft nudges of the serrated silver knob where the gearstick should reside causing the computer to access a dazzling array of electronic functions. Get it wrong and youll be thankful for the comprehensive help facility. The post 2005 facelift models have a simpler version of the iDrive which may be preferable to any technophobes out there. Due to the fact that so many functions are marshalled by iDrive, the cabin of the Seven Series is the paragon of elegant, pared down design.
Everything from the carphone, the satellite navigation and the audio system right through to changing the setting on the adaptive damping system from Comfort to Sport are controlled by iDrive, so youd better put in the time to learn it. As you will have deduced, a conventional gear lever has been dispensed with in favour of the worlds first six-speed automatic gearbox, evidence of which comes in the form of dinky chromed buttons on the steering wheel.
Prices for the 735i model kick off at £26,200 for an SE model or £30,000 if you plump for the long wheelbase LI variant. Opt instead for a 745i and youll need to find £32,800 and £33,800 respectively. The desirable 730d opens at £33,200 on an 03 plate with the SE kicking off at £34,600 and the Sport weighing in at a hefty £36,200.Insurance ranges from Group 17 up to Group 20 for the mighty 760Li.
No significant problems have yet to be reported with the 7 Series. Be very aware that the desirability of the car is very dependent on colour choice. Stick to safe silver, graphite or black and you shouldnt go too far wrong but some of the more colourful hues wont be so easy to sell on.
(based on a 2003 760Li ex VAT) An exchange starter motor retails at around £172 while a windscreen with top tint will set you back around £180. Expect to fork out £485 for an exchange alternator while front brake pads costs a stinging £171.A xenon headlamp unit will detain you for the princely sum of £358.
It seems almost Dickensian to start talking about internal combustion engines after considering the 7 Series technological tour de force, but the 7 Series does its best to further the engine builders art. There are two 3.0-litre engines that kick the 7 series range off, the entry-level 218bhp 730d diesel and the 231bhp 730i petrol engined model. Both the 735i and magnificent 333bhp 745i (replaced by more powerful but similar 740i and 750i models in 2005) feature BMWs innovative Valvetronic system, as does the desirable V12 760i flagship variant.
This is engine design that does away with conventional throttles, the valves themselves dictating how much air reaches the combustion chamber. This means a cleaner and more efficient powerplant entirely without the somewhat odd hollow throttle response of the smaller Valvetronic engines. Factor in such high-tech features as the worlds first fully variable inlet manifold and variable timing on all four camshafts and you have something of a technological tour de force. The 730d diesel supplements the petrol versions offering better economy, useful power and lower emissions, making the 7 Series increasingly attractive to company users.
These customers may well be tempted by the long wheelbase iL versions. The 7 Series has always been a permanent fixture in the board members car park and the latest model is bound to be even more popular, encompassing as it does enough state of the art features to punt it to the top of the class or thereabouts. Its not a class that stands still. Jaguars XJ8 and Audis A8 are continually being fettled and improved whilst the Lexus LS430 still mops up sales and the Mercedes S-class position as chief claimant to the Worlds Best Car crown isnt going to be wrested away from Stuttgart without a concerted struggle.
As youd expect from BMW, the driving characteristics are predictably superb. Dynamic Drive Control is an electro-hydraulic system that does clever things to the anti-roll bars of the 7 Series, artificially dictating the amount of body roll none at low speed and a few degrees off kilter during more enthusiastic cornering to remind you where the electronics give way to sheer physics. Drive like this and youll appreciate the Sports suspension setting. At first youll be disappointed, the syrupy ride quality making the 7-Series seem a trifle bloated, but as soon as you encounter a corner the dampers up their game, keeping everything taut and resolved with just enough information flowing up the steering column and through the chassis to keep you appraised of what the tyres are up to.
Switch into Comfort mode and youll breeze effortlessly over the sort of scabby surfaces that constitute the British road network.
No doubt youll have your opinions on the 7 Series but whether or not youre a fan of the styling be in no doubt that theres a great car underneath the controversial sheet metal. The 730d looks to be the best buy of the bunch, offering competitive fuel consumption and emissions showings. Perhaps the last word should go to Chris Bangle. "People just haven't had a chance to learn yet. We haven't been open enough, explained [the design] as well as we should." Arrogance or genius? You decide.
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