So this is the new BMW 7-Series then.

Yup. Thanks to a bunch of webmasters, the 7-series is being ‘unveiled’ a few months ahead of its Paris motorshow debut. The new 7-series is BMW’s fifth iteration of their flagship car. Despite sharing some cues with the Concept CS (the imposing front snout being the most obvious) the car looks a lot like an extended version of the outgoing model. Thankfully, the technical highlights of the car is beyond that of the already amazing Mercedes-Benz S-Class, propelling the 7-series up front once again. 

If looks could kill…

Yes, we agree that the 7-series doesn’t look all that handsome from the outset; something which most post Bangle-era cars have managed to do with little or no effort whatsoever. At least you can argue that it’s different, with flatter surfaces and tighter curves to help disguise its leviathan-sized girth. While some might disagree with the Lexus LS460 inspired rear-end, it does however share some visual cues with the rest of the Bavarian range.

Obviously, the new kidney grille is as imposing as the 7’s relative size, which BMW says emphasizes the car’s ‘sheer power and width’. Hidden beneath the imposing snout lies a raft of new technologies ranging from radar-guided cruise control, which allows the car to stop entirely and resume acceleration once it senses that the car in front has moved away and Side View assist which senses if there are any oncoming cars approaching from the opposite direction during blind junction maneuvers. 

I like my limos to be sufficiently quick.

You’re in luck. With the new 7, BMW has introduced no less than three different engines, including an all-new diesel (which we will never see over here), a revised twin-turbo 3.0 litre petrol (that pumps out 322bhp) that you get in the 335i coupe and for the range topping 750i, the 402bhp turbocharged V8 from the X6. Furthermore, the X6 will also share its proprietary hybrid system, which is expected to launch by the end of 2010.

To ensure that the 7 is still an involving drive, BMW has revised its six-speed auto box to allow even better acceleration times and smoother changes. To further distance itself from its rivals, the flagship BMW also houses the brand’s all-new Dynamic Driving Control unit, which allows you to modulate the dampers, throttle response and gearshift settings across three modes, ala Audi’s Dynamic Drive. Just don’t tell your driver how to switch the modes.

So far, so very 2007. Is there nothing outstanding about the 7-series?

Of course there is. Seeing as this is a modern BMW, the Efficient Dynamics technology comes as standard, though not as comprehensive as we’d hoped. In a nutshell, you do get certain techy bits like Brake Regeneration and active aerodynamics. But there’s no stop-start traffic program which shuts the engine off during idle or traffic jams. To offset this, BMW claims that the new 7-series uses an extensive amount of aluminium with lightweight metal features being introduced in the suspension while the doors, bonnet, side panels and roof are all aluminium.

There’s also a new iDrive system with programmable buttons and a whopping 10.2 inch screen. To further iterate the new 7’s futuristic premise, there’s now the option of unrestricted access to the internet, which also means you can activate certain key programs of the 7 (like air-con and seat position) via your mobile phone.

Other highlights include a head-up display (like the M5) a lane departure warning system (like the Volvo S80) and a night vision camera (like the previous 7-series) that can detect ‘individual’ people. For speed freaks, the new 7 also has a speed limit display which monitors road signs so it can actively display the proper speed limit, even if you’re on roads with variable limits. Tough luck trying to make it work over here, with vandalized road signs virtually littering our roads.

The new 7-series is expected to arrive in Malaysia sometime next year, though you should expect a full review of BMW’s flagship car in the December issue of Get@Car.

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