That’s right, the 7 Series is back and, wow, it’s better than it has ever been. First of all, let's address the elephant in the room - the sheer size of those BMW kidney-grilles. They are 40% larger than the kidney grilles on the previous model and they look like they could swallow a small child. Certainly, a bold move in terms of design but these larger grilles will be on the upcoming X7 and a number of other BMW models soon enough, so we’re sure you’ll get used to them rather quickly. Elsewhere up front, you’ve got slimmer, more attractive headlights which come with LED adaptive technology as standard.
At the rear of the car, there is now a full width LED tail light which is linked to the daytime running lights and there is also wider set chrome exhaust pipe surrounds. It’s worth noting just how much chrome there is on the 7-Series. Aside from the chrome grille and the front and rear chrome bumpers, the 7 Series is also flanked by two chrome strips which run underneath the door sills and dramatically flick upwards as they meet the front wheel. This shaping has been carried forward from the previous model but is now more pronounced than before.
The new 7 Series is an extremely important car for BMW who have done well to retain the 7 Series’ exterior styling as they know that limo-buyers don’t want radical changes to their chariots, they’d rather have modest but notable improvements. One improvement is the glass. BMW have thickened the windows all around up to 5.1 mm to improve the onboard acoustics and to provide a quieter environment. Extra sound deadening has been put into the wheel arches for the same reasons.
Inside the cabin is where the new 7 Series really shines. There is exclusive Nappa leather pretty much everywhere. There is a brand new steering wheel (leather, of course) with functionality to operate the brand new ‘BMW Live Cockpit Professional’ setup which runs BMW’s new 7.0 Operating System which works in tandem with the two high-resolution 10.5-inch Touchscreens mounted behind the driver and front passenger seats.
BMW has confirmed that prices for the new 7 Series will start from £69,430 for the ‘entry-level’ model which will harness a hefty 3.0-litre diesel engine with 270 horsepower. There will be countless other trim levels and engines available, but the best of which will be called the ‘M760Li xDrive’ - an all-wheel-drive monster with a massive 6.6-litre V8 engine and a similarly substantial starting price of £138,935, almost double the price of the entry-level model. For that, you do get 585 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of just 3.8 seconds, which is absolutely ridiculous for a luxury car of this size.
The 3.0-litre diesel is more than likely going to be the best selling model thanks to the forgiving starting price and reasonably agreeable running costs. It’s no slouch either, with a top speed limited to 155 mph and a 0-60 time of just 6.1 seconds. There will also be a 745e hybrid model with an electric motor capable of solely operating the car up to 87 mph with a total range of 36 miles… impressive.
So, what do you reckon? Is this one you could see yourself being ferried around in if you were to get lucky on the lottery? Let us know in the comments...
Selected BMW models now available for a 24 hour test drive
