dilshan
12-30-2008, 05:27 AM
The erstwhile East German countryside has changed a lot since The Wall came down. You see modern cars, refurbished houses and people wearing fashionable clothing. But there are indicators of the socialist past the most obvious one was unfurling in front of the brand new BMW 750i that I was wafting around in. The black-top was narrow and winding - wide enough for two Trabants or one Trabant and a truck to pass each other without catastrophic consequences. But the 7 Series is a wide automobile and every time something larger than another car came against me, my heart skipped a beat. And when trucks sped past I simply closed my eyes and prayed.
But when there was no traffic which was the way things were for most of the day I enjoyed the spectacular show called 'autumn in Germany' that was playing all through the test loop. It was so beautiful I felt I was driving in slow-motion in a big budget ad film complete with colourful leaves floating down from the heavens and getting caught in the aerodynamic draught of the mighty machine.
As far as machines go, the new 7 is indeed mighty. It is bigger than its predecessor and has features that can be beaten only by the International Space Station. Well, you get the picture. Take a deep breath and read the following passage: Lane change warning, blind spot monitoring, night vision that can identify human shapes (hit the animaL swerve for the human, thank you!l, head-up display that can read sign boards (when your wife is sleepingl and tell you the speed limit, and four-wheel steering. These are over and above the stunningly loaded basic car and in no way completes the options list that runs on to optional active steering and optional Dynamic Drive body roll control. And then, it has got Internet connectivity. An Internet cafe that can do 100 kbps and 250 kph? Yes, that would be the new 7er, sir, thankfully minus the espresso station (got you there, men from BMW who put together that expansive options list.
The last 7 Series was more of a shock treatment by the Chris Bangle school of thought. It was thrust down the throat of unsuspecting luxury car buyers like a very large spoon of Waterbury's Compound. But it cured the world's obsession for the normaL all right. A huge amount of wealth in developing economies ensured that the last generation 7 Series was a serious success story too. And the world got comfortable with the concept as cars such as the 5 Series and the Z4 were released. In my eyes, the old 7 is tame compared to the 5er.
330
But it looks like the design team was given a brief to produce something sober for the traditional luxury car buyer. The result is a car that looks serious as well as calm and sporty as well as luxurious. A larger-than-life kidney grille and an air intake that stretches the width of the car hint at more power and prestige as compared to the rather shy and slim lines of its predecessor. This is a BMW that you can park next to a Mercedes S-Class without offering any 'young at heart' excuses or 'my son chose the car' apologies.
The vast hood is free of the surface detailing flourish we saw in the new X5 and this results in a less aggressive front end. A mild feature line closer to the door sill is a polite throwback to flame-surfacing. Headlights look ready for a face-lift already, with the rather silly Dynamic-Xenon motifs on them, but the tail-lamps with 'molten' LED fixtures are a revelation that hint at future possibilities. All in all the new 7er is more traditional without wearing a
papal gown and those who own the last generation cars should preserve them in airconditioned garages as the new model has rendered them into instant classics. The world remembers a revolution as compared to a mere political change - whether the outcome was good or bad, right?
The theme of 'less radical' continues in the cabin too. The handbrake and gear lever are where they are 'supposed' to be ¬and I love it enough to send BMW designers a Thank Vou note. And the new iDrive does not require a high IQ rating or a pre-teen Nintendo expert to operate. The console is cleaner compared to the older model and the multi-function screen is well integrated despite the larger size. I was concentrating on the head-up display for navigational inputs, but I am sure those who read maps will appreciate the unit better. I strongly believe that the pistol-grip lever that is borrowed from the X5 is meant for left¬hand drive countries, as your palm covers the lit display on the lever in right-hand-drive application - something BMW can look into in the future. The seat adjustments are more conventional and hence easier too. This is an agreeable cabin to spend long hours in and it's every inch a BMW too. For the time being, the 730 diesel is not available in the long-wheel base format, but there is enough legroom at the back even with the front seat pushed back. Lots of genuine wood with optional matt finish and nice smelling leather keeps the 7 er in a league comprising the finest cars from around the world.
But when there was no traffic which was the way things were for most of the day I enjoyed the spectacular show called 'autumn in Germany' that was playing all through the test loop. It was so beautiful I felt I was driving in slow-motion in a big budget ad film complete with colourful leaves floating down from the heavens and getting caught in the aerodynamic draught of the mighty machine.
As far as machines go, the new 7 is indeed mighty. It is bigger than its predecessor and has features that can be beaten only by the International Space Station. Well, you get the picture. Take a deep breath and read the following passage: Lane change warning, blind spot monitoring, night vision that can identify human shapes (hit the animaL swerve for the human, thank you!l, head-up display that can read sign boards (when your wife is sleepingl and tell you the speed limit, and four-wheel steering. These are over and above the stunningly loaded basic car and in no way completes the options list that runs on to optional active steering and optional Dynamic Drive body roll control. And then, it has got Internet connectivity. An Internet cafe that can do 100 kbps and 250 kph? Yes, that would be the new 7er, sir, thankfully minus the espresso station (got you there, men from BMW who put together that expansive options list.
The last 7 Series was more of a shock treatment by the Chris Bangle school of thought. It was thrust down the throat of unsuspecting luxury car buyers like a very large spoon of Waterbury's Compound. But it cured the world's obsession for the normaL all right. A huge amount of wealth in developing economies ensured that the last generation 7 Series was a serious success story too. And the world got comfortable with the concept as cars such as the 5 Series and the Z4 were released. In my eyes, the old 7 is tame compared to the 5er.
330
But it looks like the design team was given a brief to produce something sober for the traditional luxury car buyer. The result is a car that looks serious as well as calm and sporty as well as luxurious. A larger-than-life kidney grille and an air intake that stretches the width of the car hint at more power and prestige as compared to the rather shy and slim lines of its predecessor. This is a BMW that you can park next to a Mercedes S-Class without offering any 'young at heart' excuses or 'my son chose the car' apologies.
The vast hood is free of the surface detailing flourish we saw in the new X5 and this results in a less aggressive front end. A mild feature line closer to the door sill is a polite throwback to flame-surfacing. Headlights look ready for a face-lift already, with the rather silly Dynamic-Xenon motifs on them, but the tail-lamps with 'molten' LED fixtures are a revelation that hint at future possibilities. All in all the new 7er is more traditional without wearing a
papal gown and those who own the last generation cars should preserve them in airconditioned garages as the new model has rendered them into instant classics. The world remembers a revolution as compared to a mere political change - whether the outcome was good or bad, right?
The theme of 'less radical' continues in the cabin too. The handbrake and gear lever are where they are 'supposed' to be ¬and I love it enough to send BMW designers a Thank Vou note. And the new iDrive does not require a high IQ rating or a pre-teen Nintendo expert to operate. The console is cleaner compared to the older model and the multi-function screen is well integrated despite the larger size. I was concentrating on the head-up display for navigational inputs, but I am sure those who read maps will appreciate the unit better. I strongly believe that the pistol-grip lever that is borrowed from the X5 is meant for left¬hand drive countries, as your palm covers the lit display on the lever in right-hand-drive application - something BMW can look into in the future. The seat adjustments are more conventional and hence easier too. This is an agreeable cabin to spend long hours in and it's every inch a BMW too. For the time being, the 730 diesel is not available in the long-wheel base format, but there is enough legroom at the back even with the front seat pushed back. Lots of genuine wood with optional matt finish and nice smelling leather keeps the 7 er in a league comprising the finest cars from around the world.