Seventh deadly sin

Take ‘pride’ in the new BMW 7 Series.

While we write this, Christopher Bangle, BMW’s iconic design chief has put in his papers. Having left an everlasting impact on BMW's design philosophy, Bangle leaves his reins in the hands of Adrian Van Hooydonk. The Prada wearing Dutch designer has started to make an impression on BMWs over the last few years, especially with cars like the 6 Series, new Z4 and X6. And now, the latest 7 Series too bears his hallmark lines — subdued flame surfacing at best. And guess what, it's now here in India!

For the launch, BMW had shipped in a few of its stars — the BMW Isetta, the 502 ‘Baroque Angel’ and the iconic 2002 tii — representing BMW's brilliant past. The 7 Series then would have paled in comparison, but it didn't. The first of BMW’s new F series cars (earlier prefixed with an E followed by model generation number), the 7 Series is currently available in long wheelbase form with a single engine option to begin with. The new 750Li features a 4.4-litre V8, twin turbos and a god-awesome 407 bhp. The torque stands at a mighty 61 kgm, coming in as low as 1750 rpm.

All of this means the 7 Series can now accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 5.2 seconds with the right fuel and hit its 250 kph limiter quicker than its predecessor. Despite lugging around nearly two tonnes of kerb weight, the 7 Series doesn’t feel handful. That’s also thanks to four-wheel steer, BMW’s latest addition to its already large tech repertoire.

With a lock of just 3 degrees on the rear wheels at low speeds, the 7 Series can now tackle narrow roads and tight parking spots with ease, thus making it nimbler and less handful around town. Of course BMW continues with active steering and a new 6-speed gearbox to help you navigate this 5.1 metre luxury liner like a child’s toy. A lot of components are made from lightweight aluminium while a new brake energy regeneration unit uses the energy spent while braking to power electrical functions on-board.

On the inside, the new 7 is just as pleasing to the eye as is the exterior. A new iDrive unit with buttons for major functions makes it easier to navigate through the system. The driver will appreciate the integrated heads-up display that shows not just speed but also integrates the GPS unit that hunts for road signs, thus behaving like an additional pair of eyes on the road.

Enhanced air-conditioning, new bi-xenon headlamps, a new entertainment system with a hard disk, heated seats, mood lighting, nappa leather... the list of goodies on this car is just endless. Oh, and to appreciate all that you need to shell out close to a crore of rupees. If you think that’s too much, wait for a couple of months and plonk your money on either the diesel six-cylinder 730Ld or the turbocharged straight-six 740Li. And if you are wondering if Adrian Van Hooydonk has lived up to his mentor’s design ability, we suggest you call BMW India for a test drive.