The Big, Bad BMW Is Back

By Andreas Stahl, Contributor

Date posted: 07-03-2008


Six years after BMW uncorked a firestorm of controversy with its Chris Bangle-styled fourth-generation 7 Series, an equally brash fifth-generation model has been unveiled at a secret presentation in Munich, and it introduces a fresh look, a range of turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines, and a wealth of innovations, including rear-wheel steering.

Pictured here officially for the first time, the 2009 BMW 7 Series is going to get its first public outing at the Paris auto show in late September. Pricing is yet to be finalized, but BMW officials are already hinting it will edge higher. Higher equipment levels, they explain, but the pesky relationship between the value of a dollar and a euro has a lot to do with it as well.

The 2009 BMW 7 Series will also be remembered as the first car to offer full on-demand Internet access. The new system, which has undergone years of fine-tuning, allows occupants to surf the Web via a heavily overhauled iDrive system, with its reworked rotary controller and color monitor. Apparently drivers don't already have enough to do at 300 km/h (186 mph).

Size Matters
Dimensionally the 2009 BMW 7 Series has changed, although not significantly. At 199.7 inches in length and 58.2 inches in height, it is 1.3 inches longer and 0.5 inch lower than its predecessor. Its 74.9-inch width, meanwhile, is the same.

The biggest increase is reserved for the wheelbase, which at 121.0 inches has been bumped up by a considerable 3.3 inches. This has served to shorten the overhangs, most notably at the rear. The long-wheelbase Li model adds a further 5.5 inches to that figure, taking the wheelbase up to 126.5 inches. At the same time, the front and rear tracks have been taken out by 1.5 inches and 2.2 inches respectively at 63.4 inches and 65.0 inches.

To keep weight in check, the new 7 Series gets plenty of aluminum, which is used for the hood, roof, doors and fenders. Still, at 4,288 pounds, the 750i bound for North America is 77 pounds heavier than before. The body itself is claimed to be significantly stiffer than before with extensive use of high-strength steel within the inner structure.

It is clear the moment your eyes fall on the 2009 7 Series that BMW's appetite for adventurous design has not waned. While sleeker than its predecessor, the car incorporates a number of controversial features that are sure to stir comment — not least its prominent twin-kidney grille. Tauter surfacing helps reduce the awkward visual mass of the old model, providing the new one with a more athletic appearance. You'll also note that the new rear end abandons the controversial fender tuck (since copied elsewhere) for a more conventional arrangement.

The High-Tech Look Returns
Within the cabin of the new car, the designers have abandoned the theme of modern furniture introduced by the old car and gone instead for the style of high-tech electronics. The multilayer dashboard now is now angled ever so slightly toward the driver and includes a much simplified version of the iDrive system. The driver can now select radio, CD, navigation and telecommunications menus simply by pressing a button, rather than scrolling through various menus. The shift lever also now returns to its rightful place on the center console, since 7 Series owners cared more about sporting style than console space-efficiency.

For the first time in a BMW, the entire instrument cluster is a high-resolution Black Panel display, and the four classic circular instruments are complemented by various readouts relevant to driving, including GPS navigation, vehicle-monitoring functions, upcoming service requirements and other information.

In-car entertainment is high on the agenda with hard-drive music storage, multichannel audio amplification, and auxiliary audio input and iPod/USB ports, along with the usual six-disc CD/DVD-A changer. The 2009 BMW 7 Series also serves up the comfort to go with it, offering the option of four-zone climate control, seats with both ventilation and massage functions, and a newly developed glass roof panel.

Other key developments include active cruise control with a new stop-and-go capability, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, head-up display, night vision with pedestrian detection, along with sideview and reversing cameras.

Commanding Power
In Europe, the fifth-generation 7 Series will be launched with a 326-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 for the 740i and a newly developed 245-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 diesel for the 730d. This diesel is expected to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.2 seconds, reach a top speed of 152 mph and return an impressive 32.6 mpg.

On the other hand, the U.S. will get only the 750i during the initial sales period, and it features the same twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 launched in the X6 xDrive50i. With 407 hp and 442 pound-feet of torque, it outguns the naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V8 used in the outgoing model by 40 hp and 82 lb-ft, giving the fifth-generation 7 Series the ability to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 5.2 seconds on the way to a top speed of 155 mph. EPA figures are yet to be released but going by its European consumption numbers, we expect it to average close to 20 mpg, just like the former model.

There is no word yet on what other engines the new 7 Series is set to receive. We can confirm that a hybrid version is definitely in the pipeline, although no time frame is being placed on its likely launch date. Set to challenge the Lexus LS 600h and upcoming Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid, it uses the two-mode gasoline/electric hybrid system developed by BMW in partnership with General Motors and Daimler. Beyond that, BMW is also looking at following up its hydrogen-propelled 750h with a more advanced model using the latest tank technology.

In a surprise move, BMW has decided against equipping the new 7 Series with its yet-to-be-unveiled eight-speed automatic transmission developed in partnership with ZF, even though it's ready for production. Instead the former six-speed is in place.

All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Steer
As tradition dictates, the new 7 Series comes standard with rear-wheel drive. But with Audi and Mercedes-Benz scoring big with all-wheel-drive versions of the A8 and S-Class — most significantly in the U.S. — plans do exist for a new four-wheel-drive version of the 7 Series, likely to be called the 750iX. BMW is remaining tight-lipped on when it is likely to join the new lineup, but our sources suggest it has already been approved and should begin rolling from BMW's production line in Dingolfing, Germany, before the end of 2009.

As a consequence, there have been some dramatic departures from the longstanding specification of the 7 Series suspension. The front MacPherson struts have been replaced by cast-aluminum double wishbones, improving geometry control while fostering compatibility with all-wheel drive. Meanwhile, the multilink rear suspension features more aluminum components, plus air springs for the 750i.

At the same time, BMW has thoroughly reworked its DDC (Dynamic Damping Control) system. In what it claims is a world first, it now alters the compression and rebound characteristics of the dampers independently for what BMW describes as improved ride comfort.

The knockout technological punch, however, is reserved for the steering. As well as equipping the 7 Series with its existing AFS (Active Front Steer) system, BMW has given this car a new rear-wheel-steer system that goes under the name IAS (Integrated Active Steer), as part of an optional Sports package. The new arrangement uses a concentrically arranged motor and is capable of turning the rear wheels by up to three degrees.

And Now for Something Completely Different
As familiar as the 2009 BMW 7 Series might seem in concept, the folks in Munich have dramatically changed the fifth-generation car.

It abandons the most controversial elements of style that introduced the new era of Chris Bangle-led design for a sleeker presentation that expresses speed, not just style. The engine choices reflect BMW's decision to go forward with turbocharged power plants and anticipate a diesel that might soon be on its way to the U.S. And all-wheel drive, double-wishbone suspension, rear-wheel steer and sophisticated damping control suggest the car might go down the road in a new way.

And finally, the 2009 BMW 7 Series appears to be the first European prestige sedan to finally join the electronic revolution, both in substance with Internet capability, and in style with its Black Panel instrument display. This is a car that wants to lead, not just run with the pack.

A Worthy Flagship
By Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor
Date posted: 07-28-2008


When you're an eye-catching overachiever, everyone focuses on your looks. So when BMW's current 7 Series debuted in 2001, much of its innovation was overlooked in the controversy caused by its styling.

With the introduction of the all-new 2009 BMW 750i, Bavaria's most famous carmaker deemphasizes the visuals while advancing the car's state of technical innovation further yet. If you've heard the phrase "walk softly and carry a big stick," then you've got the idea behind the 2009 BMW 750i.

Larger and Lighter
Karim Habib's design team has successfully balanced traditional BMW cues with this full-size car's proportions and stance. Europe's pedestrian crash standards have exerted obvious influence on the 750i's upright nose, while the new car's less adventurous styling is easier on the eyes than the self-conscious detailing of its predecessor.

Despite the new car's longer wheelbase and wider track, weight has been pared by some 82 pounds and torsional stiffness has been increased by 20 percent. Credit the strategic use of ultra-high-strength steel in the structure and the use of aluminum for the roof, doors, hood, rear subframe, differential housing and all suspension links.

Whether due to lightness or just hyper-slick grease, the door of the preproduction car we drove glides open, and a light tug of the protruding wood trim inside closes the door with a whump. The interior materials and construction appear to be to a high standard. The ambience does not stray far from other BMW offerings.

At the same time, those familiar with the outgoing 7 Series will notice that the cruise-control paddle is gone, and now it's been relocated to the left-hand spoke of the steering wheel. Likewise BMW has replaced the steering-column-mounted gear selector with the electric razor job on the center console just like in the new BMW X5.

iDrive Is No Longer a Four-Letter Word
Critics of iDrive can rejoice. In an implicit admission that the much-maligned multimedia system needed a rethink, BMW has completely overhauled it. The improvement is commendable. New shortcut buttons to the various functions such as radio and navigation (including a "back" button like an Internet browser) can be operated by feel, and navigating through its various menus is far more intuitive.

A larger, clearer 10.2-inch black panel screen has impressive resolution and doesn't wash out in sunlight. A touchscreen display continues to be eschewed, as BMW contends such a design demands more focal adjustment of your eyes and thus requires too long to take a glance.

The Bavarian automaker's flagship is replete with techno-goodies. In addition to the familiar active antiroll bars, new systems include optional rear-wheel steering and standard multimode dampers that adjust both rebound and compression damping. Versions of the 7 Series sold in Europe will even recognize speed limit signs, a system that is currently under review for U.S.-bound models.

On the safety front, there is a lane departure warning system and an enhanced thermal-imaging night vision system that recognizes pedestrians. A note on corporate philosophy here — these systems only provide warnings. BMW stopped short of allowing these systems to subsequently alter the driver's steering or braking inputs on the philosophical grounds that doing so removes too much control from the driver.

Dynamic Personalities
To the left of the gear selector is a cluster of buttons that command the new "Dynamic Driving Control." This system allows the driver to toggle through four vehicle configurations — Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. They comprise increasingly aggressive levels of damper control, steering assist and ratio, antiroll bar stiffness, shift calibration of the six-speed autobox, throttle gain and stability control.

It takes more than clever electronics to shape a car's character, however, as an all-new double-wishbone front suspension shows that the fundamentals of suspension geometry have not gone unscrutinized by the engineers. The new front end improves cornering grip by means of a more favorable camber curve, compared to the MacPherson struts typically found on BMWs.

Putting the Pieces Together
BMW orchestrated a battery of ride and handling evaluations at its test center in Miramas, France, to show off the 750i's skill set. This former F1 circuit has bumps and berms and we learned that, indeed, there are meaningful distinctions between the driving modes, yet each mode demonstrates a convincing level of aptitude. There's something here for a wide variety of drivers.

What stands out the most about the technology is its transparency — the driving experience of the 2009 BMW 750i doesn't fall on the sword of its own competence. You can point it at apexes and throttle-balance the cornering attitude because you have a good sense of just how much grip each tire is providing. Sport Plus with DSC on even allows a bit of tail-out driving before intervening to correct the slide. The 750i is (and this came as a bit of a surprise) fun to drive in anger.

Whether at speed or simply maneuvering into a parking stall, the 750i is far more agile than you'd expect this full-size luxo-liner to be. The rear-steering helps here, knocking 28 inches off the turning circle by turning the rear wheels up to 3 degrees in the opposite direction from the fronts at low speeds. At higher speeds, the rear wheels turn in phase with the fronts to facilitate lane changes. In all, BMW's rear steer appears to do its job without the eerie side effects of the system on the Infiniti G37.

Discreet Speed
Part of the 750i's enthusiastic nature can be attributed to the 400-horsepower twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 shared with the X6, which picks up the lighter 750i and hurls it forward with authority. The company claims a 0-100-km/h (62-mph) time of 5.2 seconds.

Between corners, no turbo lag is perceived, nor any vibration and precious little noise. The direct-injection mill's maximum torque of 442 pound-feet is on tap over a plateau from 1,750-4,500 rpm, and the scenery simply blurs past in a seamless rush as velocity heaps ever upward.

It's an effortless feeling more reminiscent of a normally aspirated V12 than a boosted eight-cylinder, an entirely appropriate demeanor for a top-flight luxury sedan. Good thing, too, because the V8 is the only engine that will be available at the launch of the U.S.-spec 750i and extended-wheelbase 750Li in March of next year.

Without having to explain its styling the way its predecessor did, the ample merits of the 2009 BMW 750i emerge in a clearer light. This one promises to make a prominent impact in the full-size luxury sedan segment. Watch for it.