impressive. Aggressive. Deliberately vulgar? It’s proof – if need be – that BMW just doesn’t care whether you like the design direction at the moment or not. The M3 was controversial, the iX was strange and the BMW 7 Series now continues in the same vein. And the all-electric i7 too.
BMW uses a different strategy than its largest competitor. Mercedes chooses to build an S-class and a completely different EQS. BMW goes for a different route and designs one car that should do both. So here you are looking at the new BMW 7-series, but also at the same time at the fully electric BMW i7.
No V12 engines
In Europe, the BMW i7 xDrive60 will be the first. It has two electric motors, 544 hp and a range of up to 625 kilometers. The battery measures 101.7 kWh and you can recharge 170 kilometers in 10 minutes. Later there will be a BMW i7 M70 xDrive with 660 hp.
A 7-series with a plug-in hybrid powertrain will not appear until next year. It will be able to drive 80 kilometers electrically, but the power of this car is not yet known. A 740d (with diesel engine) with 300 hp is also planned for Europe. The 760i xDrive will now have a V8 engine and no longer a V12.
The BMW 7-series and the i7 get big nostrils
The BMW i7 needs a lot less cooling than the 7-series with combustion engines, but because they share the design, they both get that huge grille. As with the new X7, the headlights consist of two parts and optionally you can have Swarovski crystals applied.
The BMW badge on the back is large and features a nozzle for the camera. Why? BMW says statistics prove that key markets — America and China — like chrome, grilles and extreme aggression. There is no choice this time for a short or long wheelbase. The 7-series is always 130 millimeters longer, 48 millimeters wider and 51 millimeters higher than the old 7-series with long wheelbase.
In the back of the new BMW 7-series
Optionally, you can check a 31-inch screen with a resolution of 8K in the back. This display folds out of the roof to entertain passengers in the lounge seats. Then the BMW 7-series also darkens the rear part of the cabin, for a true cinema experience. You will also hear a soundtrack by Hans Zimmer, the composer you know from films like Inception and The Dark Knight.
Another novelty is the Interaction Bar in the dashboard. This strip changes color depending on the mood setting, but it also contains buttons. Then there’s a panoramic roof for the rear passengers, complete with LED lighting in the glass, and screens in the rear doors to control things like the media.
The prices of the new BMW 7-series and the i7 are not yet known.
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