Fewer buttons, more screens, and no difference in power supply. The new frontier of luxury sedans is the BMW 7 Series, which from now on will only be electrified and exclusively with long wheelbase. It arrives in Italy by the end of the year starting with the i7 xDrive60, that is the zero-emission version with 544 HP of power and 745 Nm of torque. Strictly with all-wheel drive (258 HP for the front unit and 313 for the rear unit), the new flagship with the Helix insignia is the first BMW to be built on the “transition platform” which allows to offer the fifth generation of technologies eDrive: 48 Volt mild hybrid, plug-in and electric.
The proportions are visibly different with almost 5.4 meters in length (5.391 to be precise), which is 13 centimeters more than the current model and even 25 more compared to the short wheelbase one. The distance between the wheels remains significant, 3,215 millimeters, but is almost identical with just half a centimeter gained.
The dimensions make it clear that the US and China will be the main markets, even if the car will be manufactured exclusively at the German site in Dingolfing. However, BMW also focuses on other Asian markets (Korea and Japan in the lead) and those of the Middle East. Even if prices are not yet talked about, one thing is certain: regardless of the power supply, the 7 Series will not be cheap. The main European outlets, of which Russia will no longer be part of for several years, will be Germany and the United Kingdom.
The Bavarian manufacturer has chosen “not to discriminate customers” on the basis of the engine, as Pieter Nota, head of the BMW brand says: the car is the same regardless of the power supply. And, the top manager promises, comfort and driving dynamics will also be the same: “With the new 7 Series we take the customer experience to a whole new level,” he insists.
The presentation to the rhythm of superlatives in the Olympic town of Munich also includes the guarantee on sustainability: BMW renounces rare earths and only energy is used to create the cells of the 101.7 kWh battery that is worth up to 625 kilometers of autonomy “Green”. The traditional controls have disappeared from the interiors, largely replaced by those integrated into the 14.9 ” infotainment screen in addition to the 12.3 ” screen located behind the steering wheel and those of the tablets inserted in the armrests of the rear side doors. Passengers traveling on the rear sofa can also enjoy any show almost like in the cinema thanks to the 31.3 ” screen that drops from the cabin ceiling. The BMW Theater Screen integrates Amazon Fire TV and allows you to finish watching a film left pending at home in your car, but it also allows you to participate – in high definition – in the increasingly frequent virtual meetings.
The manufacturer did not leave the sound to chance either, for which he relied not only on Hans Zimmer, the German composer who won two Grammy Awards, but also on Renzo Vitale. The 42-year-old Italian, a multifaceted engineer born in Sora, but graduated in piano, with a master’s in psychoacoustics obtained in Germany, a couple of years as a researcher in New York and experiences as a “performer” artist, is the artistic director of sound for all the brands of the group. Among other things, he is now working on the sound of the first zero emission Rolls-Royce.
The BMW i7 weighs almost 2.7 tons (700 kg are due to the battery) and has a 500-liter trunk with seats in normal configuration. It goes from 0 to 100 per hour in 6.1 seconds and reaches 240 hours, which are electronically limited, with a recharge time reduced to 34 minutes for a full 10 to 80%. The high-performance version, the 660 hp i7 M70, will also arrive by next summer. At the beginning of 2023 the 7 Series plug-in will make its debut with an electric mileage of up to 80 kilometers, 65% more, according to BMW. The mild hybrid diesel variant, the 740d xDrive with 300 hp and 670 Nm of torque is also expected over the next year. The 48-volt petrol versions (735i with 286 hp and 425 Nm, 740i with 380 and 540 and 760i xDrive with all-wheel drive with 544 and 750 Nm) will not be available in Europe.
