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      10-07-2015, 12:57 PM   #1
Sam@Bimmerpost
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Post BIMMERPOST BMW 7 Series with Autobahn Package review

We review the all new BMW 7 Series with Autobahn Package at the Monticello Motor Club.

Most reviews focus on the new 7 Series' technology, of which there is plenty to be impressed by, but we bring you some deeper impressions on what's most important in a BMW - how it drives.

The New BMW 7 Series

I recently travelled to NYC to sample the new BMW 7 Series.

In the contemporary driving world, we are sold primarily on technology and features with driving experience often taking a back seat. After all, with every passing model year and every technological advance we inch closer to fully autonomous driving. The new 7 is no exception in this technological march, with driver aid systems that hint at our fully automated future. Through its Active Driving Assistant Plus package that includes active cruise control and active lane keep with side collision avoidance, the 7 now has the ability to steer and drive itself at up to 130 miles per hour. You can take your hands completely off the steering wheel but this luxury is limited to 15 seconds at a time. BMW is quick to remind us that this feature is simply a driver aid for brief moments of inattention (like retrieving your sunglasses from the glovebox) but make no mistake -- the new 7 has the technological brainpower to drive on its own. Consider this a preview (or a warning?) of things to come.

In spite of this marvellous demonstration of future tech, I was overjoyed to discover that the 7 maintains a level of driver focus and mechanical involvement that belies its technological independence. In fact, despite its emphasis on prestige, technology and the lavish rear seat experience, there are genuine driving thrills to be had behind the wheel of the new 750i with Autobahn Package.

While I was only allowed to enjoy a truncated version of the expansive circuit at Monticello Motor Club, it was a highly technical arrangement with lots of camber and elevation changes and a genuine test of the 7’s dynamic character. This limousine controls its mass exceedingly well and has a turn-in that made me think of a much smaller car. Like all great BMWs, it shrank around me once I had more seat time in it. It may be big and it may be covered with gadgets, but the 7 can dance.

In my view, the Autobahn Package is a must. In addition to the usual wheel, brake and suspension improvements, this option also comes with active rear wheel steering. This is an exceedingly cool, driver-oriented technology that contributes to the feeling of a shorter wheelbase. If I have to sum up my Monticello experience with the new 7 in one word, then that word is agility. Steering response felt razor sharp, feedback from the front axle was excellent by modern standards, and the chassis maintained absolute composure even under hard braking or over undulating surfaces. The 7 felt wholly satisfying and always predictable. In other words, it drives the way an enthusiast spec BMW ought to drive, albeit with a bit more weight and girth.

That a technological tour-de-force like the new 7 has not sacrificed ultimate driving thrills in the name of progress says a lot about the engineers working at BMW and the thinking behind their approach. We may be inching ever closer to fully autonomous redundancy, but in this age there are still satisfying, human-driving experiences to be found. As BMW’s flagship, the new 7 is a car that is advanced yet approachable, comfortable yet involving, and complex yet pure. It is a space ship that has not yet left the astronaut behind. It is lovely.

Check out the video below for more on the new BMW 7 Series.


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      10-07-2015, 02:14 PM   #2
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Nice !
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      10-07-2015, 02:18 PM   #3
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      10-07-2015, 02:34 PM   #4
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The Standard wheelbase in M Sport is just the perfect mix of Sporting Luxury.
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      10-07-2015, 02:39 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SCOTT26
The Standard wheelbase in M Sport is just the perfect mix of Sporting Luxury.
You are sooo correct!
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      10-07-2015, 02:50 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SCOTT26
The Standard wheelbase in M Sport is just the perfect mix of Sporting Luxury.
Could be the picture but that looks really good. The one in frankfurt m show sat really low. Its front end was as low as a z4! Was it dropped? Btw I noticed in frankfurt that bmw changed the electric seats control trim for a more premium one than in the official pics - something I pointed out when they came out . Can I take credit for that?
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      10-07-2015, 03:04 PM   #7
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Looks great
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      10-07-2015, 04:43 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SCOTT26 View Post
The Standard wheelbase in M Sport is just the perfect mix of Sporting Luxury.
It's too bad the standard WB isn't available in the U.S.
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      10-07-2015, 04:47 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SCOTT26
The Standard wheelbase in M Sport is just the perfect mix of Sporting Luxury.
That looks beautiful. I've been waiting to see it in black. No doubt it looks better than white in the m sport guise
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      10-07-2015, 05:25 PM   #10
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BIG car + small driver = good handling.
BIG car + fat driver (many luxury car owners) = so so handling.
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      10-07-2015, 06:18 PM   #11
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I got to drive the new 7 and it handles better than the 5 IMO. Similar agility to the 3 I feel, since it has carbon core technology with a lot of weight no longer above your head. Definitely surprising handling.
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      10-07-2015, 06:36 PM   #12
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looked like fun and a great review. did you notice the chase car go off the road at 4:10
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      10-07-2015, 06:45 PM   #13
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I'm sure there's a way to code it to drive itself for more than 15s.
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      10-07-2015, 07:17 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ihc95 View Post
It's too bad the standard WB isn't available in the U.S.
Standard WB will be the new G30 5 series :-)
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      10-07-2015, 08:27 PM   #15
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10 seconds into this video and I realized this car is not for me.


Unless it comes with a 2000hp package to make up for 4500 plus curb weight.
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      10-07-2015, 09:28 PM   #16
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Haha. "...feedback from the front axle was excellent by modern standards". I love how OP dances around the fact that the latest BMWs have abysmal steering and handling.
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      10-07-2015, 10:37 PM   #17
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Is it just me. Or is the new 7 look like a Jetta with a nicer package lol. When I see the rear. I see Jetta. Maybe it's just me.
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      10-07-2015, 10:55 PM   #18
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Luxury at its finest!
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      10-07-2015, 11:13 PM   #19
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I'm sure it's a hell of a car but it just doesn't look that special.
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      10-07-2015, 11:28 PM   #20
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Agree!

Quote:
Originally Posted by nike001 View Post
I got to drive the new 7 and it handles better than the 5 IMO. Similar agility to the 3 I feel, since it has carbon core technology with a lot of weight no longer above your head. Definitely surprising handling.
The front end of the car really bites and body control with the all the handling pack options really sets the car apart.
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      10-07-2015, 11:29 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SCOTT26 View Post
The Standard wheelbase in M Sport is just the perfect mix of Sporting Luxury.
Dang, that looks fantastic. I wish they had that color when I went to New Jersey.
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      10-07-2015, 11:45 PM   #22
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The right setting

We got to drive it in the Bavrian countryside.

This is the kind of road you need to drive the 7' to really appreciate all its true qualities. I believe the track is not correct enviorment for this car. Either way it really delivers in this area and driven back to back against the new S Class it really shines.

Last edited by N & M; 10-07-2015 at 11:48 PM.. Reason: Picture did not upload!
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