Introducing The 2016 BMW 7 Series

Introducing the all new 2016 BMW 7 Series. A Luxury saloon with the soul of a sports car. Within this class, BMW claims it’s leading in innovation, technology and driving capability and after taking some time to drive the car and live with it, we at mr.goodlife feel quite sure about its capabilities…

The 7 series started with its 1st generation in 1977 followed by the 2nd generation in 1986. The 3rd generation came in 1994 and 4th and 5th generations later in the 2000s. You get the idea. These time frames show us the thought and attention going in to each release of the flagship BMW vehicle.

Now, 38 years later, the 6th generation is here and it’s truly stunning. The car is among the top contenders of its class, offering the most important features one could ask for in a luxury sedan; comfort, ambience, safety and well-being. Driving this car, those features all come into play but the new 7 series has another star quality. It’s in the senses.

The exterior stance is unmistakably BMW. The new 7 is now 19mm longer then its predecessor and it sits pretty from all angles. The active airstream kidney grill captures your eye immediately. From the moment you look once you are intrigued to look deeper into the details; The specially crafted BMW Laser Lights are beautifully designed with tiny “7” numbers etched into the outline of the lights, so take a closer look. The lights themselves take the visibility from 300 meters on normal lights to 600 metres and are controlled automatically. The car also features the all new “Welcome Light Carpet,” which is a new feature consisting of 150 micro lens projectors @ 1mm each which project a “light carpet” around the car. This system adds an unprecedented warmth and exclusivity to the car in a way you have to experience for yourself to believe.

The interior is something that hooked us straight away. High quality material and craftsmanship is a huge part of this car. When you take a seat in the executive lounge styled setting, you find yourself in a rear cabin space that is more then ample, with everything you could possibly need around you.

The car features Climate Control and Active Massage Seating which come with the BMW Vitality Program. Users will arrive invigorated to their destinations. View your content on two 10.2″ High Definition Screens controlled via wireless tablet and even store your beverages of choice in an on board Refrigerator. Not forgetting the heated seats and arm rests to keep your passengers warm on colder drives. These are just some of the cool features of this tech-packed car. We believe its one of the most innovative cars in its segment and you would probably feel the same.

We spoke with Martina Starke, Head of Colour, Trim & Design, who walked us through the details behind this beautiful interior. We have full electric seats as standard with Alcantara pillows, Interior LED lighting with 6 colours as standard, which is fully customisable to the driver/passengers wishes. Beautiful leathers and materials line each part of the car including buttons, dashes, doors and window seals. They really thought of everything. Its of a quality you feel when you touch.

For the first time, the 7 series now comes with an option of a panoramic sunroof, with Safety glass, sun protection, and LED lighting, and speaking of innovation, which the company are known for we would like to share some of the new features here and now. Breathe in… and… Here we go!

The iDrive system in the new car is top of the line and will feature in all BMWs henceforth, Touch Functionality on the new centre console with pinch to zoom is also included. BMW Gesture Control which uses an Infra red and 3D flight camera to capture 5 gestures including turning up/down media volume, picking up phone calls and denying them. 360 Surround View means you can literally see all around the car on the centre console. (This was really useful for us during the drive as it’s a bigger car). Just pinch and grab to move the view around the car and you can see how close you are to obstacles and curbs. The Reverse camera comes as standard too. Remote Parking production starts in November and will add to the features of the already technology packed car. This system considers gradient, temperature, obstacles around you etc. You will have to be within 4 meters but you could remotely park into a space forwards or reverse out of a tight spot with ease, all from the Display Key; A 2.4″ touch screen display panel, which you can simply drop into the centre console to charge. For iPhones users there is an optional hard case to charge your iPhone in the car wirelessly and then to view these features in action, the all new 75% larger HUD, which is class leading in segment. The car also features Active Cruise Control with speed limit assist. Steering and Lane Control Assist is also available to select via the centre console. Amazing work has been carried out on the equipment here by BMW and we have tried and tested it all.

The entertainment facility this vehicle provides is impressive too. If the BMW advanced audio system isn’t enough for you (which is standard), the brand new top of the range Bowers & Wilkins system has 16 speakers and1400 watts of pure audio output to enjoy all of your music and media. These vehicles can access online entertainment via the built in connectivity too, which makes the onboard journeys much more fun for you and your passengers.

There is also a new Fragrance package available, named Ambient Air Package, which combines air ionisation with beautiful scents crafted by expert perfumer, Annabelle Coffinet, who we also caught up with. She believes in perfection and that the importance of any vehicle is in the senses. Each should be stimulated and provoked to feel at home.

By using carefully selected parts of steel, aluminium and carbon fibres, the engineers at BMW were able to reduce the weight of the car, so the new 7 is 130 kilograms lighter then its predecessor. Twin Axle Air Suspension is included as standard, which means when placed in sports mode the car will lower its air suspension and stiffen up, also its able to raise when you have a low bump or obstacle.

Diving deeper into driving modes, BMWs Eco Pro, Comfort/Comfort Plus and Sports Mode are at your disposal as usual; However now BMW have introduced the new “Adaptive Mode” which looks at 46 different parameters when driving to select the best suited mode. With the new Executive Drive Pro package, customers are equipped with a forward facing camera, which scans ahead and actively prepares the suspension from 9mph-60mph. This adds great quality to the smoothness of the ride at non-motorway speeds.

Prices are as follows. You could pick up the base model 730d for £64,480 and the M Sport version for slightly more at £68,180. The 730d xDrive comes in at £70,910 and prices go upwards all the way to the range topping 750i M Sport which comes in at £79,970, which we do have to admit buys you a lot of car. If it helps – All owners get a carbon fibre Mont Blanc Pen and access to special events courtesy of BMW.

For more info, head over to the official BMW website.