There’s a reason BMW vehicles are called the ultimate driving machine, and the new BMW 750i exemplifies all the latest and greatest that the Munich automaker has to offer. The new 7-series has a carbon fiber core that decreases its weight 200 pounds from previous models. Styling is sleek and aggressive, with bright led outlines around the headlights and a nice, smooth rear, a great improvement on the ‘bangle butt’ that blighted the 7-series trunk in the 2000s.
The standard wheelbase is now what used to be the long wheelbase, which means that rear seat room is enormous, with leg room fit for an NBA player, heated seats, controllable ventilation, and vanity mirrors that descend from the ceiling. If the 750 weren’t so much fun to drive, the rear seat would be a great place to spend a long trip. Comfortable heated and cooled front seats offer myriad adjustments and can even massage your backside at the touch of a button. The trunk is large and has a ski pass-through, but the rear seat does not fold.
A new technological feature called Gesture Control allows you to use hand movements in front of the dash screen to adjust radio volume, accept/reject phone calls, and more. Though the 750 retains BMW’s infamous iDrive system, it seems a bit easier to use now, and for the first time has a touchscreen. Hard buttons and knobs for the audio and climate control systems are a welcome reprieve. Four-zone climate control ensures passenger comfort throughout the cabin, and moonroofs over the front and rear seats let in plenty of light. A nifty heads-up display projects speed and navigation information onto the windshield in front of the driver. Surround-view cameras and sensors greatly ease parking.
A special safety feature can sense something in front of the car and give you a warning, or in city driving, it can brake for you to avoid hitting a pedestrian or car in front of you. The system also is used for adaptive cruise control and can take over for you in stop-and-go traffic. Driving modes include comfort, sport, eco and adaptive, which tailors the car’s dynamics to your driving style. In sport mode, it’s a fun car to drive with excellent handling, yet it still offers a comfortable ride. Power is plentiful from the turbo-charged V-8, getting this large sedan to 60 mph from a standstill in only 4.3 seconds! The engine stop/start system works better than I’ve experienced in any other car, offering surprisingly smooth restarts. A heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters controls the tight and communicative steering. Brakes are equally impressive.
Autohaus BMW salesman Gerd Petermann is impressed. “The ride of the 750, especially on the highway, is phenomenal, yet it provides excellent handling with almost no body roll in hard cornering,” he says. “It’s also very safe and has great convenience features.”
technicals >> BMW Model 750iX
Price:
▶Base: $98,400, including delivery
▶Driven with options: $110,700
Gas mileage:
▶16 city
▶25 highway
Drivetrain:
▶Front engine; all-wheel drive
▶4.4-litre, twin-turbo V-8 engine
▶445 horsepower
▶8-speed automatic transmission
Robert Paster (robertpaster.com) is also an attorney in private practice, concentrating in estate planning and probate.
