BMW 7-Series Expressed in Words

The BMW 7-Series is a large luxury sedan that's in its fourth decade of production. Introduced in 1977 with its "7-Series" moniker, the car was preceded in mission by a large six-cylinder sedan built from the 1960s to 1977. Today's 7-Series is the most expensive sedan sold by BMW, and its most powerful--not counting the Rolls-Royce lineup, which BMW acquired in the late 1990s. The 7-Series comes in six-, eight-, twelve-, and eight-cylinder hybrid versions, and competes against the Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the business-luxury segment.

The first 7-Series was introduced in 1977, and was sold through the 1986 model year. A large, roomy four-door, the "7er" came to America in three versions: 733i, 735i, and L7. The U.S. versions were outfitted with power features, leather and wood trim, and a sunroof, as well as bigger bumpers, and marketed as luxurious competitors to the most expensive Mercedes four-doors. Some versions of the European-market, turbocharged 745i were sold in the U.S. in the grey market--technically not illegal but not imported by BMW itself. The L7 was a version of the 735i fitted with more leather trim and more standard features, as well as an automatic transmission and a driver-side airbag--making it the first vehicle sold in America with that safety feature.

With the second-generation 7-Series, which was sold from 1987 to 1994, BMW added a new engine variant. The 730i sported a 3.0-liter in-line six; the 735i carried on with its 3.5-liter in-line six; and the new 750i arrived with a 300-horsepower V-12 under its hood. The new sedan's styling was more sleek and yet still dynamic, with the quintessential BMW twin-kidney grille tilted forward at the front and inside, a functional--almost austere--cockpit that still featured a manual gearbox on some versions. An "L" version added length to the wheelbase, and late in life the 7-Series gained a new 3.0-liter in-line six and a 4.0-liter V-8.

In the third generation, which ran from 1994 to 2001, BMW watered down the car's styling to near-anonymity. The six-cylinder engine was discontinued, leaving behind a 740i and a 740Li model with a 4.0-liter V-8 (later upgraded to 4.4 liters) and the V-12-powered 750Li. A five-speed automatic was featured, and some mild facelifts accompanied the car through the end of its model run in 2001. This 7-Series also made a start turn, in the 1997 James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies.

The fourth-generation 7-Series changed dramatically, and with that change came controversy. This 7-Series, sold from 2002 to 2008, brought with it a radically "flame-surfaced" style that was said to have been a response by chief designer Chris Bangle to a BMW board demand that their cars become more expressive. Expressive they were, but critics contended the high roofline, big glass areas, and oddly tiered styling didn't work well, and disrupted the company's focus on "ultimate driving machines." BMW would go on to sell more of this generation 7-Series than any before, but sales grew thanks to expansion in new markets, particularly China. Over its lifespan, this generation would include short- and long-wheelbase variants, rear- and all-wheel-drive versions, but no manual-gearbox versions.

Perhaps the most disliked feature of the new 7-Series was iDrive. BMW pioneered the round controller on the center console, and intended it to take the place of dozens of buttons and switches in its cockpits. iDrive proved difficult for many users to master, even with haptic feedback and a large LCD screen for navigation. Changing radio stations could be an exercise in frustration; even redundant voice controls for the car's navigation system proved to be a hurdle. Widespread dissatisfaction with both the car's styling and iDrive didn't temper enthusiasm for its handling nor for its brisk acceleration, however. In 2006 BMW uprated the V-8 engine to 4.8 liters and 360 horsepower, and changed the car's nomenclature to 750i / 750Li. It had boosted the V-12 to 6.0 liters and 438 hp in 2004, making it the 760Li. In 2007 it reintroduced an Alpina B7 with the 4.4-liter V-8, without output rated at 500 hp.

In 2009, BMW introduced the current version of the 7-Series. With a revamped look that greatly muted the prior car's humps and crests, the new car turned out much more attractive, particularly inside, where iDrive lost the battle to control every function, and the dash was clarified into a more logical, handsome piece. The iDrive system itself received an entirely rethought, more logical action, and more redundant buttons that "bookmarked" settings for audio, climate, and navigation--whatever the driver's preference. Performance came from a range of V-8 engines for the first model year, with a six-speed automatic the norm in the 750i and long-wheelbase 750Li; in the 2010 model year, BMW added six- and twelve-cylinder versions, as well as a hybrid teamed with lithium-ion batteries, and new all-wheel-drive versions--and wait, there's also a new Alpina edition. The V-12 version brought with it a new eight-speed automatic transmission, which is expected to make its way through the lineup in due course. A bulletproof version can be ordered, and BMW has long experimented with hydrogen-powered 7-Series sedans--though none has been offered for sale.

The new 7-Series is the head of a growing family. The BMW X6 is mechanically related to it -- mostly through the independent front suspension and powertrains -- and so is the new 5-Series lineup, particularly the 5-Series GT. And there's one more country cousin--the brand-new Rolls-Royce Ghost, which shares much of its architecture with the 7er.