This evaluation took me a very long time to write down as a result of sheer excellence that the brand new BMW 7 Collection embodies. The automobile is such an improve from another 7 Collection mannequin the corporate has constructed that it took me some time to type out my ideas concerning the automobile. I ended up driving three completely different variations of the automobile over a interval of about 8 months earlier than I even began the evaluation.

I first had the chance to drive the latest 7 Collection BMW on the 2022 Take a look at Fest, then once more throughout this yr’s Monterey Automotive Week, and most lately after I drove the best efficiency model, the i7 M70 Xdrive, at this yr’s Take a look at Fest. Every of those instances I’ve had the pleasure of driving the brand new 7 Collection, I come away an increasing number of impressed with this spectacular automobile.

The primary model of the 7 Collection I drove was the i7, which is the all electrical 7 Collection BMW. I’ve pushed numerous electrical and hybrid autos in the previous few years and, whereas they’ve all been fully useful as transportation units, all of them have appeared to lack the sensation indirectly that they have been really automobiles. This lacking component appears to be part of the design of just about each electrical automobile on the market. The worst offender is to me the Tesla with its hodge-podge of inside shows that makes it appear to be the motive force raided a Finest Purchase to get the screens for the automobile’s devices and management interfaces. 

The I7 is nothing like this. As an alternative of being an electrical car it’s, to place it merely, a really fashionable luxurious efficiency automobile that simply occurs to be powered by electrical energy. In case you drive it and examine it to another electrical automobile providing you will note the distinction. It’s a driver’s automobile, like all BMW automobiles, and is the electrical powered model of the Final Driving machine. It has all of the digital options of the opposite automobiles however integrates them in a method that makes driving the i7 no completely different than driving the gas-powered model.

To reiterate how I began this evaluation, the brand new 2023 BMW 7 Collection whether or not powered by fuel or electrons, is by far the best 7 Collection ever constructed, and the largest leap ahead for the 7 sequence BMW I’ve seen in its complete historical past as a mannequin. It’s not the equal of the Mercedes S Class Maybach, however merely leaves it within the mud and in addition prices tens of hundreds of {dollars} much less. It’s so significantly better than the highest tier Maybach that it’s fairer to check it to the Rolls-Royce Ghost than to another luxurious automobile constructed right now. The brand new 7 Collection is sort of merely the brand new benchmark of excellence within the European luxurious automobile section.

The inside, whether or not you might be sitting within the entrance or the rear, is probably the most comfy ever developed by BMW. The seats are excellent, the match and end flawless, and the controls manufactured from the best supplies accessible. Each single management you contact feels as whether it is manufactured from one of the best supplies on the earth. It’s because they’re. This consists of the Swarovski crystal controls for I-Drive and different switchgear which really feel as good as they give the impression of being. Particularly intriguing is the elective cashmere inside. Your entire expertise offers drivers and passengers what seems like one that’s really bespoke, one thing that’s no imply feat for the standard manufacturing mannequin.

In Monterey my time with the 7 Collection was simply as wonderful. Earlier within the week I had the brand new 2023 as a loaner, evaluation to observe quickly, however on Thursday I swapped it out for a 760. Since the remainder of the week was spent coming and going to extra formal occasions equivalent to The Quail, a couple of dinners, events, and the Pebble Seaside Concours, the 760 was the proper instrument for the job.

I had a couple of passengers with me within the 760 and all have been completely blown away, particularly these within the again seat. I left the Concours at 11:30 a.m., as by that point I had seen all of the automobiles and all of the folks I hoped to run into and had been there since 5 a.m. I took my pal Tom Plucinsky with me since he’d additionally been there for Daybreak Patrol and was about completed with automobile stuff. Among the best moments of the weekend with the 760 was parking in downtown Monterey, watching the Pebble Seaside Concours awards presentation on the broad display screen show within the again seat of the automobile, whereas having meals delivered by an area restaurant.

The 7 Collection is strictly the automobile you need on Monday after an extended and event-filled Monterey Automotive Week. I met my pal Monday morning and collectively we drove again to San Francisco. Truly I have to right that assertion. As soon as I used to be on 101, I let the 7 Collection drive us routinely to SFO whereas we relaxed with seat massages listening to XM Sirius Yacht Rock on the great audio system.

The auto drive system within the 760 is one of the best I’ve ever used, and outdoors of a time after I needed to cope with a messy building zone, it drove us to the airport all by itself. It’s bizarre to see this in motion, however it works whatever the quantity of site visitors.

The third 7 Collection I drove was at BMW Take a look at Fest a couple of weeks in the past, the brand new i7 M70 xDrive. Whereas the sheer efficiency of the primary i7 I drove was fairly exceptional, the M70 model is much more of a very good factor. Acceleration is even faster and the automobile pulls with extra urgency than the usual automobile and even the gasoline powered 760. It affords all the identical facilities of all the opposite 7 Collection choices in a extra highly effective package deal. With 650 horsepower and 811 lb-ft of torque on faucet, this enables the automobile to speed up from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, which is exceptional for a luxurious automobile of this caliber. Sure, the Tesla Plaid is faster and the Lucid Sapphire is in a very completely different league altogether than each, however neither of those choices have the posh, match and end, and general high quality of workmanship that any of the 7 Collection BMW automobiles supply. The rivals at their prime ranges of specification are extra like a home top quality seat versus flying Membership Class on a Virgin Atlantic flight to London. The one factor lacking are the flight attendants to give you a drink, although who is aware of that is likely to be an choice from BMW Particular person I’m not conscious of.

Driving any of the 7 Collection automobiles is as concerned or as remoted as you wish to make it. Dial them as much as Sport or Sport Plus and you’ve got a really large sports activities sedan, dial it all the way down to Consolation and you’ve got a automobile that glides over the street. Steering really feel is great, dealing with is loopy good for such large automobiles, and the engine or motor efficiency is terrific, with a lot of torque and energy in any of the automobiles. Essentially the most fascinating commentary I had about all of the variations of the sequence is how they didn’t really feel like large automobiles from behind the wheel besides when doing car parking zone maneuvers and even then they stunned me at how tight a turning radius that they had.

In a nutshell, if you’re trying to purchase a prime tier luxurious sedan, that isn’t a Rolls-Royce, you’ll be making a mistake when you purchase any automobile apart from one of many BMW 7 Collection automobiles. It’s actually that good. It’s also good that there’s actually a model of the automobile for each style from the 740 hybrid, or one of many full electrical choices. Positive the styling could be very daring and in your face, however isn’t that one of many causes you purchase a automobile like this. The 7 Collection makes an announcement of successful within the sport of life like a hammer towards the aspect of the pinnacle. I like it.

2024 BMW 7 Collection

Car kind: 5-passenger sedan

i7 xDrive 60 Base value: $105,700 Worth as examined: $139,395

760i Base value: $113,600 Worth as Examined: $149,045

i7 M70 xDrive Base Worth: $168,500 Worth as Examined: $192,650

Engine: 760i turbocharged, and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 4.4-liter V8, 536 hp, 553 lb-ft torque; i7 xDrive60 536 hp, 539 lb-ft torque; i7 M70 xDrive 650 hp, 749 lb-ft torque

Transmission: 8-speed computerized in fuel powered automobiles

Wheelbase: 116.2 inches Total size/width: 212.2 inches / 76.8 inches

Curb weight: 5,095(760i), 5,917(i7 xDrive60), 5,975(i7 M70 xDrive) kilos

EPA mileage/Vary estimates: 760i 18 metropolis / 25 freeway / 20 mixed, i7 xDrive60 317 mile vary, i7 M70 291 mile vary

Assembled in: Germany