Between innovations and controversies: the BMW 7 Series has been fighting with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class for seven generations
Published by The team in News the 25/04/2022 at 10:13
Lighthouse is a name easily given to any model that represents the pinnacle of a brand's design and technology. However, it is in luxury brands that the analogy takes on its full meaning.
From Audi to Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and BMW , they all have a true tech-packed vessel at the top of their range. The latest to be renewed is the 7 Series. And the fact that it first hits the market as an electric car, like the BMW i7 , is not innocent.
The flagship of a brand is a model that lays the foundation for future models of the rest of the manufacturer's range, both in terms of design and technology. The BMW 7 Series has done just that since 1977, when the first BMW 7 Series was launched.
BMW 7 Series E23 (1977 – 1986)
BMW's gradual move upmarket began in the early 1960s, with the 1961 BMW 1500 "Neue Klasse". The name referred to both a new class of BMW and a new social class. After the difficult post-war years, German families have seen their purchasing power increase by an average of 10% each year. And BMW's move upmarket ended in 1977 with the arrival of the 7 Series type E23 .
The original 7 Series precisely represented the fact that BMW was a prestige manufacturer (what today we would call premium), like Mercedes-Benz. Thus, this first iteration wanted to follow in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz with its S-Class.
The overall design of the car is the work of Paul Bracq , author of the Mercedes 600 and the Mercedes SL "Pagode ", among others. It fitted exclusively 6-cylinder in-line engines, the 745i being the absolute top model. To compensate for the absence of a V8, it is equipped with a 6-cylinder in-line turbocharged 3.2-liter developing 286 hp.
Thus, it offered itself the luxury of being more powerful than the Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9 (250 hp) and more efficient with an engine with a displacement practically halved compared to the Mercedes. And in the midst of the oil crisis, even at this level of range, it was a strong argument.
BMW 7 Series E32 (1986 – 1994)
With the next generation of the 7 Series, BMW wanted to establish its position in the luxury segment and in 1986 unveiled the second generation of the BMW 7 Series, the E32 . And things get serious. After the austerity of the 70s, the 80s are full of excess and opulence. This time yes, the 7 Series will have a V12 (there was an E23 V12 prototype, but the oil crises of the 70s did not allow it to see the light of day).
The 7 Series E32 is proof of BMW's success. Until then, there were two German luxury brands: Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Now there was also BMW. With the E32, BMW moved up a gear by daring to offer, like Jaguar or Ferrari, a V12 .
It retained the 6-cylinder inline engines, but the top of the range was the 5.0-liter V12 of 300 hp which is fitted to the BMW 750i and 750iL (long chassis). In addition, it has the best of the technology of the time, such as ABS and especially ASC, one of the first traction control systems , or even the first xenon headlights, from 1991. In terms of design , she would mark it was classic. BMW, until the arrival of Chris Bangle.
BMW 7 Series E38 (1994-2001)
The generation of the BMW 7 Series (E38) of the 1990s is a transition generation. Yet he had his technical innovations. From 1996 it had the first adaptive intelligent gearbox (AGS Automatik Getrieb Systeme) with five speeds and a manual shift function, also known as Steptronic.
It was standard on the 750i/iL models and optional on the 740i. It is the ancestor of the driving modes that we find today on many cars, it is also one of the first models to be equipped with an integrated navigation system, with color screen and data on CD-ROM, from 1996.
It sports a pure, slim and extremely classic design, making it one of the most acclaimed and classic 7 Series. The fact that it's Jason Statham 's car in "The Transporter" and James Bond 's ("Tomorrow Never Dies") also helped it stand out.
BMW 7 Series E65 (2001 – 2008)
With the BMW 7 Series E65 from the turn of the century came the controversy . The 7 Series marked the beginning of the brand's new aesthetic language. Introduced in 2001, it was the brand's first model based on the "Flame Surfacing " language envisioned by then head of design, Chris Bangle . It's an unexpected design language characterized by intricate surfaces that, according to its creator, evoke a flame dancing in the wind.
On board, another revolution has arrived, that of the iDrive . A dial like a mouse to control the entire infotainment system. It has simplified the ergonomics and the use of the many functions offered by this luxury model. Over time, it has proven to be the best system for this task. Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda and many others eventually had their own interpretation of this system until the arrival of today's huge touchscreens.
In 2005, it was redesigned in an attempt to rectify the downward trend in sales, which were not reaching the level expected by the brand. The car's design has been softened a bit: less massive headlights and larger taillights that give the impression of a less prominent tailgate. The range of engines is also expanding, covering a wide spectrum from 218 hp for the 730d to 445 hp for the 760i V12.
BMW 7 Series F01 (2008-2015)
With the fifth generation of the 7 Series , BMW starts from scratch and offers a more conservative design. Although it lacks liveliness and displays balance in its proportions, it is considered a rather solid model.
Technologically, it's still BMW's showcase. It launches a new iDrive system, vehicle alerts in the blind spot, a lane keeping assistant and the reading of road signs (speed limits, in particular).
It revives the four-wheel steering that Honda and Nissan enjoyed in the 1980s, and which Renault brought back with the Laguna Coupé. In the case of the 7 Series, for a car of 5.07 m in the short version and 5.21 m in the long version, this is not a superfluous element.
This generation also marks the beginning of the electrification of the brand's engines. The BMW 750i Active Hybrid has a mild hybridization system with the electric motor integrated into the gearbox. The gasoline engine is the 4.4-liter V8 which, with the help of electricity, delivers a total of 465 hp and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. BMW also announces 2 l/100 km less consumption compared to the 750i without hybridization.
BMW 7 Series G11 (2015-2022)
The sixth generation of the BMW 7 Series (G11) came out with a continuous design compared to the previous 7 Series. The main difference being the front end which opted for horizontality (low grille, elongated headlights), before becoming a frankly controversial and striking design with a huge double kidney grille with the 2019 restyling.
At the technological level, active cruise control arrives with lane maintenance, a prelude to future autonomous driving , connected services and, as a curiosity, a key with screen that allows the car to be entered and exited from the parking space as you go. a remote control.
For mechanics, BMW continues to bet on the 6-cylinder in line, the V8 and the V12, except in certain markets, such as Turkey, where it is available with a 4-cylinder for tax reasons. The sixth generation also launches a plug-in hybrid version . First in the 740th version (4 cylinders and 326 hp in total) and, after restyling, in the 745th version (6 cylinders and 394 hp in total).
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