Editor-In-Chief Angus MacKenzie cruises the German autobahn in BMWs new 7 Series
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:00 Hi, I'm Angus McKenzie, editor-in-chief of Motor Trend, and we're here in Dresden, Germany,
00:10 to drive the brand new BMW 750 Li.
00:14 This is the fifth generation of BMW's 7 Series, and the most technologically advanced yet.
00:20 Under the hood is a 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8 with 400 horsepower and 450 foot-pounds of
00:27 torque.
00:28 This car promises plenty, but does it deliver?
00:32 Let's take it out on the road and find out.
00:45 This is what this car was designed for in Germany.
00:48 We're cruising at 120 miles an hour on the autobahn, and it is absolutely effortless.
00:54 The twin-turbo V8 generates a mountain of torque, and the transmission just surfs that
01:00 torque.
01:01 It's deceptively fast, this car.
01:04 You're barely aware of the engine turning at all.
01:06 At 150 miles an hour, it's doing about 4,500 RPM, and it gets there with surprisingly little
01:13 effort on the gas pedal.
01:16 The high-speed stability is terrific, as you'd expect in a car that's been designed for roads
01:22 like this.
01:24 It's really a shame to think that most people in the United States will never, ever get
01:29 to anywhere near a fraction of this car's potential as a long-distance cruiser.
01:34 This is almost like a ground-based jet.
01:36 You can cross a continent at 120, 130 miles an hour, and arrive at your destination really
01:43 refreshed and ready for a chilled martini on the terrace.
01:46 One of the things I love about BMWs is how you can adjust the car to suit your driving
02:03 needs.
02:04 Get off the autobahn, flick a few buttons, and your intercontinental cruise missile becomes
02:11 almost like a large-size sports sedan.
02:15 So we switch over into manual mode, select sport on the suspension controls, drop down
02:23 a gear, and go for it.
02:28 It's really surprising how this car shrinks around you.
02:33 It drives a lot smaller than it is.
02:39 Well you have to ask yourself whether BMW is backing away from its uncompromising styling
02:44 and design with this car.
02:46 This is a much less confronting 7 Series than the car it replaces, but it's still very much
02:51 a BMW.
02:52 It's extremely fast and comfortable on the autobahn, relaxing even at 140, 150 miles
02:58 an hour.
02:59 It's also great fun on the blacktop, with the suspension set in sport mode and the transmission
03:04 in manual.
03:06 It's nice to schmooze around town too, in the luxurious cabin.
03:10 It very much is an improvement on the old 7 Series.
03:14 But is it enough of an improvement to finally topple its long-time nemesis, the Mercedes-Benz
03:19 S-Class?
03:20 Stay tuned for a clash of the titans when the new 7 goes on sale this year.
03:25 (upbeat music)