Imagine the best possible way to travel from Munich to London. It's not that complicated. First, a coffee in the Senator Lounge, followed by priority boarding in seat 1A. In less than two hours, you can enjoy the view of the London skyline. It's hard to convince anyone to trade the comfort of flying for hours on an endless motorway, let alone the infamous Eurotunnel. That is, until you step foot in BMW's latest masterpiece.
It's Friday evening and we're picking up a gorgeous new 7 Series in Mineral White from our friends at Rija Bavaria in Nitra to spend the next few days exploring the most anticipated BMW of 2015.
The inventions don’t end with the key, and the idea of “the future of luxury” is visible everywhere. These are two words that perfectly describe the feeling of this machine, which oozes from every little detail. As you enter the car, you are greeted by a carpet of lights that illuminates as soon as you unlock the door by touching the perfectly sculpted door handle, to enter a space that resembles more a Singapore Airlines first class seat than a car. Even the touch of the handle gives you a feeling of exclusivity. Unnecessary, many would say. But once tried, the unnecessary quickly becomes essential in this case.
The first-class atmosphere continues throughout the interior. Soft leather surrounds the cabin and, together with massage seats, turns a thousand-kilometer journey into a hundred-kilometer one. Set your favorite interior lighting color, let one of eight soothing scents waft gently from the air conditioning, and you’ll be pampered at the touch of a button.
The ride comfort is best compared to Rolls Royce limousines. And that is the best compliment you can give to a car of this class in the automotive world. The smoothness and ease with which the new BMW 7 Series floats over the most broken Slovak roads is astonishing.
Add to that a diet of aluminum and carbon fiber structures, and you've got a five-meter car that'll keep up with some of the big names in the sports car league through the corners. We can guarantee there aren't many luxury living rooms that will get you over an Alpine pass faster if you're running from James Bond-style bandits.
BMW calls the new 7 Series "the most advanced car in the world," and it certainly doesn't lie. Constantly looking over your shoulder systems keep an eye on you during those long highway trips, making your job easier than ever. Blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning are now standard in the class. But BMW is adding its incredibly designed adaptive cruise control and the latest version of laser high beams.
The technology is truly impressive. But it's its integration into the overall concept that makes the new BMW 7 so special, so desirable. By carefully putting all the pieces together, BMW has managed to create an intangible aura around the machine that makes it what it is. This new 7 Series has certainly caused some sleepless nights among its German competitors. In Ingolstadt and Stuttgart, they'll have to work long hours to match the size of the new Munich Express.
We are very grateful to the gentlemen and ladies at BMW Rija Bavaria in Nitra who lent us this exceptional vehicle for a few days. If you are in the area, stop by and chat about cars with these lovely people. They will be more than happy to let you experience the uniqueness of the new 7 Series for yourself.
Although trying to uncover all the secrets of this technological masterpiece in one weekend is like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube in ten seconds, we like a challenge.
The visual and tactile experience that brings the twenty-first century as we know it from other industries to the everyday world of motoring begins with the very grip of the key. That is, if such an object can still be called a key. A small postmodern sculpture that will remind you every day that the beginning of a new era of cars is standing in your garage. If that's not enough for you, know that you can also use it to preheat your two tons of luxury, check the tank or even park your car with its help.
We at Alain Delon Journal are true motorsport fans and love to choose Sport mode at any opportunity. In this case, however, we can't help but keep returning to the Comfort+ setting and admire the perfection of the new seven's comfort.But don't be fooled, this car is no lazy ocean liner. Although we always love the good old gasoline eight-cylinder, the three-liter diesel, 265-horsepower inline six-cylinder fits the character of the car perfectly and has all the torque you will ever need in your large sedan. The engine's power is supported by an equally excellent eight-speed gearbox, which recently makes decisions about the right gear based on data from the navigation system.
And let's be honest, laser lights are just cool. Who wouldn't want laser lights on their car?
The new BMW 7 will take care of you in the city too. The pedestrian warning system works flawlessly, and even recognizes pedestrians who are just walking innocently on the sidewalk and those who are about to jump under your wheels. In a crisis situation, it flashes its majestic laser lights to get the attention of teenagers tapping away on their smartphones for a life-saving second. Add in gadgets like the command center gesture control that allows you to set various functions of your car and the super intelligent parking system that uses cameras mounted on the vehicle to form a 3D view of the entire car, and you really do have the most advanced cars in the world.
