Now this is a car that got a superb reveal – and I’m not just talking about the British Motor Show. Oh no, this was something far more special. Sat beneath the tower of St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square there was the biggest hourglass ever created. At 40ft, it was bloody massive. It was filled with silver balls and the new car from BMW.
The new BMW 7 Series was revealed to a truly multinational audience, all who were apparently wowed by this big German saloon. Is this surprising? Well, these days you could argue that Audi is more firmly at the top of the tree, yet I personally think that BMW is making the more interesting cars. The 7 Series is definitely one of them. Why is that? Well let’s just take a little look at the offering:
* A 4.3 litre V8 engine with twin turbo-chargers providing a whopping 407hp and 0-60 in 5 seconds
* Less emissions than any other rival in the same class
* Head-up display projected onto the windscreen that can provide speed restriction warnings by scanning the road ahead
* A side view camera that can operate in conjunction with park-distance control to give the safest parking and manoeuvring available by giving information through the iDrive system
* Complete internet connectivity and wifi access for those aboard
* Night vision with individual person recognition with into-path warning system (so you don’t run over any pedestrians at night)
* A vibrating seat will warn the driver if he strays out of his lane – a great feature if you are on an extended drive with this cruiser
* Small cameras on the wing mirrors warn the driver of any vehicle in the blind spot to avoid accidents
* True four wheel drive can be purchased, allowing the car to manoeuvre the rear wheels by up to 3 degrees, giving more composure at higher speeds
* Music can be uploaded to the iDrive system – which can also play video
So, what’s not to like about the BMW 7 Series? Well, the price is rumoured to be around £60,000 or more. Not only that, but you’ll have to wait until 15th November to get your hands on the wheel. Perhaps the biggest shame of all is that these sorts of cars are excellent and perfectly suited to longer hauls – when in reality they probably won’t be covering much distance at all due to the expense and luxury.
Do I want one though? Oh yes, very much. I would throw my boy racer aspirations out of the window for lovely long cruises to the south of France. If I could afford the petrol that is…
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