derBayerische November/December 2024 - 11

T H E 2 0 2 5 B M W i7
■ (Above from Left) Front door panel - note the i4 in the corner of the photo. Go ahead - hop in and drive! Plenty of room in the rear!
E
very car manufacturer uses a " flagship "
vehicle to set the tone for its brand. With the
introduction of the 1986 E32 7 Series, BMW
took the premium luxury-sedan market by storm.
While the competitors focused solely on luxury,
BMW added performance and technology, immediately
making the 750iL the benchmark for that
market segment. It literally was the first luxury
sedan that begged to be driven, not ridden.
And it transformed that market segment from
premium luxury to premium performance luxury.
The exterior design announced that this
sedan was different. Unlike the boxy and bloated
exterior designs that defined its competition, the
E32 exterior proclaimed its presence with a sleek,
athletic, and timeless look. This flagship sedan
was designed for the owner to be behind the
wheel, not in the back seat.
The technology included in the E32 was
astounding. Launched with an ultra-smooth
V-12 and the famous in-line 6, Electronic
Damper Control, V8 engines, double glazing, the
computer aided network electronic protocol.
Xenon headlamps, traction control, and dualzone
climate control were among the technologies
-featured during the E32's product life.
But luxury was not ignored. The leather
upholstery - where the leather was NOT
processed to within an inch of vinyl - was warm
and inviting. The dual reclining rear seats and
retractable window shades made riding in the
November I December 2024
7 Series a special experience. And the factoryinstalled
cellphone (remember those?) showcased
that this vehicle was aimed at the " Type A "
business executive.
The advertising campaign pressed that
point. Two favorites were a print ad with the
headline along the lines of " Among the top
performance vehicles, only one is a sedan " , and
the other " More akin the corporate jet than the
corporate sedan " . Another favorite was a print ad
the market would be chasing BMW.
The E65 7 Series raised the bar for both
flagship sedan design and technology. This
vehicle featured a controversial rear styling and
introduced iDrive - both which were derided by
the " critics " - but quickly mimicked by the
competition.
The G70 7 Series has recaptured the magic
of both the E32 and E65. Infused with Rolls
Royce cross-breeding (again, a tribute to Bernd
Pischetsrieder and Wolfgang Rietzle) this
generation 7 Series has raised the design,
technology, and engineering bar for the flagship
performance luxury market.
The exterior design combines the athleti■
(Above) The unique i7 badging.
when the E38 740i was launched, with the headline,
" It's either this or a used Corolla. Don't be
a peasant " .
With all these features, including a reasonable
MSRP, the E32 7 Series turned the market
segment upside down. Suddenly, the Mercedes
S-class seemed an " old person's car " . Cadillac
and Lincoln were pushed into irrelevance. Lexus
and Infiniti kept their distance.
Best of all, the E32 was the final piece to
shatter BMW's previous market perception of
being a " poor man's Mercedes " . From then on,
cism of the E32 and the presence of the E65 with
the regality of a Rolls Royce. This Royce Roll
influence was quite apparent when a Rolls Royce
Silver Spur parked close to us. And as with our
previous time with the 2024 760i and the
2024 i7, our 2025 i7 was often mistaken for a
Rolls Royce! This must drive the designers from
the competitors, especially Mercedes, mad.
When entering the i7, one is greeted in a
very impressive manner. Multi-faceted strips are
located along the top portions of all door panels
and along the width of the dashboard that light up
and provide a multi-color light show, ending with
all strips lit in white. During the light show, the
instrument panel and the Infotainment display
also provide an equally impressive show as the
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derBayerische November/December 2024

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