BMW 7 Series Sedan 750Li Review: The unexpected one

As a car, the 750Li shows off its compelling combination of magnetic grip, neutral handling and strong roadholding even at mind-numbing three-figure speeds. How is this achieved? BMW’s Integral Active Steering that makes its debut in the new 7 Series. Now, you might be wondering what on earth this “Integral Active Steering” is, no?

Well, it adapts to the momentum of the car and the driver’s input real time, and what it does is at low speeds, the rear wheels will turn against the steering angle of the front wheels, which makes the car easier to drive around town or in tight spaces. Then at high speeds, the rear wheels will turn in the same direction as the front wheels, hence leading to quicker and safer lane-changing and turning manoeuvres.

The interior is a relatively hush place to be in, besides the V8 growl that makes itself heard anywhere past 4,000rpm. Tyre and road noise is well suppressed, but what’s surprising is that past 150km/h, wind noise starts to intrude. Hmm…then again, this was on the autobahn.

Erhard Frank, the BMW man overseeing the 5, 6 and 7 Series’ portfolio says over dinner, “The new 7 Series is breaking new ground. This is a very important car for BMW, hence that is why we made it something bigger and better. And we are very convinced that we have created what will soon be the undisputed leader of the pack.”

I’m sorry to say this, but I beg to differ. The 750Li shouldn’t be considered a “leader of the pack” - it should, instead, be the “starter of a whole new pack”. As from what I can see, this is the beginning of a new genre called the “luxurysports sedan” (and that's no typo error).

Credits: Story & pictures by Azfar Hashim, reporting from Dresden, Germany