Road yacht

What we like:

Mechanically identical to the excellent M Sport we tested before and loaded with yet more options

What we dislike:

Pricey options on top of a four-room flat tag

Now the most important thing you should know is that all cars in Singapore come with the same general options. The difference is all superficial when it comes to M Sport versus Design Pure Excellence, much like how Batman and Superman are both true heroes underneath but look different on the outside.

Since I’ve compared the external differences twice now (check out the extensive review previously if you haven’t already), there are just a few things I want to point out that are most noteworthy.

The first is Sky Lounge which I didn’t have the pleasure of experiencing on the M Sport. Understand also that the car I first tested was an early specced model in which the local dealer was playing with their options list so a few things were missing. In Sky Lounge you get an LED-illuminated panoramic sunroof which creates an ambience like few other cars do. Rolls-Royce has a star studded headliner option which gives you the illusion of a starry night inside the car; BMW has gone with a myriad of colours that still allow you to see the real stars. It is a visual treat that you’d really appreciate with this kind of car because like I mentioned before, it’s one of few cars that I want to be driven in rather than drive around in every now and then.

Massage seats were also missing previously, and having tried it I can tell you it’s no OSIM chair but it’ll certainly stimulate your body in novel ways if you’re unaccustomed to being kneaded as you drive. This, thankfully, is standard here.

There’s also a tablet to play with in the rear – dubbed BMW Touch Command you can have a tablet (still optional) that controls various things like lighting and seating position which ultimately is not relevant if you’re a top level exec or businessman that drives alone most of the time. Chauffer is not a BMW option, but if you’re going that route then definitely spec Touch Command.

Otherwise everything else is pretty much the same as in the M Sport except for Dakota leather (standard) rather than Nappa which is a tad better wearing but slightly harder and rougher to the touch. Not a huge deal breaker but for outright luxury there’s no getting away from the Nappa as in here too. Oh there’s an alcantara headliner too, if you like carpeted ceilings.

Drive wise there’s really no difference because unlike its lesser siblings the 7 Series has no M Sport suspension at this time. Wait for the M Performance variant and we’ll see but for now there’s nothing that we haven’t already seen which is still excellent for a car that measures as long as a lorry yet handles better than the lesser 5 Series.

In all then, this is a stunning reminder of just how good the latest flagship BMW is, and why we crowned it king last year. Here’s to the M760i and the soon-arriving 750Li.

Credits: Story by Alvan Sio; Photos from BMW Asia