A fresh range of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines are now available. The biggest change comes in the form of rear-wheel steering.
It will be shown to the public at the Paris auto show in September.
Pricing hasn't yet been finalised but the officials at BMW are hinting at a higher price than before.
The 2009 BMW 7 series also becomes the first car ever to offer full on-demand internet access. The new system has taken years to be fine-tuned and will be operated using the heavily revised iDrive.
It is 1.3 inches longer and 0.5 inches lower than its predecessor though its width remains the same. On the other hand, the wheelbase has been increased by a pretty considerable 3.3 inches. The front and rear tracks are wider by 1.5 inches and 2.2 inches respectively.
Body is 77 pounds heavier than before and uses aluminium extensively while and is claimed to be stiffer than before thanks to the use of high strength steel in the inner structure.
On the inside, the main noticeable change is the return of the gear lever on the console.
In-car entertainment is high on the agenda with hard-drive music storage, multichannel audio amplification, and auxiliary audio input and iPod/USB ports, along with the usual six-disc CD/DVD-A changer. The new 7 series also serves up the comfort to go with it, offering the option of four-zone climate control, seats with both ventilation and massage functions, and a newly developed glass roof panel.
Other key developments include active cruise control with a new stop-and-go capability, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, head-up display, night vision with pedestrian detection, along with sideview and reversing cameras.
The 740i gets a 3.0 inline six, twin-turbocharged to give a healthy output of 326 hp. The 750i gets the same twin-turbo 4.4 V8 used in the X6 and produces an output of 407 hp and 600 Nm of torque (
) and gives the 7 series the ability to reach 100 in just 5.2 seconds.O K, enough of the boring stuff! Some pics, enjoy:
Twin-turbo V8
Yes, that's Google
