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Whoever said winning isn’t everything is a liar. It is everything, especially when the grand prize is the use of a BMW 7-series for two months. The 760Li is the big daddy of the BMW lineup. It just doesn’t get any more luxurious than this. Base price for the extended-length sedan starts at $123,375, and ours had just about every option for $135,655. BMW’s warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles, with free factory-recommended maintenance for the warranty period, which also includes normal wear-and-tear items.
First Glance: And the grand prize is...
For the press introduction of the new 5-Series, BMW put together a rally in which we drove from Las Vegas to Death Valley to Yosemite to Monterey Bay over a three-day period to experience the amazing ride-and-handling characteristics of that impressive sedan. We had a great time on the time/distance rally, and enjoyed it even more after our all-girl team beat the rest of the guys for first place. The prize? A month in the BMW of our choice. After much deliberation, my husband and I selected the 760Li, since we wanted a comfortable cruiser of the sort we’ve come to appreciate in our rapidly advancing years. We took the sedan first for a short spin to our back-up house in Manteno, Illinois, about an hour south of Chicago, a scant 2,000 miles away from our home in Los Angeles.
The first thing we noticed is the 7-Series isn’t a car you just jump into and take off. The first 1,000 miles were spent driving and reading the owner’s manual. Each column stalk has at least four functions, the iDrive system operates eight different areas, the seats have a 20-way power feature, and the navigation system computer is equal in complexity to the one at Cape Canaveral. It’s all good once you get it dialed, but the learning curve might take a little longer for those who aren’t as techno savvy as others.
In the Driver's Seat: You want it, you got it
In the automotive kingdom, you’d have to search hard to find a car with more luxury features. The Li is the longer-wheelbase version of the 7-series, which means about 6 inches more second-row legroom, along with carpeted footrests that befits the limo-like feel. Stunning wood trim, supple leather seats, expansive thigh support, privacy/sun shades for the rear windows, satellite radio, Bluetooth phone connectivity, Alcantera headliner; I think you get the idea.
With many cars, you might say, “I wish it had….” With the BMW 760Li, it does. Want to keep the drinks and caviar cool? An available compact fridge (link goes to photo) hides between the rear seats. Looking for relief? Heated and cooled seats provide comfort regardless of the season. How about a trunk that opens and closes with the push of a button? Check. My favorite feature is the phone keypad that pops from the dash to use when dialing so you don’t have to fumble with your cell. Plus when Bluetooth is linked, it automatically downloads your phone’s address book. I also appreciated keeping the key in my pocket and locking/unlocking and starting the car without it. The center storage area was spacious, and the padded armrest provided ample space for two different forearms.
On the Road: Drives like a 3-series
The BMW 7-Series is a popular car here in Los Angeles, but the V12 badge on the side makes even other 7-Series owners turn their heads. This smooth engine provides all the horsepower (438) and torque (444 lb-ft) you could ever need. It’s responsive, surprisingly so considering the car's curb weight is close to 5,000 lbs. I don’t know which is more impressive, the handling prowess that makes the big 7 feel like an agile 3-Series, the incredible stopping power with Brake Fade Compensation, Brake Standby, and Brake Drying, or the perfectly weighted steering feel.
The ZF 6-speed auto transmission can be left in Drive or put in Sport mode as well as a manual shift mode; they all work well and provide quick shifts. The electronic damping system with self-leveling air springs made it easy to fully load the cargo area and still get a level ride. Our initial trip to Chicago netted us fuel economy numbers of 21.5 mpg, close to the 22 mpg EPA highway numbers, which surprised even us, since we averaged about 76 mph the entire 2-day trip. Chicago wasn’t far enough, so we drove to Columbus, Ohio, for the Goodguys show, then back to Manteno, then to Iowa, back to Illinois, then Wisconsin, then back to Illinois, then to Detroit and back, and finally back to Los Angeles.
Journey's End: One more time
Upon returning home, we had amassed 8,500 miles of lap-of-luxury decadence. But the thought of returning the car made us sick, so a call to BMW rewarded us with the 7 for another 30 days, upon which we immediately drove to Las Vegas and back the same day, about 600 miles total. We wouldn’t have done that in any other ride. Our goal was 10,000 miles, which we made. The trip computer shows that the total miles equaled over a week of continuous seat time. If I have something to complain about, it's that the navigation system isn’t the most current, and after using the one in the 5-Series, I know the 2008 model will probably get the newer version.
While at the Goodguys show, the 760Li got as much reaction from the crowd as some of the custom hot rods from top builders. We gave tours of the Bimmer to Troy Trepanier, Bobby Alloway, Art Morrison, and the Ring Brothers, all of who have built award-winning street machines. They were unanimous in their appreciation of this production vehicle. And not one of them said they could build something like it for the price. In fact, some of them were checking it out for ideas they could use on future products. When I hit the jackpot, the 760Li will be my first purchase.-- BJ Killeen
