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The 2013 BMW 7 Series was presented at an international press launch in St. Petersburg, Russia and InsideLine was one of the first to publish a review about their first drive. The facelifted vehicle is powered by a 4.4-liter TwinPower Turbo V8 has been updated with Valvetronic, BMW’s throttle-less intake system with High-Precision mated to BMW’s 8-speed Steptronic automatic delivering 445 horsepower, 45 hp more than its predecessor, and 480 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 30 lb-ft. Here is an excerpt from the review:
From Russia With Love
At first glance the “new†car looks disappointingly like a mild face-lift, some stretching of skin and tucking of folds transforming the 7 into nothing more than a tweaked version of its old self.
A more detailed look at the nose reveals that the face has undergone the biggest changes. The LED lights are indeed sharper and more dynamic, and you can even specify a system that takes the glare out of driving. Leave the lamps on full beam and the individual bulb unit can swivel to its heart’s content, dipping and turning for oncoming traffic and those ponderously holding you up in front. You’ll never have to reach for the high-beam stalk again. The new lights, of course, retain the signature corona rings as before, so you know it’s a BMW tailgating you on the highway in the dark.
The twin-kidney grille, another iconic marker of the brand remains, but even that has been updated. Before each side had 12 slats, but now there are only nine. And below the grilles the once rectangular air intake gains some larger outer sections, lowering the look of the nose and strengthening the visuals. There’s also a chrome strip along the trunk lid and turn signals integrated into the wing mirrors. The latter used to reside in a metal strip between the front quarter panel and door, but now there’s just a vacant filament of aluminum to remind you of the loss.
Russian Dolls
It’s what’s underneath the skin that really matters, though, and if you peel away the top layer you’ll find the most interesting advances for the 2013 BMW 750i. BMW claims it has never made so many changes underneath the metal of one of its cars during a midlife update.The result is a car that is deceptively quick, accelerating from zero to 62 mph in only 4.8 seconds.
The chassis now benefits from new dampers and bushings, and the standard air suspension now features a self-leveling system across the rear axle. The result is a car that should corner flatter than before, and provide its occupants with a more comfortable ride — though the state of the test route roads didn’t help with matters of true assessment. We can say with certainty, however, that the heavy electric power steering requires more off-center effort than it should. Certainly anyone looking to maneuver their 7 with only two fingers will be sorely disappointed.
