Well, we just came back from the private viewing of the new 7 series in Hong Kong. There was a 745i and a 745Li for previous 7 series owners to check out.
First impressions of the two cars were that they were huge. From the exterior, the 745i looks just as big as our old 740iL, and the 745Li was even longer. The whole car resembles the huge size of the old Mercedes S class. Interior wise, it didn't feel as big as the exterior. I still don't like the rear of the car. It doesn't fit together with the front, which I think is beautiful. The sides look rather boring, and didn't have the lines like the old 7. But then the overall exterior design was very simple and clean.
The interior of the car was very comfortable, much better than the old 7. The seat controls were quite complicated and took some time to get use to. I think the seats were quite well designed and the headrest had little wings on it, to support your head and the rear seat passengers can use them to sleep like on some plane seats. The i-drive system was quite fun to play with as well, but I think it's will be a nightmare to operate when you're driving. There is just too much stuff you have to do to move between the different menus.
The cars in Hong Kong were going to come standard with 19 inch rims for the 745 and are pretty much fully loaded. The only options you could choose were rear comfort seats, rear air conditioning, extra rear passenger cellphone, rear video monitor and also dynamic drive system. The dynamic drive system is the same system in the Mercedes CL in which the suspension levels itself when driving around corners.
At the end of the show, we placed an order for the 745Li to replace our aging 740iL. It's to arrive in April next year.
Thank you for the review, I just sorry that it is going to take you 8 months to get your hands on one!
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Maynard
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"He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself."
-- Thomas Paine, Dissertation on First Principles of Government, December 23, 1791
Its great that you managed to buy a LWB 7 series! Heck, excellent to even see one! Its actually amazing that you can get it by April next year. In fact, its fantastic you can manage to order one in asia at all! Wow!
Our local dealer sez that they're not bringing in any of the new 7s until the LWB version is released in Europe which still has an undisclosed date. Kinda suxx actually.
Well, hope you enjoy your new car! Heck 333bhp and a 6-speed auto tranny would be fantastic for high-speed cruisin'. Penultimate would be a 760iL. Hmmm, anyone know of the specs of it yet? Probably the closest thing to an M7 yet.
I did not attend the private showing but just peeked through the cracks of the poster one day and saw the rear of the blue 7 series sitting inside. Just by looking at the rear side panel (the part that most resembles a Chrysler Cirrus), I second that it's a huge looking car.
Did you attend the BMW motor show out at Admiralty these couple of days? Nothing spectacular, a M3 cabrio and the new Mini Coopers caught my eye. Eason Chan (a famous HK pop singer) and his gfriend were there testing one today too.
Here is the spec for the 745Li sold in Hong Kong. The options included in the cars sold in the US and Europe should be a little different:
specs:
Cylinders/Capacity: 8/4398cc
Maximum output: 333bhp / 6,100rpm
Maximum torque: 450Nm / 3,600rpm
Standard features:
Metallic or non-metallic colour
NASCA leather upholstery
6 speed steptronic automatic transmission with steering wheel thumb control
Servotronic road speed responsive power assisted steering
Self leveling suspension
BMW iDrive
Electronic damper control -- continuous (EDC-C)
Driver and passenger front airbags
Side airbags
ITS head airbags
Rear side airbags with head protection system
Tyre pressure control
BMW Star spoke light alloy wheels 95
front: 9Jx19 wheels with 245/45R 19 tyres
rear: 10Jx19 wheels with 275/40R 19 tyres
Alarm system including ultra sound interior surveillance / tilt alarm sensor
Automatic tail gate operation
Soft-close-automatic for doors
climate comfort windscreen and glazing including green stripe
rain sensor and driving light sensor
Electric glass sliding / vent sunroof
Velour floor mats
Electrically operated roller blind for rear and rear side windows
Electro-chrome internal rear-view mirror and foldable outside mirros
Light or dark high-gloss ash wood trim
Cup holder for front and rear
Electric seats adjustment with memory for driver's seat
Headlamp power wash system
Park distance control front and rear
Xenon headlights (Bi-xenon technology) including dynamic headlight level control
Rear air-conditioning with cooling box and roof air outlets at rear
Automatic air-conditioning
Front GSM car phone with cordless receiver and tele-commander
Radio BMW professional
Stereo radio with amplifier and CD player, RDS-decoder, rear window antenna with diversity and tuner
In dash flush mounted 6 discs CD changer
Hi-fi loungespeaker system
Individual white side indicator lights
Manufacturer's warranty and distributor's free serice package for 12 months / unlimited mileage
Taxable accessories - optional:
Dynamic drive HK$18,000
Active seat ventilation for front and rear HK$16,000
Comfort seat rear, electrically adjustable HK$21,000
Second cordless car phone in rear HK$6,000
Rear TV Monitor HK$23,000
Originally posted by KRM5 Thanks for the info, Terrence
I did not attend the private showing but just peeked through the cracks of the poster one day and saw the rear of the blue 7 series sitting inside. Just by looking at the rear side panel (the part that most resembles a Chrysler Cirrus), I second that it's a huge looking car.
Did you attend the BMW motor show out at Admiralty these couple of days? Nothing spectacular, a M3 cabrio and the new Mini Coopers caught my eye. Eason Chan (a famous HK pop singer) and his gfriend were there testing one today too.
nope.. didn't go to that event.. I was there last year testing the 330ci when they introduced it and I thought that the whole thing they had at tamar was kind of silly.. the road course was just not big enough to really test out the cars.
Anyways, I went back again to the causeway bay showroom yesterday to spec out the car. We're getting a titanium silver with black interior. But I spoke with the sales manager and we're definitely going to trade it up to a 760 when they introduce it. He thinks it'll be release September next year....
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