Photo: BMW
Even though the new 2016 G11 7 Series is still a couple of weeks away from its first deliveries, the F01 7er is no longer available for configuring on most of BMW’s websites. The BMW USA website and the German one are no longer showing the old version, replacing it completely with the new one.
Ordering books are now open for anyone looking to buy a new 7 Series and the price tag is more than just fair. In the US, for example, the new 7er starts at $81,300 MSRP which is no less than $14,000 under the price tag of the cheapest S-Class you can get.
Admittedly, though, the two entry-level choices are drastically different. The BMW side went with a 740i as the cheapest luxury sedan you can get in this class and that’s a bit behind on performance compared to the S550 from the Mercedes-Benz camp.
The three-pointed star model has a 4.7-liter V8 under the bonnet, good for 449 HP and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque, numbers that are well over the 320 HP and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque of the Bavarian choice. Straight up performance is different too as well as the kit that is included as standard.
On the other hand, people looking just to buy the newest technology, that are not interested in pure performance figures (let’s face it, the number of people looking to drag race these cars, or let alone drive them altogether is a small percentage of the total) might be leaning towards the Bimmer.
In Germany, things are a lot closer, with the difference of money this time going in favor of the S-Class but only by a couple hundred of euros and for entirely different models as European tend to like diesels a whole lot more than petrol alternatives.
That being said, it will be interesting to see how this battle unfolds, a two-way fight for now as the Audi A8 is rather old and will receive a new model shortly as well.
Another interesting thing to look out for will be the way the three German automakers bring out new technologies. The 7-year production cycle is no longer feasible these days as technology advances at a pace that is simply too fast to keep up with.
For example, while BMW did bring out a lot of new tech on their flagship (touchscreens for the infotainment system, 3D cameras for the exterior of the car, gesture control, carbon core and so on) they will soon introduce even more on the upcoming 5 Series, leaving tradition behind. The new tech will also migrate to other models a lot sooner as well, as they also have to keep up with the competition.
The same is expected of Mercedes-Benz and Audi in the meantime, the other two showing similar trends lately, Mercedes being most active, with its extensive facelifts that could easily be mistaken for entirely new models.
Admittedly, though, the two entry-level choices are drastically different. The BMW side went with a 740i as the cheapest luxury sedan you can get in this class and that’s a bit behind on performance compared to the S550 from the Mercedes-Benz camp.
The three-pointed star model has a 4.7-liter V8 under the bonnet, good for 449 HP and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque, numbers that are well over the 320 HP and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque of the Bavarian choice. Straight up performance is different too as well as the kit that is included as standard.
On the other hand, people looking just to buy the newest technology, that are not interested in pure performance figures (let’s face it, the number of people looking to drag race these cars, or let alone drive them altogether is a small percentage of the total) might be leaning towards the Bimmer.
In Germany, things are a lot closer, with the difference of money this time going in favor of the S-Class but only by a couple hundred of euros and for entirely different models as European tend to like diesels a whole lot more than petrol alternatives.
That being said, it will be interesting to see how this battle unfolds, a two-way fight for now as the Audi A8 is rather old and will receive a new model shortly as well.
Another interesting thing to look out for will be the way the three German automakers bring out new technologies. The 7-year production cycle is no longer feasible these days as technology advances at a pace that is simply too fast to keep up with.
For example, while BMW did bring out a lot of new tech on their flagship (touchscreens for the infotainment system, 3D cameras for the exterior of the car, gesture control, carbon core and so on) they will soon introduce even more on the upcoming 5 Series, leaving tradition behind. The new tech will also migrate to other models a lot sooner as well, as they also have to keep up with the competition.
The same is expected of Mercedes-Benz and Audi in the meantime, the other two showing similar trends lately, Mercedes being most active, with its extensive facelifts that could easily be mistaken for entirely new models.
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