We Spent a Few Hours Inside a $207,000 BMW i7 and Now Every Other Car Feels Old

BMW recently invited us over for a short presentation of their new electric flagship. We weren't going to just get the keys to it, as there was little time available for a thorough test. This was going to be more of a static experience. But either way, my driver's license was suspended for a month, as I inadvertently ran a red light one late evening due to fatigue and not paying enough attention in traffic. You live and you learn.

I've experienced quite a few different BMW cars over the past 15 years, including the drift spec 3-Series E30, E36, and E46. I've also driven both the sporty E92s: the 335i and the M3. I've been a passenger in several 5 Series, ranging from the E39 up to the more modern F10.

When it comes to the 7 Series, I've only experienced the E65 and the E32 so far, and both are equally impressive if you think about how advanced they must have been back in the day. So I went over to BMW's HQ with Cristian Curmei knowing that the i7 would probably take my breath away.

We arrived early, so we managed to get a quick visual tour of BMW's history while sipping on a cup of hot coffee. Soon enough, Alex, BMW's Communication Manager, was kind enough to walk us through a few interesting details about the i7 before taking us out to the car, where we could see it up close.

Even someone who isn't familiar with BMWs will instantly be able to tell that there's something special about it. But today we aren't going to talk about its looks, drivetrain, or handling. Instead, I'll walk you through some of the onboard tech and gadgets.

As you would expect from a press car, this thing was loaded with almost all the available options and had a price tag of almost $207,000 (tax included). Sure, the starting MSRP in the USA is just $119,300 before tax ($995 destination charge), and that should give you an idea about the price range for the i7. Knowing that all the previous generations of the 7 Series had featured groundbreaking technology for their time, you can only expect the same thing from the i7.

The moment you realize you can use vocal commands to open the doors is the moment you realize that the i7 is to a normal car what a smartphone was to a Nokia 3510i. I still remembered transitioning from that phone to a Samsung Galaxy and, boy, that was quite the leap. With Alex and our camera guy sitting up front, I and Cristian jumped into the rear seats of the i7, and in retrospect, this is how the luxury sedan should be experienced.

It was freezing outside that day, but once I was sat in the individual cashmere-covered seat, I started looking for the heating options. Ignoring the fact that I probably don't have an armchair as comfy as the rear seats in the i7 at home, I couldn't ignore the huge 31.3-inch screen that seemingly appeared out of thin air.

I was awestruck for a second and then I decided to get back to what I was doing. The 5.5-inch touchscreen integrated into the door had my attention, and I turned on the heating and chose a massage program too. You can also operate the blinds, sunroof, and lights, and it doesn't stop there.

Before a short ride around town, my colleague Cristian had experienced the true meaning of comfort, as the front seat adjusted, allowing him to extend and raise his feet like a boss, I might add. Once Alex had decided to showcase the ride quality and my brain and body were back up to working temperature, I was prompted with the idea of choosing a film to watch via the onboard streaming service.

After a few moments of looking at The Grand Tour, a brilliant idea crept into my head. Watching the first scene from 2 Fast 2 Furious with 36 Bowers & Wilkins speakers blasting David Banner's intro song made me realize I'd be able to spend days in the backseat without getting bored at all. The 8K Theater Screen features plenty of adjustment options so that you may find the optimum setting for your viewing pleasure.

Meanwhile, Alex was demonstrating some of the driving features of the i7, which felt almost groundbreaking even compared to some other high-tech cars I've been in before, such as Volvo's XC series. If you're used to driving cars that are 10 years old, the i7 feels like it came straight from the future. And that makes even more sense once you learn that BMW hired Hans Zimmer to provide the "soundtrack" of this luxury vehicle, as he helped create a holistic sound experience for drivers and passengers alike.

The ambient lights will complement the auditory experience and will look different depending on the selected settings. Sure, with no internal combustion engine to make any noises, you'll still get a feeling of speed thanks to the sounds Hans Zimmer designed. Despite the size of this vehicle, a complex system of cameras and sensors provides top-of-the-range visibility and ease of mind with any given maneuver.

Having the Augmented Reality feed on the screen feels like having an extra pair of eyes, but we have yet to test it for a longer period to comprehend its full potential. While the i7 only costs less than half of the Rolls Royce Phantom that we tested, it may feel more attractive to a tech-savvy audience that prefers big screens and smart functions as opposed to the classic way of doing things.

This story is meant to be just an appetizer, and Cristian will soon follow up with more information about the luxurious i7. Even so, I feel like there's more exploring to be done, and once we can spend more time with this vehicle, we'll give you the rundown on any other features that we might have not covered yet. There are certainly a few functions we haven't played with so far, and a more extensive test is bound to reveal just how phenomenal the i7 is.