BMW invited us to Germany to see some things about its future that we can’t talk about yet. But to get around, he allowed us to drive at will some of his most outstanding ultimate machines” electric machines available on the market.
One of them is the i7 in its xDrive60 version. This model, as many already know, is the 100% electric version of the new generation of the series 7, put up for sale in Mexico at the beginning of this year. And the xDrive 60 version is for now the most powerful in the range, until the very powerful i7 M70 enters dealerships with its 670 Hp.
We were able to drive the i7 all the way back from the city of Sokolov in the western Czech Republic to Munich, with 290 kilometers covered by back roads and the great German highways, which in many sections presented us with no speed limits. .
And after 20 years in this business, I can assure you that there is no better test than being able to drive a high-powered electric car on a speed-free highway. There is nothing better.
BMW i7, the product outside
The i7 is basically a Series 7 but with a huge battery installed in the floor. And after its beginnings in electrification with specially designed vehicles such as the i3 and i8, the brand decided that its new electric models were the same as its combustion models, except for aesthetic details.
Thus, the i7 is a sedan that has the gigantic proportions of the 7 Series, at 5.39 meters long, 1.95 meters wide and 3.21 meters between the axles, all wrapped up in a design that makes it look even bigger.
Surprisingly, the car’s aerodynamics are so well worked out that despite its 2.6-square-meter front area, it is capable of delivering a drag coefficient of just 0.24.
Aesthetically, the i7 has everything we already saw in the 7 Series, like its new optical groups divided into four, if high, low, position, daytime and fog lights are considered. It is worth saying that our unit included an optional decoration with Swarovski crystals that allows a very special play of light. At the rear, the fine light groups stand out, a very vertical roof drop and a fairly minimalist aesthetic.
It is a super luxury car aesthetic, with a prominent front end and quite classic lines, mixed with modern elements such as the handles hidden inside the body, which also hide a button that allows the door to be opened or closed automatically. . In order for this system to operate without the risk of bumping the door into something, there are a series of low proximity sensors.
BMW i7, the fabulous interior
It is worth saying that the 7 Series has always had a spacious cabinbut with its new dimensions, today it has what could be the best rear seats on the market.
One of the eccentricities taken from the previous generation is the seat called executive loungeand as its name indicates, it is a rear seat that allows the passenger to stretch their legs and remain seated in a good executive class airplane seat, by moving the front passenger seat forward and lowering it, and moving the base of the seat back to recline the backrest.
If the final position is magnificent, not to mention when it is complemented with the so-called theater screen a huge 31-inch screen with 8K resolution hanging from the ceiling, which allows you to enjoy traveling while watching a movie, a football match, YouTube content or a teleconference. And also, with all the blinds closed to generate a darkened cabin.
All this is managed from a 5.5-inch touch screen installed in the rear doors. This and much more, such as the dozen massage options for the seat, the opening and closing of blinds (side, rear and roof), ambient lighting, music and, of course, the connection to the telephone.
Again, after 20 years in this test car business, I have never ridden in a better rear seat than this i7.
Ahead, the cabin of the electric 7 Series offers us large and comfortable seats, and up to 4 screens for complete digital immersion. There’s the 12.3-inch digital scoreboard and the 14.9-inch infotainment one, tied together within a big common framework called BMW Curved Display and managed by OS8 operating system. There is the 10” head-up display in full color and with an impeccable resolution, and optionally there is an exclusive screen for the co-driver. And a light line called the BMW Interaction Bar crossed on the dashboard also makes its debut, through which the car sends signals to the occupants through blinking or emitting lights.
BMW i7, mechanics and handling
This version called xDrive60 It uses a double electric motor scheme, one for each axis, offering four-wheel drive.
The system delivers 544 hp of power and 546 lb-ft of torque, as in all electric cars available from the moment the accelerator is touched. Both are powered by a huge lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 101.7 kWh, which according to the brand offers a 100% electric range of up to 625 kilometers.
Normally they are ideal autonomies focused on urban management. We did the 290 km essentially on the road from Sokolov to Munich, and we came really fast. Even so, we delivered the car with about 200 km of autonomy remaining.
In other words, we can say that this i7 offers at least 500 km of highway range, and that is exceptional.
Being a one-day contact, we do not take care of recharging it, but just so you know, the i7 offers fast charging of up to 195 kWh in direct current and 11 kW in alternating current.
When you get behind the wheel of the i7, the first thing that hits you is the power door system. No, it’s not the button on the key that unlocks the latches like in many cars. In this case, it is the door itself that opens completely and allows you to enter without even putting your hands in your pocket.
The driving position is princely, with a highly padded seat and electric adjustments for every inch of the body. It is so comfortable that it makes you sleepy as soon as you get in the car. You press a button or the brake pedal, we put the D and we can go.
The first thing to say is that this 5.4 meter long battleship moves like a FIAT 500. Perhaps I exaggerate the note, but it does not feel heavy or disproportionate. It’s big, of course, and it takes getting used to its dimensions to not scratch it here and there, but the i7 is gratifyingly easy to handle. True, they were almost pure roads and we didn’t set foot in any historic center, but at least it’s a good initial feeling.
It is worth saying that not only is he silent in his movements, but everything he does, he does smoothly. The steering is well assisted and is quite soft in movement, but it does not feel uncoupled from the wheels and, on the contrary, it is very direct, quick to react, and is capable of giving a lot of touch to the hands. This makes twisting on the i7 a predetermined thing.
The movements of the car are also smooth thanks to some suspensions taken from the Rolls-Royce workshop, with a hyper soft touch that omits all the roughness of any type of asphalt (even with its 21-inch tires), and which is what is expected of a very high-end sedan.
However, if there is one thing BMW knows how to do, it is mixed suspensions, capable of numbing the senses on the one hand, and of supporting significant inertia loads without breaking down on the other.
Because in curves and at high speed, the i7 behaves like a real BMW, and this is surprising because they are almost three tons of mass that move laterally. Questions of physics they say, that force us to lift our foot off the pedal a little. But despite this, the i7 is capable of maintaining high levels of poise that are unbecoming of such a saloon. Impressive, really.
The acceleration capacity of this xDrive60, with 544 hp of power and 546 lb-ft of torque available from the touch of the accelerator, is so impressive and brutal that it actually ends up scaring you. It happened to me on the Autobahn driving at 180 km/h, and with the option of overtaking someone who was coming a little slower in front of me.
I stepped on the pedal with little finesse and the blow that hit me was so forceful that I lifted my foot out of survival instinct when the speedometer had exceeded 205 km/h in just a few seconds. Electromobility has these things. Much heavier cars accelerate like feathers, although you know how fast you go, how fast you have to brake, and the BMW i7 is a master at this.
All electric cars have an energy retention and recovery system, something that is also available in the i7. Normally they offer you three levels of retention, but this model is factory set at a high load level, which I thought was well achieved since it does not interfere with the feel of the pedal, which is also typical in this type of car. Thus we have a good level of recharging in the urban cycle, but great braking capacity when needed.
There is a selectable sport mode and the whole package becomes more sensitive and reactive (engine, suspension and steering), and a synthetic sound is born from the audio in tune with this function. There is a Boost mode that can be operated from a paddle on the steering wheel that gives 10 seconds of fun, but be careful: I already told you what happens when you press the accelerator too much.
Conclusion
The BMW i7 is the closest thing to the car of the future that I have had to drive so far. From the future because it offers dreamlike comfort, brutal sportsmanship and emission-free driving, inside a machine packed with technology and active safety systems.
300 kilometers will not be enough to enjoy this ship designed to deliver pleasure. But they will not be enough to sit in the right rear seat, or rather lie down. The i7 xDrive60 is a model to be enjoyed behind the wheel or as a passenger.
I’m not going to tell you what my speed record was with this car, but I can really tell you that it is so comfortable and safe to drive that at very high speeds it gives the feeling that you are much slower.
