The new generation of BMW 7 Series/i7 has been released earlier, this BMW's latest flagship model is full of controversy in terms of design, but whether the design looks good or not is an absolutely subjective issue, and it is also a question that cannot be concluded through discussion, but it is undeniable that each generation of 7 Series represents the top engineering and design of BMW at that time.
Compared with the familiar Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the 7 Series is actually a late-started car series, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was first launched in 1954, and the first generation of the 7 Series was much later in 1977. We will press the rewind button, starting with the first generation of the 7 Series, and review how this legendary car series became a world-renowned flagship sedan.
First generation (E23) 1977~1986
The first generation of the 7 series was born in 1977, as a tentative model, there is not much out of the ordinary in the design, the design of the "shark head" is very similar to the E12 5 series that came out in 1972, it looks more like an elongated 5 series, of course, its own size is much smaller than the current luxury car. But in this design at the time seemed very advanced, most of the luxury cars of the same period took the mature and elegant route, this radical design style made the 7 Series appear unique, while the headlights of different sizes also increased the recognition.
But the emergence of this generation of 7 series, for the first time put forward the concept of "Sport luxury Sedan", compared to the contemporary luxury cars, the first generation of 7 series more emphasis on performance and driving pleasure, but also added a lot of new technology, this generation of 7 series in the 1980s after the two versions of the most eye-catching, respectively, equipped with 3.5L L6 naturally aspirated engine, the maximum power of 218 horsepower 735i, and added to the leading technology of the turbocharged 745i, The maximum power reached 252 horsepower, which was remarkable at the time.
BMW laid the future development route when launching the first generation of models, and the first generation of the 7 Series that focused on performance was well received by blockbusters after its listing, and it could better meet the needs of the young upstarts at that time, making a good start for the 7 Series. At the same time, in order to compete with other luxury models, ABS, heated power seats, and power mirror adjustment were added, which were very advanced at the time.
Second generation (E32) 1986~1994
The second generation of the 7 series has the classic design that domestic fans are most familiar with, and I believe that the image of BMW in the minds of the Chinese people is from the beginning of the models of this era. This generation of 7 series front face still uses the classic double round lamp plus double kidney design grille, but the double kidney intake grille is flatter, and the round lights on both sides have become the same size.
Due to the transition period of the design style of the 80s and 90s, the 7 Series added more arcs to the corner design while maintaining the rigid straight line as the base, and the slender body still has a smart look. Thanks to the improvement of the level of luminaire technology, the taillights of this generation use a larger area of luminous area, and the lighting effect is also better.
In addition to the design changes, the intention of this generation of 7 Series to use the Mercedes-Benz S-Class as an imaginary enemy is also more obvious, in addition to the standard wheelbase model, a long-wheelbase Li version that pays more attention to the rear row has been added. And almost all the configurations that could be thought of at that time were stuffed into this generation of 7 series, in addition to some basic electric equipment, such as multi-disc CDs, car phones, which were quite fashionable at that time, were equipped, maintaining the positioning of the first model.
This generation of 7 series still continues the concept of sports luxury cars, in addition to retaining the old L6 engine, in 1987, the V12 750i/iL was first introduced, this V12 naturally aspirated engine with an exhaust capacity of 5.0L, the maximum power reached 300 horses, surpassing the strongest S class at that time, the S class codenamed W126 only provided 5.6L V8 560SEL, and it was replaced by W140 to officially join the V12 engine. In addition to the V12, the experimental V16 model was introduced, which of course is another story.
However, although this generation of 7 series has excellent performance, compared with the W126 S class that was full of aura at that time, this generation of 7 series is more like a young playboy, and it has never been able to reach the height of the Mercedes-Benz S class in positioning, and has always been considered a "low half". And this generation in the domestic ownership is also quite a lot, from the entry-level 6-cylinder model to the top 750i can be seen, but also the Chinese people for the 7 series of enlightenment.
Third generation (E38) 1994~2001
I believe that the third generation of the 7 series is the most classic generation in the hearts of many fans, this generation of 7 series was born in the brilliant 90s, just in the old era and the new era of the alternation, which is also well reflected in the design of E38. The E38 retains the body proportions of the E32, but the overall will be flatter, and the side view will even be confused with the E32.
The front face design abandons the black baseplate, the double kidney grille extends down through the hood, and the headlights adopt an integrated plunge design, and the entire front face looks flat, which has become a popular design element. The taillight design continues the style of the past, but the size is reduced to make it look more dignified.
The E38 further enhanced the level of luxury, and although the interior still adopted a layout that favored the driver's side, it used a lot of leather and solid wood, which was in line with the S-class at the time. Due to the entry into the electronic age, this generation of models also has more electrified configurations, such as GPS navigation and rear entertainment systems also appeared on the 7 Series for the first time.
This generation of models can be said to be a generation of Chinese people who really understand the 7 series, in addition to the occasional can see its figure on the street, it also appears frequently in some film and television works, I believe that everyone must remember the 007 750i using mobile phone remote control. The E38's 750i displacement has been increased to 5.4L, the maximum power has been increased to 326 horses, and zero hundred acceleration can be completed in 6.8s.
The reason why this generation of 7 series is the most classic generation, in addition to its consistent athletic performance, it is also a generation that is truly equal to S-class, and the two compete with each other while the style is completely different, fully reflecting the blossoming of all walks of life in the 90s.
Fourth generation (E65/E66) 2001~2008
The fourth generation of the code-nameD E65/E66 in 2001 succeeded the E38 as BMW's latest flagship, everyone may be "controversial" for the first word associated with this generation of 7 series, in the era of Chris Bangle palm design, BMW's shape design entered the stage of self-release, because of its unique tail design, and even by fans jokingly called "Bangor-style ass". But if I had to use one word to describe this generation of 7 series, it would be "ahead of its time."
The biggest reason why this generation of 7 series is controversial is that Bangor abandoned the traditional elegant design of the E38 and added a lot of bold elements. The body is no longer the flat and slender proportions of the E38, but has become thick and muscular. And the double kidney intake grille is further enlarged, the headlights use a special tear eye design, the most special is the clever use of the internal light group design, in the tradition of retaining the BMW double round lamp, but also have a modern fashion atmosphere, this "angel eye" has also become the brand identity of BMW in the future.
Speaking of the most controversial parking space part, this generation of the 7 Series adopts a rather bold layered design, the side waist line has a completely different line from the tailgate, and the taillight group is also independent of the tailgate, which is the most famous "Bangor-style butt". Applying such a design to a first-class model was so amazing at the time that it had to add more light groups to the tailgate during the mid-term redesign to make it look more dignified.
In addition to the design of the advanced, in the mechanical also added a lot of "black technology", such as the complex intake and exhaust technology of double VANOS, VALVETRONIC, the use of wire control technology shift mechanism and epoch-making human-computer interaction system iDrive, the latter two settings by Mercedes-Benz directly "borrowed", in the W221 S class launched electronic gear and Comda, Audi also launched MMI on A8, showing its far-reaching influence.
"Ahead" is the best synonym for this generation of 7 series, whether it is design or technology, it directly affects the development of the follow-up automotive industry, and even many technologies are still used today, and it is also the best generation of sales performance at home and abroad. The powertrain also played a role in carrying on the upper and lower levels, and the 735 and 745 that were launched in the early days were equipped with V8 engines, and the V12 models were still available. After the mid-term redesign, the turbo 740 was launched, and the entry-level 730 model was launched for the domestic market. The design deviation did not make this generation of 7 series lose its color, but because of the advanced concept, it affected the development of subsequent models.
Fifth generation (F01) 2008-2015
The fifth generation can be said to be a model that has officially entered a new era, abandoning the E code of the old era and officially entering the F generation. Obviously, at that time, BMW wanted the 7 Series to be on an equal footing with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, completely taking luxury as the biggest starting point, and the appearance was heavier than that of the previous generation, and the design style of Bangor was faded to the greatest extent, and it became a more traditional luxury car image, but retained the classic angel eye design.
The details are also full of homages to the old BMW, the large area of lamps makes the appearance look elegant and luxurious, the larger area of the double kidney grille is mixed, supporters believe that the momentum of the 7 series has increased, and opponents believe that such a design is too bloated and does not conform to the positioning of the 7 series past sports luxury cars.
In terms of luxury, this generation of 7 series can finally compete with the S-class at that time, born from the interior style of the E era, after maintaining enough wood materials and leather wrapping, more intelligent configurations have been added, electronic gears have also returned to the traditional position, the most advanced electronic configuration at that time has also been added to the 7 series, in this period like navigation, DVD audio and video entertainment system is not unusual, like night vision system, HUD These are high-tech functions at the time, but also appeared on this generation of 7 series.
Although the overall more luxurious, but the bones still retain the gene of sports, after full turbo, the old era of large-displacement machines were replaced by turbocharging, the main power in overseas markets is the N54B30 3.0T L6 on the 740i/Li, the maximum power is still more than the E32 era V12 model. The domestic market has added a more entry-level 3.0L self-priming version, which further reduces the threshold of the model. The strongest model, the 760Li, was equipped with a V12 turbocharged engine for the first time, with a maximum power of 544 horses, but no real M version was ever introduced.
The fifth-generation model was inseparable from the S-class at that time in the early stage of listing, although it lacked some of the past performance flavor, but the BMW in this period was more in line with the consumer's understanding of luxury at that time, and there were not too many out-of-the-ordinary design elements, which seemed quite "orthodox". But also because of the loss of some of BMW's characteristics, this generation of the 7 Series appears relatively mediocre, but also foreshadowing the next generation of model style changes.
Sixth generation (G11) 2015-2022
Entering the G generation, the BMW 7 Series completely abandoned the idea of being more luxurious than the S-class, and became more fashionable and technological. The appearance returns to the flat feeling of the E38 generation, the overall appearance is quite slender and capable, without the bloatedness of the F01 period, it looks more sporty, and many classic designs have also returned. The grille size of the mid-term redesign model has been further increased, and the appearance is more fierce, but some people think that this design is too strong and loses the elegance of the early model.
The sense of technology is more presented in the interior, and the center console adds more scientific and technological elements while retaining the traditional charm, in addition to the improvement of the function of the car machine, it also adds the rear tablet computer and the same smart key as the i8. As for those luxurious configurations, there is naturally a lot, and the rich personalized options also increase the uniqueness of the vehicle.
In terms of performance, this generation of 7 Series is fully turbocharged, and the 2.0T engine plays the entry-level power, which is also the most controversial point of this generation. But sales are honest, and after effectively lowering the threshold, they have opened up a broader user base. After returning to the design of youth and sports, the change in style allowed the 7 Series to find its own path, not to compete with the S-class in terms of luxury as in the past, but to interpret the understanding of luxury in different ways.
Summary: Maybe the new 7 series is tomorrow's classic
Throughout the development history of the entire 7 Series, it is actually more like a portrayal of the design trend of luxury cars in different eras, except for the first generation, each generation has BMW's own innovation and understanding. To a certain extent, the new 7 series has a similar situation with the fourth generation of E65/E66 models, and is also in the transition period of the times, the fourth generation model is in the transition period of intelligent electronics and traditional machinery, while the new 7 series is in the alternating period of traditional energy and new energy. However, it is precisely the fourth generation of models that are the most out-of-line, which has been successful in sales and once affected the development of subsequent models, while the fifth-generation models homogenized with competitors have fallen into mediocre evaluations, and even in the subsequent competition with W222.
Just like before the first generation of models proposed "Sport luxury Sedan", everyone did not think that a large and bulky luxury car can also have the excellent performance of a sports car, so that drivers can enjoy the luxury riding experience and high-end configuration at the same time, do not have to give up their driving experience. "The change in style of the new generation of 7 Series/i7 and whether it is a new wind direction in the future seems to be too early to say, but the new generation of models still adheres to the concept of innovation of each generation of models and does not continue to repeat itself." The new generation of 7 series/i7 in the context of the change of times is destined not to be an ordinary generation.