BMW joins the self-driving battle with the 2023 BMW 7 Series regular and electric cars, and declares its legal responsibility for the accidents of its self-driving car.
Sedans may get old, replaced by crossovers, but one relatively niche segment of sedans will survive: full-size luxury limousines. Mercedes-Benz S-Class or Audi A8. And yes, it will remain the BMW 7 Series. These are the flagship models that are packed with the latest technology of automakers. And although it is still in the prototype stage, I can already say that the new BMW 7 Series will be something to reckon with.
The current generation of the car has been with us for 7 years, and soon we will see an all-new version. BMW offered a preview of the prototypes of the 7 Series, the first with petrol, and the second, the new electric 7 Series car, the new and fierce competitor to the Mercedes EQS. The leading sedans from BMW will carry some advanced technologies, the most important of which is semi-autonomous driving, and the ability to park the car itself, which means that the new 7 Series will drive itself.
And believe it or not, it’s not a car. Rather, it is more like a luxury barge that embraces comfort and ease. And if you can’t afford a human driver, this new car brings you a digital driver. But the BMWs we tested were still cars undergoing a major development process. Let’s dive into the depths of the new BMW 7 Series in its regular and electric versions.
Engine Options for the BMW 7 Series Regular
BMW did not mention the facts, concrete technical specifications or the powertrain, but it confirmed that the BMW 7 Series will come with a wide range of engines, including a six-cylinder engine and a V8 engine designed only for America, both with 48-volt electric systems, and 12-volt hybrid systems, of course. There will be a diesel engine (for the German market, at least). A hybrid version will also be produced.
BMW 7 Series electrified engines
For the BMW 7 Series electric car, the company says it expects to have an EPA-certified 300-mile range, accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than five seconds, and will be offered with an improved dual-motor powertrain with AX xDrive50 technology. . It will have 516 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque, produced by a 200 kW front engine and a 250 kW rear engine, and a 106.3 kWh battery.
BMW 7 Series electric and regular car of the same name
Instead of separating the name of the pioneering petrol sedan from its electric car, as Mercedes-Benz did and changing the name of the electric version of the S-Class and calling it EQS, but it seems that the large BMW electric sedan will be called the BMW i7 Series in the 7 Series, which is somewhat similar to it. Large, and BMW allowed us to tour both versions of the car with an eight-cylinder V8 engine, and touring the electric version of the BMW i7 Series.
The exterior design of the new BMW 7 Series
In terms of styling, the BMW 7 Series concept models were still camouflaged, and it looks like the seventh generation of the 7 Series will continue to take on the traditional sedan look and, in my opinion, take on a worse shape than the car it replaces. It appears that the front end will abandon the circular quadruple halo lamps in favor of lamps with double horizontal strips.
The new lights in the BMW 7 Series remind me of the Genesis design of the headlights and taillights. The kidney grille will appear to be large, and the rear fascia will appear to be very discreet with simple and horizontal lights, while taking the form of a regular sedan.
Interior design of the new BMW 7 Series
Most of the interior is heavily covered and no photos allowed, but I can tell you it will have many of the same crystal controls, as well as the same ultra-wide curved screens and infotainment screens seen in the BMW iX Cross. Sitting in the back seat, I also spotted smaller, smartphone-like screens embedded in the door cards near where the hands are.
The screen controls the sound, climate, and display of other information. This was not present in any of the on-site development prototypes, but production models will be available with a built-in 31-inch, 8K infotainment touchscreen, ultra-wide for rear passengers, folds from the roof, and looks like IMAX car version screens for existing folded DVD players. In the back of her pickup truck.
Flexible platform for the BMW 7 Series
The new 7 Series sedan is based on a wider chassis, increased by 1.9 inches at the front and 0.16 inches at the rear, and is based on larger wheels and wider tires to improve body rigidity and controllability. It also rides on a revised double wishbone front suspension and five-link rear suspension, with a new flex steering gear “to improve acoustics” and new hydraulic mounts for the rear axle to improve ride comfort.
Suspension of the new BMW 7 Series
All 7 Series models get standard two-axle adaptive air suspension with self-levelling and electronically controlled dampers, with positional balancing of the air supply at each wheel helping to maintain an “optimum ride height” even at high speeds. The ride height will drop by 0.4 inches in Sport mode, and the car will drop a lot at speeds over 87 mph.
Optionally, the suspension can be raised by 0.8 inches. While the global steering is a BMW Integral Active Steering, this suspension will be optional on the 740i but will be standard on the 760i xDrive, reducing the car’s turning radius by 2.5 feet.
Additional and optional packages for the BMW 7 Series
The BMW “M Sport Package” normally available on other models is standard for the two combustion cars, but will be optional at no additional cost on the BMW 7 Series i7 electric. That means adding 20- or 21-inch wheels on high-performance or all-season tires, and a flat-bottom steering wheel.
And for those who hate this genre. The optional M Sport Professional package adds M Sport brakes with black or blue calipers, adds a small rear spoiler, and removes the grille feature.
Driving and riding impressions of the BMW 7 Series prototype
Starting off with the prototype of the BMW 7 Series powered by a V8 petrol engine, one of the first things I noticed was that it was driven more tightly. The rear-wheel steering up to four degrees is really nice.
In terms of cornering, the BMW 7 Series handled the curves more than decently, like any good BMW. The front axle with double wishbone maximizes the contact area while the noticeably light steering was fairly precise, and the car was found to be stable in the curves. The brakes on the 19-inch M Sport wheels were suitably aggressive, while the pedal touches felt natural and never jerky.
In Sport mode, the car got more enthusiastic and more lively to drive, had the driver’s seat bolsters fixed to the inside, and held me well. I also found that the German car at 110mph was stable and stable on the highway, and even felt quite stable, also reaching the speeds was simple and easy.
And accompanying BMW engineers offered to take the wheel, and she sat in the back, to show off her craftsmanship. In a short ride of a few minutes, it was enough for me to say that the new 7 Series rides very comfortably, and I feel that the car absorbs all the bumps and waves smoothly.
Driving impressions of the electric BMW i7 Series
After driving a V8 petrol car, I climbed into a BMW i7 electric car. It was a surprise, and I maneuvered it on and off the highway inclines, and the acceleration in the electric 7-Series is like any other luxury electric car – it’s extremely smooth and energized – while still remaining steady, especially in corners.
And I can say, I didn’t feel much different about driving compared to the Mercedes EQS, believe it or not, I spent most of my time behind the wheel of an electric 7 Series, and in fact, I wasn’t really driving, because the e-pilot took off for the first time, and Beamers is The company’s latest technology delivers semi-receptive “self-driving” driving on the highway, and during the highway trip in the BMW i7 Series, the system has already proven to be extremely capable.
Level 2 Autopilot Testing for the Electric BMW i7 Series
The second level of autonomous driving provided extremely stable and reassuring performance while maintaining lane, and the electronic driver drove the car at speeds of up to 112 mph, even in heavy rain at a speed of 112 mph according to American specifications, while cars with German specifications will be able to drive electronics at speeds of up to 130 miles per hour. The automated system was good and reliable, detecting cars in front of the car, while the automated braking was reassuringly consistent but not too rough to surprise.
As a practical system, taking your hands off the steering wheel for too long means the car will prompt you to restart at least one hand. Unlike other similar systems, the BMW approach uses sensors in the steering wheel rim to detect your hand touching the steering wheel, rather than forcing steering wheel shake, which may not be ideal when the vehicle is moving at over 100mph.
At speeds below 85 mph, Level 2 Assisted Driving Plus can be activated, providing non-interference on semi-autonomous highways, similar to Ford’s Super Cruise and Blue Cruise driving systems and Tesla’s Auto Pilot technologies. , but it’s systems you still need to keep your eyes on the road, and the car will make an audible and visual beep if it detects you’re looking away or closing your eyes for too long.
But in terms of actual steering, acceleration and braking, the car was able to do all the work with high efficiency, naturalness and complete independence. And it was making turn signal-activated lane changes, which the Ford system can’t yet make, and which happen with little hesitation. The movement of the BMW i7 Series from one lane to another was very steady and fast, something BMW says has been optimized for the American market, but it was clear that on German streets the car could change lanes more gently.
As soon as it was time to get off the highway as planned with the in-car navigation, the BMW i7 Series prompted me to start moving on the far right via the little lane change icon on the dashboard. She pointed to the right once and the BMW i7 Series automatically started moving one lane at a time before returning to practical level 2 driving as it entered the actual incline. This job was really impressive.
And if the car considers last-minute maneuvering too much or the traffic is too heavy, it will do the sensible thing and slow down.
Restoring the manual driving of the electric BMW i7 Series
Feeling that it would be rude to regain manual control of the BMW i7 Series system on the highway, I decided to enter the fast lane, hit the gas pedal, and the electric BMW was surprised by what I was doing, and seemed to be shocked when I reached the electronically limited top speed of about 134 mph I got to him in a short time, and could not reach the top speed of a typical German car, which is 155 miles.
BMW tried to maintain the speed limit for the not-yet-announced M Performance model. When decelerating to 112 or 85 mph, the car automatically returned to its semi-autonomous driving mode, regulating the sudden impulses of manual driving that I was I do it on the highways more smoothly.
BMW claims responsibility for self-driving accidents in its BMW 7 Series
BMW says that Level 3 autonomous driving at up to 37 mph does not require the driver to pay attention to the steering wheel, but must remain in the driver’s seat, and the company has stated that it will launch German market versions of the 7 Series and i7 with autonomous driving in the future. . The company says it will use what appears to be the most powerful radar in the auto industry, a full-range radar with vertical separation capability, and is compatible with an 8-megapixel windshield camera.
The Bavarian company finally said it would also take legal responsibility in the event of a collision, which Mercedes did earlier this year. The company hasn’t given further details on this, but it’s certainly something to watch out for. Yes, I have no doubts that BMW is able to develop a system that can do this from a technical point of view.
BMW i7 electric self-parking
BMW also wants to complete autonomous driving operations with the automated driver parking the car. Automatic parking systems are nothing new, but in my experience, the process was actually quite whimsical. After a demo of the new BMW i7 Series, I was worried, but the car was more precise in professional parking, reversing, and remote maneuvering, and it looks like BMW is already on its way to something new.
Just take the car to a vertical or parallel parking spot, just turn on the function and the car will be able to detect the parking space. It will ask you to confirm the selection of this position on the central touch screen, and when you confirm your desire to do so, you park, and when you try to adjust the movement using the brakes, the car continues to steer itself.
What’s new with this system is the addition of augmented reality in the real-time camera view that shows you exactly where the car intends to go, which definitely added to my confidence as the i7 maneuvered around several parked cars.
Did you know that the new BMW i7 can also tell when you arrive home, it will move into your driveway, where you are, and even take over and park itself in your garage. Just set the starting point location, and program the route to where you are, while driving manually only once, the car will memorize this entire routine and ask you if you want to do it semi-autonomously every time you reach that starting point.
The vehicle can be controlled via a BMW smartphone app while you are parked outside, just like Hyundai’s SmartPark system, but instead of just moving forward and backward, the vehicle can memorize a distance of up to 200 meters from pre-programmed roads. And when you try to adjust its movement, the car does not cancel the self-driving function automatically.
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