Background
Introduced as the company’s flagship luxury model in 1977, BMW’s 7 Series was from the outset designed to take the fight to its toughest Teutonic competitor, Mercedes, whose genre defining ‘S’ class had officially been doing battle with Jaguar, et al, since 1972.
And so began an arms race between the 7 series and the ‘S’ class that continues to this day.
Whenever the Meister Ingenieurs of Sindelfingen added three bells and four whistles to the latest ‘S’ class, the Meister Technikers of Dingolfing immediately shoehorned five whistles and four bells into the next 7 series.
And vice versa. Ad infinitum.
Consequently, both the 7 series and the ‘S’ class became test beds for all the latest and best engineering, technology, materials, gadgets and gizmos.
The 2002 BMW 7-series (E65) was the first of the controversial Chris Bangle-designed cars, vehicles with the boxy boot that gave rise to endless “Bangle’s butt” jibes.
In reality, the Bangle influence was arguably rather less obvious set against the sheer scale of the 7 series than it was when seen on 5 or 6 series models.
In fact, we’d go so far as to say it lends the rump of the vehicle a certain weighty gravitas and presence.
That said, we feel the usual references to Bangle’s design as being ‘a bit Marmite’ are not really fair. Presumably around 50% of people actually like Marmite.
Whatever your take on the aesthetics, this generation of the BMW 7 series consists of powerful, refined, well-made, lavishly appointed cars that are built to waft quietly along the world’s motorways, freeways and autobahns without either you or the car breaking into a sweat.
And, although they’re primarily designed for the comfort and relaxation of whoever is stretching their legs in the rear seats, they are surprisingly rewarding and engaging cars to drive.
The E65 7 series introduced several new ideas. It was the first production car with a six-speed auto box. It put the gear selector on the steering column, introduced iDrive as a central control hub for, er, pretty much everything, and introduced the world’s first in-car Internet gateway.
In ‘Sport’ spec, the 730 additionally offered body coloured bumpers, central locking, cruise control, Sat Nav, service indicator, sports seats and a telephone.
Most surviving examples from this era will have clocked up more miles than a space shuttle and look a little weary inside and out.
Clearly, all these years later, the challenge of finding a good ‘un is becoming ever tougher. I mean, where would you start?
Oh look.
Here’s one that looks and drives like it rolled off the production line last week.
