2009 BMW 750Li Lockhart TX

2009 BMW 750Li By Brian Alexander, Road Test Editor
DriverSide Overview
When it was launched back in 2002, the last-generation BMW 7-Series may as well have been the harbinger of the apocalypse. Ripped and condemned for its controversial styling, the then-new seven’s debut actually spiked sales of the outgoing car so severely it was hard not to laugh. Well, it was funny so long as you weren’t responsible for marketing and selling the new car, which carried under its contentious skin a new system so complex, so contrived and so utterly devoid of logic it was almost an insult to call it a ‘tool.’ iDrive, they called it. Yet, despite these initial shortcomings, the car went on to be the best-selling iteration of the 7-Series to date. So the lesson there is either, a) misery loves company, or, b) people just took a little time to warm up to the new design. This year BMW’s bourgeois land yacht gets a new twin-turbo V-8 powerplant, along with a host of new military grade technologies such as infrared night vision and an 80GB media server. Couple the torque-laden engine with the new M Sport Package and the result is a pristine luxury sedan with an Alpina B7-rivaling presence.   








What's to Like
The backseat. Thanks to an elongated wheelbase, the rear seat of the 750Li has an amazing amount of legroom, even behind NBA-sized drivers. This car is simply draped in luxury, from the plush ride and torque-rich, yet silky-smooth power delivery, to the optional rear massaging and ventilated seats. So while the dynamics are impressive for such a large vehicle, being chauffeured around in a 750Li is arguably the best way to enjoy this car.

What's Not to Like
For one, the car is absolutely massive, at times making parking a tiresome process. The shorter wheelbase 750i might be a better proposition for those forced to deal with cramped spaces. Options pricing is also a problem, and a fully optioned 750Li will find itself on the high side of the $100k mark. While BMW has used iDrive to minimize the amount of buttons present, the center console of a fully loaded 750Li still manages to resemble a miniature NASA control center.

The Drive: 
DriverSide Driving Impressions
“Autobahn Bomber” doesn’t even to begin to describe the effortlessness with which the 750Li gains speed and cruises across vast distances. It feels as though it would be comfortable just hanging out at twice the legal speed limit, and given the non-limited stretches of road surrounding its Bavarian home, probably would. The car rides on an ample wave of immense torque from low revs and absolutely eats up the road from 60-90 mph, never feeling like it needs to be revved above 5,000 rpm.

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