2023-07-30 16:00:00
Briefing
Your mission, if you accept it, is to transport Mr. X to his destination, without incident. He is demanding, no mistakes will be tolerated. Your equipment for this mission: a latest generation BMW 750e. Its 490 hp plug-in hybrid engine combines a 313 hp inline 6 with an electric motor and the battery has 17.6 kWh usable, which should be enough to get you out of town quickly and discreetly. Good luck.
Checkpoint 1: Meeting point
I wait in the darkness of the parking lot, parked in an isolated place. My phone rings only twice before going silent again: the customer is there. I quickly go down to open the right rear door to let the VIP sit in the chair. I barely have time to close the sash, which locks discreetly thanks to the soft-close that the customer is already tapping on the touch screen of the handle to lower the huge 31.3 inch slab from the ceiling and start a movie. The message is clear, the journey will be silent as far as I’m concerned, which doesn’t displease me. Back at the wheel, I start noiselessly thanks to the sheer power of the electric motor and rely on my screen on the central console which displays 360° cameras with a precision that few cars offer. With 5,39 m de long to manage and exposed 20-inch rims, the technological armada is saving so as not to be covered with ridicule from the first meters.
The BMW 7 Series is 5.39 m long.© BMW
Checkpoint 2: Urban Jungle
The progression in the streets of the city is done with disconcerting ease. THE steering rear wheels annihilate any feeling of heaviness, while the precise and very assisted steering facilitates evolution at low speed. Headphones screwed on the head, absorbed by the content he is watching, the customer does not realize the absolute calm that reigns in the passenger compartment thanks to the acoustic glazing optional. Especially since the comfort provided by the air suspension (standard, this one) is of a level that the old 7 Series could only dream of, rivaling softness with the tenors of the category. Something to forget my ex 735i and Audi A8 W12… The alliance of electric evolution and luxury is probably the happiest marriage that can exist for this type of energy, while the 91 km of autonomy promised by the full gauge does not go down so quickly. An often unfortunate point on electric and hybrid cars, low-speed braking is easy to dose here and stopping is smooth. Departures are a little more difficult to manage, so you have to be gentle with the right pedal so as not to see the VIP’s head sink into the thick cushion attached to his headrest.
Checkpoint 3: Cruise
Once the main axes have been reached, a glance in the mirror informs me that he has decided to go into a lying position, massaging seat engaged. The 750e skillfully juggles between thermal and electric without the transition being really perceptible, in order to better manage the electricity consumption according to the route. It is only in the acceleration phases that the growl of the 6-cylinder is discreetly heard, which also distills a melodious sound and slightly muffled which fits perfectly with the extremely isolated atmosphere of the cabin. Above 120 km/h some rolling noises can be heard depending on the surface on which you are moving, just like some wind noises are perceptible, but whispering in the passenger compartment remains quite possible at high speed. The long motorway ribbons will soon drive up consumption, but a mixed course will be to the advantage of those who play the daily recharge game. 5.3 l/100 km overall average (counting the phases of all-electric driving) with a 65-litre tank, it saves me having to look for a station while attacking the secondary network to my destination. Useful for not wasting time.
The BMW 7 Series is well helped in turns by its steered rear wheels.© BMW
Checkpoint 4: “We are late”
The sentence clicked dryly. I nod, press the My Modes button on the center console, and use the iDrive system’s pretty diamond dial to select the customizable Sport mode. The internal combustion engine comes back on instantly, the steering firms up a little and the suspension effectively locks the body movements. without losing its softness. I then open the throttle wide and note, satisfied, the tense half-smile of the passenger crammed into his seat: a 80 to 120 km/h done in 3 s, it always works. It must be said that the 700 Nm of cumulative torque agree to move the 2,462 kg measured of the limousine, which then apes the Series 3 in the sequence of fast curves. The weight seems erased and the directional stability is brilliant for a car of this size, well helped by steerable rear wheels which play in favor of stability and agility when rolling turns. Sticky steering and struggling braking will never make the 750e a sports car, just as the inertia in the winding has quickly become my worst enemy. Nevertheless, the rhythm authorized at the wheel borders on indecency both the disconnection between the cozy cocoon of the cabin with the impeccable finish and the way the BMW lacerates the bitumen at the exit of the curve, in a somewhat clumsy way, is almost comical. Motricity is imperial thanks to the efficient xDrive all-wheel drive.
Checkpoint 5 : Exfiltration
Time caught up, the end of the journey is again synonymous with a trip on a magic carpet. It is once again with the only force of the battery that we approach the path leading to the point of exfiltration, lost in the middle of nowhere. I open the door to the customer, who hands me his card and gives me a simple “call me”. I deduce that the mission is a success and silently walk away, watching the helicopter take off in my mirrors. Another job done, it’s time for me to take a breather. And therefore to enjoy my playlists via the honest Bowers & Wilkins sound system, which I only regret that it doesn’t have a little more panache. It’s time to do my debrief at the Agency.
The best seat in a limousine is always in the back, opposite the driver. The BMW 7 Series also has a huge 31-inch 8k screen stored on the ceiling! © BMW
Debrief:
Agent : Frank MartinRemarks : Mission accomplished, client exfiltrated on time. Very good feeling with the BMW 750e, car fully recommended for the next missions. Very comfortable, fast, silent and the panoramic screen on the back is practical to avoid conversation. Budget request for 160 800 € to add one to the fleet.
*Illustrative photos of a BMW i7 xDrive60, visually identical to the 750e.
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