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Four wheel steering

New to the BMW 7-series is Integrated Active Steer, which uses an electric motor to turn the rear wheels by up to three degrees. At low speeds they turn in the opposite direction to the fronts ones, to reduce the turning circle by up to 70cm. At higher speeds they turn in the same direction, reducing the yaw and improving the vehicle's stability.

The concept's nothing new - the Mazda 626 and Honda Prelude had 4WS in the 1980s - but the technology's been dr...Read the full article

So, does it not have full air suspension, then? If not, this will be a limiting factor, compared to the A8 and S-Class.

I would be interested to see a back to back test of the new 730d versus the 730d 4x4, and ditto for the S320 CDi versus the S320 CDi 4-Matic.  Perhaps such a test would reveal the real-world advantages of having full time 4-wheel drive in a luxury sedan.

I do realize that for super-powerful cars like the Audi RS6, full-time all-wheel-drive is almost essential.

Rabbit hutch boot - gone

Flame surfacing - gone

Runny egg headlight shape - gone

Bangle - apparently still here? But somehow curtailed?

PS And is it me or is BMW, Audi and Merc design language converging? Take away the Hofmeister kink and this could be an Audi or Merc in profile or even the rear. Look at the 3 Series Coupe and the A5 - in profile and rear view again almost identical.

The new 7-Series together with the X6 series makes me wonder if BMW has lost the plot. The design is dull and i violently agree with the post above that says take away the Hofmeister kink and it could be just about any large saloon rather than distinctly a BMW.

highlights that classic Bart Simpson quote "you're damned if you do and your're damned if you don't"

controversial styling is met with horror

conservative styling is met with horror

 

I do have this theory that the prestige manufacturers are being hamstrung by the strictness of their own styling cues. By the time that you list all the things that a BMW "must" have and "must" be from a styling point of view, you are already well into the territory of deeply compromised design. Would be maybe nice to see them just make something that was good looking for its own sake and where the rules on the BMW styling DNA were relaxed a little.