This week, I’m driving the i7, BMW’s most luxurious and expensive electric car. I’ll be writing a feature story about it for the next issue of Roundel, and I want to know what questions you want answered about it.
For some background, the i7 is based on the latest G70 chassis 7 Series. This M70 model is the most powerful, with 650 hp and a 0 to 60 time of 3.5 seconds. BMW says it has a maximum range of about 285 miles, though with the frigid temps in the northeast, I’m not seeing more than 200 miles of range on a full charge.
Of course, the new 7’s design is, well, let’s be charitable and call it divisive. If, like me, your mental image of a 7 is the E38, then looking at this G70 is jarring. The E38 was elegant and sporty, it didn’t even seem out of place during a car chase in Tomorrow Never Dies. This G70 is a different animal. From the outside, it can be menacing from some angles and downright bizarre from others. The split headlights, huge kidney grille, and then the rear-end devoid of character makes for something that just looks bizarre.
I’m more mixed on how I feel about the interior. In many ways, it’s wonderful. The seats are fantastic, the materials are top notch, and iDrive is great to use. But there’s also the insistence on capacitive touch for buttons and the decision to move the HVAC controls to iDrive, rather than physical knobs. It’s not ideal.
But I do enjoy driving it. It’s smooth and quiet, it’s heavy but the weight isn’t overwhelming. There’s a lot to like here for a particular use case, which I’ll get into more in the full feature. But you better be wealthy, because this car starts at $168,000 and the one I’m driving is $192,000. Damn.
For now, I want to hear your questions and thoughts. What do you want to know? Let me know in the comments below.
