Three years after its debut BMW has announced the first details of a mid-life revision of the 7 Series, due for launch in spring 2005. Receiving a range of new engines, interior fine-tuning, dynamic developments and exterior styling enhancements, the new 7 Series promises to build on the global success of the car that broke the mould in the luxury sector.

In the UK, the biggest seller in the range is the 730d that accounts for 56 per cent of total 7 Series sales. To maintain its popularity, the 730d engine has been extensively revised and it now benefits from an all-aluminium cylinder block that reduces the weight of the engine by 25kg. The 730i now features the new lightweight 3.0-litre magnesium aluminium composite engine recently unveiled in the 630i and 330i. The new powerplant delivers 258bhp at 6,600rpm, up 12 per cent compared with its predecessor, and 300Nm of torque at 2,500 – 4,000rpm.

The new BMW 740i replaces the previous 735i with a 4,000cc V8 engine developing 302bhp at 6,300rpm and 390Nm of torque at 3,500rpm. This represents an output increase of 13 and eight per cent respectively over the 735i but, with a combined consumption of 25.2, the new 740i still benefits from a 0.9 per cent improvement in economy.

The 745i is currently the world’s best selling 7 Series model. This model now becomes the BMW 750i, featuring an all-new 4,799cc engine. Delivering 362bhp at 6,300rpm and 490Nm at 3,400, the zero to 62mph sprint is dispatched in a sports car-like 5.9 seconds. Despite this power hike, the 750i achieves 24.8mpg on the combined cycle.

The pinnacle of the 7 Series range continues to be the 760i, with its 5,972cc V12 engine delivering 445bhp at 6,000rpm and 600Nm of torque at 3,950rpm. This ensures that the car achieves a zero to 62mph time of 5.5 seconds - only 0.3 seconds longer than the high-performance M3 Coupé, a car that weighs 595kg less.

The car’s chassis has also been updated to manage the additional performance with changes to ensure the new car offers improved steering precision, agility and ride quality.

Externally, too, it features a number of refinements. From the front, there is a new headlamp and bumper design, changes to the kidney grilles and the enhancement of the power dome on the bonnet all give the car a more powerful face. The rear of the car has also been revised with modified tail lamps, bumper and a chrome strip running the width of the boot lid. These changes have the effect of narrowing the car from the rear view and ensure it looks planted firmly on the road. Finally in profile, bolder side sills emphasise the sportiness and dynamics of the car.

Inside, BMW’s iDrive system has been subtly revised to make it more user friendly and to assist navigation with improved menu guidance to move between the eight areas of the Control Display.

In addition, the standard specification of all 7 Series models has increased. All cars now feature xenon headlamps and a headlamp cleaning system and, additionally, all models benefit from Brake Force Display, BMW’s two-stage brake light system, now standard across the BMW range, that alerts drivers travelling behind that the 7 Series is undertaking an emergency stop.

Text/Photos: BMW