After showing a two-tone 740i last week, BMW South Africa has released new images of a different 7 Series. This time around, we’re dealing with the i7 featuring a more subdued unicolor finish in Sparkling Cooper Grey Metallic. It does away with the M Sport Package to show the base trim level with chrome accents throughout the exterior. That’s not to say this is a lesser specification of the G70 since it still has plenty of options.
For starters, the silent luxobarge from Bavaria has Individual 21-inch wheels with a titan bronze finish to nicely complement the body. Putting the cash in cashmere, the interior has a Merino leather/cashmere wool upholstery with light-colored upper surfaces and a darker hue for the lower section. The optional feature makes its debut on a production model and comes along with unique quilting and perforations. From March, BMW will also offer this upholstery choice in a Black/Dark Grey combination.
Known in South Africa as the Design Pure Excellence trim level, this i7 xDrive60 has the optional Executive Lounge bringing a reclining seat position for greater comfort during extended journeys. With a vast wheelbase of 126.6 inches (3,215 millimeters), this is the most spacious 7 Series ever and is almost on par with the standard-wheelbase Rolls-Royce Ghost.
Like in virtually all press images shared by BMW so far, the 7 Series features the 31.3-inch Theatre Screen and a Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system. It also happens to have the fancy optional crystal glass controls for the few remaining conventional controls, including the gear selector and iDrive rotary knob. More crystals can be found on the upside where the LED daytime running lights of the upper headlight cluster are arranged in an L shape with 14 Swarovski crystals.
As with lesser models featuring iDrive 8, the 7 Series / i7 have a 12.3-inch driver’s display and a 14.9-inch infotainment, but BMW has expanded the screen real estate by adding a 5.5-inch touchscreen in the rear door cards. It allows passengers who are relaxing in the back to adjust the climate and audio settings, as well as make changes to the seats, ambient lighting, Theatre Screen, and sunblinds.
Overall, the latest photo gallery is a reminder the G70 is a vast departure from the G11/G12 it replaced and it’ll be interesting to see how sales will be impacted by BMW’s radical reinterpretation of its flagship.
Source: BMW