At over P7 million, it’s first class all the way

Fulfilling its promise to introduce its full line-up of vehicles in the country, BMW Philippines, a subsidiary of the German automaker, introduced its 735iL top-of-the-line luxury sedan to a small group of motoring journalists in Makati last week.

A presentation highlighting the features of the P7.45-million car was done at the BMW Philippines office before the media representatives were given the chance to test the vehicle through a brief ride-and-drive within the Fort Bonifacio Global City.

The new car, which spans 202 inches from bumper to bumper, is almost as long and wide as a Ford Expedition (the "L" designation stands for Lang – German for "long" – in reference to its extended wheelbase). It weighs more than two tons but feel as agile as any car wearing BMW’s famed blue-and-white spinning propeler badge.

The 735iL’s inspired on road performance is courtesy of a four-cam 32-valve 3.5-liter all-aluminum V8 engine with double VANOS variable valve timing that develops 238 hp at 5500 rpm and a whopping 345 Nm of torque at 3800 rpm. To put those numbers in perspective, the heavier Ford Expedition generates 232 hp and 395 Nm from its larger 4.6-liter V8.

Typically conservative BMW literature claims that the 735iL has a top speed of 243 kph and can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 8.2 second – and that’s with an automatic transmission.

Needless to say, the talking point of the car will be its breathtaking price tag. To which people will ask, "What do I get for that kind of money?" Plenty. For one, you get the absolute maximum in terms of build quality, luxury, performance, and of course, prestige. One could count with less than the fingers of one hand the number of competitors for the BMW 7-Series: Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar. BMW owns Rolls-Royce and even the big aluminum-bodied Audi A8 is widely perceived as just slightly below its rivals from Stuttgard and Munich.

A car worth more than some three-bedroom condos had better offer a lot of features. To this end, BMW does not disappoint. Aside from the state-of-the-art powerplant, the 735iL boasts an artificially intelligent Adaptive Transmission Management (ATM) 5-speed automatic gearbox with driver-selectable Steptronic for manual-style shifting.

Its suspension is by a complex thrust-rod double-joint spring strut for the front and a patented multi-link for the rear. Electronically controlled shock absorbers respond to road imperfections thousands of times per second while the rear end automatically adjusts its height regardless of load.

Inside, one rides in the true lap of luxury. There is genuine "crossed legs" legroom. Various amenities like ashtrays, lighters, bins, sunshades, armrests, and footrests deploy at a touch of a button, whether you are seated in front or in the rear. BMW’s electrically adjustable active comfort front seats have automatically adjustable lower back and seat buttons to keep your back and behind stress-free even on long trips. All the materials, from the plush leather to the handsome wood trim to the rich carpeting, are first-rate. There are also illuminated inner and outer door handles. Even the trunk lid closes gently with just the push of a button. Mentioning all the other comfort and convenience features will triple the length of this article.

On the safety ledger, the 7-Series boasts of no less than 10 airbags inside the cabin. Two facing the front passengers, one in each door for side collisions, and one head airbag each for four occupants, also for side impact protection. The front airbags are of the "smart" type, which means they can sense the severity of a frontal collision and deploy the airbag’s inflation force commensurably. They can even sense if the right front passenger seat is unoccupied and will not deploy the airbag there.

Automatic Stability Control plus Traction (ASC+T), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), and ABS are the advanced features that help keep the 7-Series on the road even during spirited – but not reckless – driving on the slippiest of roads. Even the wipers have a rain sensor that turns them on automatically and adjusts their speed depending on the amount of rain. Again, space constraints prevent me from enumerating the BMW’s numerous safety and technical points.

Ultimately, this BMW is more than just the sum of its parts. At this price range, buyers no longer ask for justification. Much like a Rolex whose accuracy is equaled by any number of much lower priced timepieces, the BMW 735iL stands as a testament to what carmakers are capable of producing when cost is no longer an object to be considered. It is quite simply one of the best automobiles in the world – regardless of price.