Bmw 760i 2011

[James Gillock]

Elsewhereon Ars, you can read our first take on that electric i7. Spoiler alert: pretty darn great. But most new 7 Series won't be i7s; plenty will still be ICE sevens. And recognizing the world as it is, and not the world as I might want it to be, meant going for a drive in one of the gas burners.

Since the chief attraction of internal combustion in 2023 is going for very long drives that don't involve charging stops, I decided to go for a long drive in a $113,600 760i xDrive. As luck would have it, BMW secured permits to film and take photographs within Joshua Tree National Park. Chances to do that don't come along that often, and I hadn't yet visited that park, so the plan seemed clear.

So there's a very short but still perceptible delay or lag from pedal input to torque delivery compared to the electric car. It's all less refined than the smooth and near-silent work of one of BMW's electrically excited synchronous motors, but such are the compromises some are prepared to make, prioritizing refueling speed over luxurious efficiency.

Still, BMW's hardworking engineers have compensated for the inadequacy of the internal combustion engine by dampening as much of the unpleasant noise, vibration, and harshness from the powertrain. What noise makes it through the sound-insulated interior is a pleasant but respectfully muted V8 warble that will probably be drowned out if you're listening to music.

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