2013 BMW 750Li, 760Li, and Alpina B7 First Drive

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The last time we had our hands on a BMW 7 Series, the 740i beat out six other competitors in our entry-level full-size luxury test. It goes (almost) without saying that we like that car very, very much. The challenge for BMW's engineering team then was a tough one. For the big 7's mid-cycle refresh, how do you make the best car in its class -- says us -- even better? BMW was kind enough to host us for a day of track and canyon driving at the most excellent Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca so we could see what exactly they've done to the 2013 750, 760, and Alpina B7. Absent were the 740 and the 7 Series ActiveHybrid, the latter of which now features a hybridized version of BMW's 3.0-liter N55 twin-scroll turbo inline-6. Even without driving those two I can tell you that BMW is pretty dang good at this whole luxury car thing. Note: all cars driven were the long wheelbase Li variants.

Before we get to the why, let's discuss the what. As in, what did BMW change for the 2013 model year? Starting with the exterior, the front end is much more elegant. Most noticeably, the lower air intakes and fog lights have been reworked. The lights are now LED (unless you opt for the M Sport package) and the intakes are organic looking, with added splashes of chrome. Headlights feature LED-piping accents and the wing mirrors have turn signal repeaters. Also, the two big kidney grille openings feature 9 slats for 2013 instead of 12. Out back, the bumper has a large chrome strip across it and the taillights have more contrast between the black and red sections. Bottom line, the new 7 Series looks much improved too these eyes, especially when sitting on shiny 21-inch wheels.

Changes to the inside of the big Bimmer are even more numerous. The headline news is the latest version of iDrive (4.2 for those of you keeping track). It has more bells and whistles, of course (voice to text capability so you can email on the go), but the part I like best is a faster processor (1.4 GHz) with way better looking graphics. The screen can also render faster, which makes following a navigation route even easier. There is huge amount of detail offered on smaller screens between the tach and speedo, as well as on the heads-up display, and its equipped with a 200-gigabyte hard drive. Another trick is that when you're in a city, the "virtual 3D" map shows buildings and land marks in scale. While of dubious use ("Hey, there's Paris Las Vegas!"), it's simply cool. Non-electrical changes include slimmer front seats and extra servings of shiny chrome.

What we really care about, however, are the mechanical changes. Principally, the engine, which gets a nice bump up in both power and torque. Compared to the old 750's N63 engine, the new N63 TU is still of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo twin-scroll V-8 variety but instead of 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque, it makes 445 horsies and a walloping 480 pound-feet of torque. That's an increase of 45 hp and 30 lb-ft. Who doesn't love that? Even better, the torque plateau is flat and enormous, with the max 480 pound-feet available from 2000 to 5000 rpm. Almost as important, for 2013 both the 750 and the 3.0-liter twin-scroll 740 get ZF's excellent, fast-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, a high-torque version of the units found in BMWs like the 3 Series and the X3 as well as several other cars ranging from Dodge to Rolls-Royce. You also get engine start/stop and an Eco Pro mode. BMW claims that even with the extra grunt, fuel consumption is actually improved by as much 20% under pretty close to ideal circumstances. An amazing feat if true, though as always, caveat emptor. Oh, and the 7 Series now features rear air springs across the board. Right, enough chit-chat, let's drive.

First up for me was the 750Li. Right off the bat, I was all smiles, but let's get the gripes out of the way up front. The seats, especially the non-adjustable seat bottoms, are not nearly as supportive as they need be. Despite its XXL size, the long-wheelbase 7 is capable of some snappy dance moves. Sadly, you're sliding all over the place, or at least your butt is, because there's plenty of back bolstering. I didn't find the seats particularly luxurious, either. They're just sort of seats. Pity. I'm also not a fan of rear air springs in performance cars. You might be saying, "The 750Li isn't a performance car!" to which I counter that 480 pound-feet is the same amount of twisting gumption found in the Corvette Z06. This sucker hauls. The problem with air springs isn't so much turning, which this car does fine. The trouble is when you turn and then turn the other direction. As the car rolls, the weight transfers from one side to the other and the air suspension can't react fast enough. The result is an odd, slightly disconcerting heave motion. In other words, the rear end moves around when you really start chucking the car back and forth. Again, pity.

That's the bad stuff. The list of positive attributes about the 2013 750Li is much longer. The engine is fantastic. Cars this large shouldn't launch as quickly, but it does and let's all be thankful for that. Plus, that epic wave of torque is just so damn easy to ride. You can go from cruising to passing in nothing flat. There aren't any paddles to speak of, but you can use the gear selector to manually pick your gears. Speaking of the tranny, like every other ZF 8-speed I've driven, I am boggled by how quickly this one shifts. I've driven dual-clutch units (like the one in BMW's M5/M6!) that seem slower. I mentioned the new iDrive earlier, but you really have to watch the map render in real time to appreciate just how good (and helpful) it is. While not world class, the brakes have the stuff necessary to haul this big boy to a quick stop. I hope it goes without saying that every single luxury bell and whistle in existence is also tossed in. Put simply, that new Mercedes-Benz S-Class had better be excellent because BMW has a winner on its hands.

Of course for some people, 445 horsepower is akin to walking. That's why, for a few dollars extra, BMW will sell you the 760Li. Just kidding about that few part, the difference in price between the $90,000 750Li and the $140,200 760Li is $50,200. Holy high roller, Batman! You could get a really sweet 3 Series for that kind of money. You'd also wind up with 12-cylinders between the two cars, just like the 760Li packs into one. You also get 535 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 90 ponies and 55 pound-feet over the 750. That said, BMW seems to be in the pick-a-power-number-out-of-a-hat business, meaning that the engine feels much stronger than the numbers indicate. Is the big engine worth it? There's no polite way to say this, but if you're still pondering the question then you've never driven a V-12. What a peach of an engine. Wait, the N74 is not a peach. It's schweinebraten with all the trimmings. Und strudel and a couple shots of schnapps. I simply adore it. That said, the top shelf 7 Series doesn't have the (relatively) nimble moves of its smaller-engined brethren. Is the extra weight from the 6.0-liter V-12 to blame? Maybe. Or maybe all that extra power gets the 760Li into situations that the car wasn't tuned to handle. Before we spend too much time pondering this conundrum, let's look at the other go-fast option, the Alpina B7.

I've long admired Alpina as the thinking man's tuner. Instead of just going for monster power, they go for drivability. One of my favorite expressions (at times attributed to former BMW ad man Bob Lutz) is "Americans buy horsepower and drive torque." Alpina's philosophy seems to be total car development, not just screaming hot rod motors, though the car is, well, potent. Power climbs from the 2012 B7's 500 hp and 516 pound-feet of torque to 540 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque. I'll save you the suspense. The 760Li's monster V-12 feels faster to me. It also sounds better, though I should note that during shall we say "spirited driving," all three cars have way too much sound insulation and road isolation. That's double-paned glass for you. BMW should reach into their own magic hat and at least offer the M5/M6 artificial engine sound via the stereo as an option. Anyhow, while noticeably quicker than the still quite fleet 750Li, the Alpina B7 is no 760Li. Until BMW decides to build an M7 (which would practically put Alpina out of business), this is as supposedly sporty as 7 Series get.

The Alpina B7 does handle better than the 760Li. In addition to essentially everything else, Alpina retuned the suspension and the resulting jumbo sport sedan feels more composed than the heavyweight V-12. I personally found that the even lighter 750Li (hey, everything's relative) handles even better, but the B7 does have two big advantages the other two don't. One is buttons on the back of the steering wheel that let you change gears without removing your hands from the tiller -- to be clear, tough but odd-feeling buttons, not paddles. The other is excellent, track worthy brakes. At least they felt that way up on the winding road. Speaking of the track, the Alpina B7 was the only new 7 Series I took on Mazda Raceway. It did pretty much OK, kind of almost keeping up with an M5 piloted by a better driver. Both cars had been lapping all day and by 3:00 pm (when I was in the B7), the brakes were cooked (er, the brake fluid was cooked). All that said, the Alpina B7 is a big boy, most certainly over 4500 pounds and therefore not an ideal track car. Still, it's pretty damn engaging for a full-size yacht and, at $132,395, a bargain compared to the 760Li.

Given my druthers, I'd combine the agility of the 750Li, the brakes from the B7 (before they spend 6 hours on a big brake zone track like Laguna Seca), and the relentless forward thrust from the stud-engined 760Li. Since that's fantasy world stuff, I declare the best of the new bunch to be the 750Li. Sure, it's got less power, but 445 hp from a twin-turbo V-8 is only "less" in a bubble. A tiny, privileged bubble. Now we wait for that new S-Class so that we can determine who is the master of the full-size luxury pantheon.

Courtesy of Motortrend.com