| All of BMW's 7 Series sedans look sleek and expensive, and for the price they certainly should.
What's better, one year after a complete re-styling, is this: virtually all of the odd, sometimes awkward design cues from the previous-generation 7 are gone.
The V12-powered 760Li, new for 2010, has several discrete styling appointments to distinguish it from the 750Li and 750i.
Its kidney shaped grille is trimmed with a wider chrome surround that is slightly concave.
The 760's side gills, located where the doors meet the front fenders, have a chrome finish and V12 badges.
In front, the vertical bars in all 7 Series grilles are spaced wider than those on other BMWs, for distinction, though we're not sure it's very distinguishing.
It doesn't make a car look more stylish by increasing the gap between its teeth.
From the driver's seat you don't see that, anyway.
What you see is a really nice power bulge on the hood, subtle and sweet.
The 7 Series looks best from the side or front three-quarter view.
The hood is long but front overhang is short.
The sheet metal contours, blending concave and convex surfaces, are still there, but they're more subtle than they've been on BMWs of recent years, and they don't shout for attention.
The fenders are chiseled upward, nicely.
This 7 Series has the maturity and sophistication appropriate to a car of its stature.
The long-wheelbase L models have their own roofline, creating a different profile from that of the shorter 750i.
The L roof travels sensuously along with the rest of the car in order to keep it from looking like a stretched 750i with a long tail.
The result is a beautiful shape that also creates a tad more headroom than what's available in the 750i.
Another thing that's beautiful are the standard 14-spoke alloy wheels.
Curiously, frustratingly, many lovely cars don't have wheels that meet the aesthetic standard set by the rest of the design.
BMW pays attention.
From the rear, there's little to tell the world that the 750s are remarkable luxury cars.
The back end looks like any other car on the highway, with big taillights and a horizontal chrome strip.
A small lip on the trunk lid only adds accent to the car's lines when viewed from the side.
Perhaps BMW feels the same way, as the 2010 760Li has also been spiced-up a bit in back.
An additional chrome bar connects unique dual tailpipes below the bumper line.
The 760Li's quad tailpipe tips are rectangular, and integrated in the rear air dam.
The V12 model also comes standard with 19-inch light-alloy wheels, as opposed to 18-inch rims for the 750s. |