BMW says that the update for its massive 7 Series flagship saloon, also known as the i7 when it's in fully-electric form, is the biggest facelift/upgrade/'life cycle impulse' (that's the official BMW terminology) it's ever given a car midway through its life. You can read all the details of the new styling, the upgraded powertrains, and the all-new interior (featuring the same Panoramic View Display dash as the iX3 and i3) right here, but right now, it's time to talk hard cash…
We assume you mean a LOT of hard cash?
Well, yeah - the 7 Series/i7 is not a cheap car by any means, although if you consider that it shares an awful lot of parts with the Rolls-Royce Spectre, that starts to take on something of a different aspect.
The base price for the new i7 - the all-electric model launches first in Ireland, and will be followed by the PHEV versions in January - is €129,990 for the i7 50 xDrive. Significantly, that's already an upgrade over the outgoing model, as previously the 50 version was rear-wheel drive, and now it's four-wheel drive with two motors and a 455hp output.
The base i7 also gets considerably more range than before. Thanks to the addition of the new 'Gen6' cylindrical cell batteries from the iX3 and i3 'Neue Klasse' models, range jumps by 110km to 727km on the WLTP cycle.
The standard i7 50 xDrive comes with, amongst other items, 20-inch alloy wheels, metallic paint, light-up grilles (BMW calls this 'Iconic Glow'), the new Panoramic Vision dashboard, which includes a 17.9-inch touchscreen, angled towards the driver, running BMW's latest 'X' software. It also gets a smaller satellite screen for the front seat passenger as standard, plus motorway driving assistance, active steering, keyless access, automated parking, electric adjust seats, an upgraded wireless phone charger (which now uses magnets to hold your phone in place), 'Veganza' man-made leather upholstery (with an available upgrade to real Merino leather), 'ceremonial light carpet' puddle lights on the door mirrors, soft-close doors (which can be upgraded to fully-automatic opening and closing), a Bowers & Wilkins surround sound stereo, roller sunblinds, four-zone climate control, panoramic glass roof, and faster charging - now up to 250kW on DC power.
If you want to upgrade to an M-Sport version, you'll pay €136,400, and gain M-Sport alloys, also 20-inch diameter, blue M-Sport brake calipers, an M-Sport bodykit and 'High Gloss Shadowline' black exterior trim, a sports steering wheel, carbon-fibre interior trim, dark headlining, M-Sport ambient cabin lighting, and M-Sport door sill markings.
There's a further upgrade to an M-Sport Pro model, which gets 21-inch alloys, black-caliper M-Sport brakes, more black exterior trim, including the mirror caps, a small rear boot spoiler, and a specific M-Sport steering wheel. That costs €139,830.
What other models are available?
You can go for a more powerful i7 60 xDrive for €150,270, which gets 544hp and a range of up to 724km from the same 112kWh battery as the 50 xDrive. That costs €150,270 and comes in M-Sport trim as standard, with a €154,450 M-Sport Pro model.
What options can you have?
BMW has created some option packs for the i7 and 7 Series. There's a Front Comfort Pack, which includes ventilated, massaging front seats and a heat-absorbing windscreen. There's also a rear comfort pack, which comes with the 'Executive Lounge Rear Console' and multi-adjustable rear seats that are heated and ventilated, with a massage option. There's also the Executive Lounge Pack, which comes with the massive 30-inch rear cinema 8K screen that folds away into the roof, and the club-class-style reclining rear seat on the passenger side, plus preparation for a digital rear-view mirror, which will be available as a retrofit option later in the year.
In terms of single options, you can choose from upgraded adaptive suspension, a tow-bar, fully automatic doors, 'Crystal Iconic Glow' headlights, you can add M-Sport brakes to a standard i7 50 xDrive, satin aluminium exterior trim, 'Shadowline' lights, the 'Sky Lounge' panoramic roof with integral lighting, sun protection glass, M-Sport seatbelts, an upgraded parking assistant, and an upgraded Bowers & Wilkins 'Diamond' surround sound stereo.
Of course, if you just want an i7 with all of those option boxes ticked, but your box-ticking finger is sore, and you don't want to use it, BMW can do that for you with an i7 50 xDrive Ultimate Edition for €170,680 or an i7 50 xDrive Ultimate Edition for €185,300.
Is there still an M-specific version?
Yup, that'll be the M70 xDrive, with its wild 680hp and a 0-100km/h time (and we remind you that this is nigh-on a three-tonne car) of less than 3.8 seconds. That'll cost you €205,790 in standard form (standard form…) and €234,750 as an Ultimate Edition.
Are there any options left on the table at that stage?
Actually, yes. You can choose from more than 500 colours and paint combinations for the new i7 and 7 Series, starting with a huge choice of standard finishes in both metallic or 'Frozen' matte finishes, or you can delve into the endless catalogue of BMW's individual paint choices. Yes, you can have an i7 in eye-watering Sao Paulo Yellow if you must…
More interestingly, you can have two-tone paint finishes, and that option now includes having metallic paint on the upper body surfaces, with 'Frozen' matte paint on the lower body, bisected by a hand-painted coachline. BMW has clearly been learning some bespoke paint lessons from its colleagues at Rolls-Royce, and this option takes a massive 75 hours of painstaking painting to complete.
What about the plug-in hybrid options?
As we said, the PHEV 7 Series models won't land here till January, but you'll be able to choose from a 750e xDrive version with 489hp and an 80km electric range on a full charge, or an M760e xDrive with 611hp and the same electric range. We don't have pricing for those models just yet.