28 Nov 02
BMW freely admits that it will not be selling many of its new flagship machine in Britain. The new V12-engined 760i and 760 Li (L for the space-stretching long wheelbase model), it reckons, will manage sales of just 140 units every year, 80 of these the long wheelbase model. That's a tiny percentage of BMW's total sales here, and a pretty small percentage of 7 Series sales too. But it's quite a big chink of a niche so small that even Mercedes, BMW's arch-rival, has managed only 40 sales so far this year with its V12 S600. In other countries, notably Germany, the V12 7 Series is expected to sell faster. BMW is the world's biggest manufacturer of V12 engines, shifting some 96,500 cars with these motors between 1987 and 2001, and it hopes to see similar success with this all-new engine, although its optimism today may be a little dulled compared to the moment when it decided to totally redesign the engine.
Why? Well, on its homeground, sales of big, thirsty cars are threatened both by collapsing consumer demand and the possibility of a tax on large cars. Meanwhile in the US, religious evangelicals have launched a campaign against gas guzzlers with a TV ad campaign entitled, 'What would Jesus drive?'. Though mainly aimed at big four-wheel drives, the Evangelical Environmental Network are unlikely to reckon that a V12 would BMW would achieve holy approval. Don't think this is a minority campaign from a bunch of eccentrics either - there has been a visitation on the big three in Detroit (Ford, GM and DaimlerChrysler), in company with nuns driving Toyota Prius hybrids.
Over here, though, evangelical opposition is unlikely to stall the march of this 6.0 litre, 445 bhp limo, which costs £76,350 in standard form, and £2100 more in long wheelbase guise, a stretch that adds five and a half inches to the cabin length to the noticeable benefit of legroom. You can already buy a long wheelbase 745 Li for £60,000, but the V12 comes not just with four more cylinders but a heap of extra equipment including, among other things, individual reclining rear seats, an upgraded hi-fi, walnut dashboard inserts, electric sunblinds, leather trim for the doors, dash and centre console, self-levelling suspension courtesy of air springs at the rear and, a neat touch this, orange backlit V12 badges on the sill tread strips. The V12 can also be distinguished by a resculpted kidney grille, V12 badges on the front wings and special 10-spoke alloy wheels.
