30 Jul 08
Tackle the wet track in the BMW 7-Series' Comfort mode and the suspension (with new aluminium double-arm front axle and rear double-arm integral-v axle in place of the old wishbone layout) feels relatively softly sprung; the traction control intervenes early to take charge of any waywardness from this long rear-wheel-drive saloon's tail end.
Normal mode is a little tauter, stiffly set Sport allows for a little wiggle through a bend and a playful little slide; in Sport Plus mode, the stability and traction control can be turned off altogether, and it's down to driver skill alone to avert a spin and keep progressing in the right direction.
For those without much skill, thank heavens for electronic assistance: oversteering and sideways action can be great fun in controlled off-road conditions with nothing solid to hit, but less amusing when uncalled-for on a wet public road. This stuff saves lives.
It saves money, too: allowing the driver to select his or her preferences reduces BMW's need to re-engineer the 7-Series - a relatively niche product - according to regional tastes and preferences. Of course, there do have to be some tweaks, but a system like DDC means that the cruising Californian can select Comfort mode and stay there, the aggressive autobahn-stormer can opt for Sport and the basic cars can be more or less the same.
But whatever the mode, one thing is clear from this stint with pre-production models: the new 7-Series can certainly shift - and sharply. This is a long, wide luxury saloon, but lighter-weight than before, it handles like something far smaller, without compromising the comfort offered to its occupants.
