New taillight clusters bridging the seam between the rear fenders and the trunk lid and reaching halfway to the license plate recess draw the eye across the back, making the car look wider. The lights employ a feature BMW calls adaptive brake lighting. Under normal braking, the outboard and center-mounted, third brake lights illuminate as usual. Under hard braking or when ABS is activated, secondary brake lights in the trunk-lid elements join the outboard brake lights for a significant increase in visibility of the brake lights. The distinction is intended to warn following drivers that you are stopping very quickly. A monitoring system indicates when a bulb is burned out. And while waiting for you to have it replaced, the system will commandeer other bulbs in the taillamps to fill in as brake lights. The thickened, less-pronounced, spoiler-like lip across the top trailing edge of the trunk lid casts less of a shadow across the rear bulwark. A chrome rub-strip on the bumper mirrors the treatment on the front end. A diffuser panel beneath the lower bumper tucks up into a recess running the width of the car.

Interior Features

High-quality materials and elegant design make the 7 Series cabin an exceedingly pleasant, luxurious place in which to conduct the business of driving. The dash looks particularly clean and elegant because the iDrive system eliminates so many switches and knobs. Beautiful, buttery leather is used throughout. Wood trim is spread tastefully on the dash, center console and elsewhere. A variety of other materials adds interest without making the interior look busy. The standard roof liner in the 750i reminds us of fine suit material, something you might encounter on a woman's business jacket; the 760Li's roof is lined with suede-like alcantara.

The front seats are supportive and comfortable, and by that we mean all iterations in both model lines. The standard seats in the 750i adjust 14 ways. The available Comfort Seats adjust in 20 directions. Some adjustments are automatic, including the headrests, which change height according to the position of the seat. The sport package seats have bolstering on par with those in a sports car. Active Seat Ventilation cools the front and rear seats in the summer by blowing air through micro-perforations in the leather; the system includes a vibrating feature.

All 7 Series sedans feature dual-zone temperature and airflow adjustment for the front passengers, managed by familiar knobs and buttons arrayed across the center of the dash; the 760Li adds separate temperature adjustments for each side of the rear seat. Window shade-like slats seal off vent registers when and if desired. An automatic humidity control maintains relative humidity near an optimal 40 percent. Rain-sensing wipers detect misting on the windshield and automatically wipe it off.

The rear seats are roomy and comfortable. The long-wheelbase L models provide as much rear legroom as you'll find this side of a stretch limo. Waterfall LED atmosphere lighting inside the C-pillars adds to the evening elegance of the rear seats. For bright days, the 760Li includes power sunshades for the rear windscreen and rear side windows. Comfort Seats for the rear come standard on the 760Li and are available for the 750Li, along with moveable, floor-mount footrests. Rear Comfort Seats include electric heating and 14-way power adjustments, with a control that allows rear-seat passengers to move the front passenger seat forward, a great feature. Having a skilled professional drive you around while you luxuriate in back is not the worst way to travel. Rear Comfort Seats make the BMW 7 Series the ultimate riding machine.

Under power, the 7 Series cabin remains whisper quiet. The only outside sound we could hear while driving the 750i was the tires whacking over expansion joints or humming across grooved concrete. Ambient noise is wonderfully deadened inside, making conversation easy and pleasant. We could, however, detect hums, clicks and buzzes in the background generated by assorted servo motors, switches and pumps in support of all the amenities and creature comforts.

The quiet cabin provides a perfect environment for a superb stereo that delivers crisp highs, sharp bass, and clear mid-range tones. BMW's Premium Sound Package is truly sensational. Unless you have a state-of-the-art stereo at home, you'll hear things in your favorite songs you've barely noticed before. The package delivers seven channels of surround sound through 13 speakers, including a pair of subwoofers ingeniously integrated into the chassis itself; it includes a CD changer. We'd spring for the optional Sirius Satellite Radio, which offers mostly commercial-free music, news, sports and talk.

The 7 Series provides more interior storage space than some of its competitors, but storage isn't one of its strengths. The center console lid is split down the middle to create a pair of leather-covered access doors. The driver's side of our console was cooled by the air conditioner, the passenger side filled with CD storage and a cellular telephone holder. The glove box was no cave, either, being too small even to hold the owner's manual, which we had to stuff into a door map pocket or into one of the magazine pouches on the back side of the front seats. Thankfully, the CD changer has been relocated into a space in the dash above the glove box concealed by a retractable panel matching the metallic trim piece running across the dash. The two cup holders are handsome, high-tech and practical, with sliding covers. The sun visors do not appear to live up to the quality of the rest of the interior.