This brings us to BMW's iDrive system, which takes automotive operation closer to that of a computer than we've ever gone before. BMW's iDrive system is controlled by a round silver knob on the center console. The knob can be pushed in one of eight directions to change modes, such as temperature, entertainment, navigation, communication. The knob is turned to select different options on the selected menu. Using the system takes a fair amount of practice and you'll probably need to do some reading to fully exploit it. In the meantime, it can raise frustration levels. For example, I never could figure out how to call up a map in spite of considerable effort. Some reading would solve this problem, but I would have been happier if the system was a little more intuitive. A split screen in the upper center dash area displays all kinds of information depending on the mode selecting by the iDrive. It's an attractive display, which can be customized according to owner preferences. But it's not ideal: I found the temperature readout nearly impossible to read while wearing polarized sunglasses.

Many of the controls on this car simply do not operate in the traditional manner so there is a learning curve associated with them. For example, I struggled to operate the turn signals and windshield washer and wipers. I could get them to work, but initially I had trouble operating them elegantly. Say I wanted to signal a lane change, then turn off the signal, then turn it right back on to signal an actual turn. Turning it off momentarily signals the driver behind that I am performing two maneuvers in succession, so that the other driver doesn't think I simply neglected to cancel the signal after changing lanes. I had trouble with this in the BMW, often signaling the opposite direction when trying to cancel out the signal, until I learned that a light touch in either direction was what was needed to cancel it. It's difficult to figure this out when traveling a hundred miles per hour.

Optional Park Distance Control ($700), a feature superbly executed in BMW's X5, has been taken to a new level in the 7 Series with a graphic display. Sensors in the front and rear bumpers detect objects near the car and beep with increasing frequency as you get closer. A solid tone means you're almost touching. Different tones for the front and rear greatly assist the driver in parking in tight locations and can help the driver from accidentally backing over something, such as a child, that cannot be seen from inside the car. The 7 Series takes this a step further by displaying a pictograph of the car enveloped in color that graphically displays the distance and location of the offending object. It sounds like a gadget, but it is a practical feature that adds convenience to your everyday life and could someday prevent an annoying or even tragic accident.

Because the iDrive system eliminates so many switches and knobs, the dash of the 7 Series looks clean and elegant.

It's hard to write volumes about a vehicle that drives so flawlessly. After showering it with accolades, we end up having to describe why it's so flawless. There are only so many ways you can say great. The thing is, the BMW 745i does everything extremely well.

The first thing we noticed about the 745i was its wonderful magic carpet ride. This car smoothes out bumps. It's incredibly comfortable. We were astonished at how well it handled a speed bump. Yet the driver does not feel completely isolated from the road. And the car senses when being driven hard, retuning the suspension appropriately for optimum handling. BMW's Active Roll Stabilization, computer-controlled active anti-roll bars, stiffens roll resistance in hard cornering keeping the car flat in turns. At the same time, the system maintains enough suspension compliance to keep the tires planted on the road. Bumps in the middle of a high-speed corner do not upset the handling balance one whit. Part of this is due to the low unsprung weight, a benefit of lightweight aluminum wheels and brake calipers, the lightweight aluminum suspension components, and the highly rigid chassis that allows precise suspension tuning.
Anti-skid technology makes adjustments to maintain handling balance whenever grip is lost to any one tire. By applying braking force to individual wheels it can bend the laws of physics. Just steer this thing where you want to go and the 7 Series takes you there. I explored this on a fast, greasy corner over a crest that un-weighted the suspension. All four wheels lost grip, but we simply motored around the corner, drifting just slightly wide of the intended line. I never lifted my foot off the accelerator pedal nor made any adjustments in the steering. No special action on my part was needed; the 745i did all of that for me. The anti-skid system is transparent; you can't feel it kick in and out. BMW's system is far less obtrusive and more performance-oriented than similar systems found in Mercedes-Benz and Lexus automobiles.

Steering the 745i is a joy. The rack-and-pinion steering is super sharp and precise. It's very light at low speeds for parking lot work, but firms up at higher speeds for improved driver feel. It also steps up response by 10 percent as the wheel is turned off center. With this new rack-and-pinion steering system, it's easy to drive the 7 Series with extreme precision on winding roads at very high speeds, placing the tires exactly where you want them. When hitting bumps, there's little or no kick back in the steering.

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The drive train is absolutely silky when cruising around. The new six-speed automatic transmission is extremely smooth, yet it's the most responsive I have ever experienced. Those are usually mutually exclusive benefits. Hit the accelerator pedal and the transmission drops a gear or two without any of that hesitation found in so many automatics. BMW's new six-speed automatic is smaller and lighter than the previous five-speed automatic. The additional gearing with re-mapped ratios gives it quicker performance off the line with a lower first gear, better response in the mid range with ratios that are closer together, and improved fuel economy with taller top gears. The 745i does offer a feature allowing the driver to downshift manually using a pair of buttons on the steering wheel, but I found that feature to be superfluous. BMW promises it will be executed more fully next year on selected models and will allow the driver to manually shift up and down. But frankly, with a transmission as responsive as this one, manual shifting seems more of a toy than anything else.
The all-new 4.4-liter V8 engine is superb. It's very smooth when cruising. Combine the smooth drive train with the smooth ride and the 745i feels deceptively slow. While rolling out of a jerkwater town in the Hill Country outside of San Antonio, I was preparing to press the accelerator pedal down to gain speed as we were cruising, but a quick glance at the throttle revealed I was already cruising at 80 mph. This car feels happy cruising around at 80-100 mph all day. I found myself coming into sweeping corners or tight corners carrying more speed than initially realized and having to get on the brakes a little harder than originally planned. It wasn't a scary thing, just more of a whoa, Nellie.

Punch the accelerator pedal (there is no throttle on this car) and the 745i leaps into action. BMW claims the 745i can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds, which matches the $115,200 Mercedes-Benz S600. It is rated at 325 horsepower and 330 pounds-feet of torque, a huge increase over the previous BMW V8 and similar in output to the previous BMW V12. Yet the 745i is rated by the EPA for 18/26 mpg City/Highway, a 13-percent improvement over the previous BMW V8. Its sophisticated Valvetronic system has eliminated the throttle completely, eliminating pumping losses for improved efficiency by letting the valves, which benefit from BMW's double VANOS, control the airflow through the engine.

Modulating the brakes is easy and this car can stop in a big hurry when necessary. Massive ventilated disc brakes, among the largest and most powerful BMW has ever used, are used at all four corners along with aluminum calipers. Electronic brake proportioning ensures the meaty tires are making best use of all available braking traction by transferring braking force to the tires with the best grip. Dynamic Brake Control reinforces the driver's pedal effort in emergency braking to help the car stop in the shortest possible stopping distance even if the driver inexplicable relaxes pressure from the brake pedal. As a convenience feature, the brakes will automatically hold the car at a stop until the driver presses on the accelerator pedal; shut the car off in this situation and the system will set the electromechanical parking brake.

After spending 350 high-speed miles in a BMW 745i, we were ready to take it home. It's so smooth that spending days behind the wheel are not taxing. It's very comfortable in heavy traffic. The interior is sumptuous. Few luxury sedans can keep up at high speeds. And it's easy to drive this car well.

Loaded with technology, there is a learning curve to operating some of the secondary features, however, so owners may find themselves reading the owner's manuals. They may also find themselves explaining basic operation of the car to other people who drive it. Is this car a little ahead of its time? With those caveats, we think this may be the best car in its class, an impressive statement given that the competition includes the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.