BMW got most of its radical styling ideas out of the way when it introduced the E65 7 Series in 2001. Now, four years later, a slightly revised exterior announces a more refined, powerful BMW flagship that chips away at the styling edges to make it slightly more acceptable without compromising the original, controversial themes. But the big news is that despite gaining two new, bigger V8 engines, there’s virtually no loss in economy, even if there have been significant gains in performance. BMW holds firmly to its role as the luxury brand for the sports-minded.

745i
Released: January 2002
Ended: May 2005
Family Tree: 7 SeriesWhen BMW first showed off the Chris Bangle-inspired replacement for the E38 7 Series there were howls of derision from some quarters. The E65/E66 styling was by many to be too controversial and the complicated iDrive system left many a motorist fuming. Two versions were initially available, the 200kW 3.6-litre six-cylinder 735i and 245kW 4.4-litre V8 745i and both were offered in long-wheelbase guise.
Facebook Twitter Instagram