On the passive safety front, the beefy new 7 will provide lots of protection, inflatable and otherwise: well-designed front and rear crush zones, standard front and front-seat side airbags, plus active head restraints. Available as options will be a front/rear side curtain, rear-seat side airbags, and front-seat inflatable knee bags.
The '02 7 Series made its world debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September. It will be shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this January and be available in dealer showrooms a few weeks later. Pricing has yet to be announced, though we expect a base MSRP of around $65,000, with most well-equipped, V-8 7s running around $75,000. A fully loaded long-wheelbase V-12 armored Protection model would top the lineup at about $125,000.
New flagships are rare from Germany's premium carmakers, so when they tender one up, it's big news. We have every reason to expect the new 7 Series will be a superlative luxury offering. We'll bring you more on its specifications and high-science electronics technology as soon as we've had a chance to play with it-plus that all-important first drive.
| Base price | $65,000 (est) |
| Vehicle layout | Front engine, RWD,
4-door, 5-pass |
| Engine | 90° V-8, DOHC,
4-valves/cyl |
| Engine size, L | 4.4 |
| Horsepower | 333 |
| Torque | 333 |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Wheelbase, in | 117.7 |
| Curb weight, lb | 4250 (est) |
| 0-60 mph, sec | 6.3 (est) |
| On sale in U.S. | January 2002 |
For a direct link to this manufacturer's Web site, go to motortrend.com.