BMW 7-Series.....Riding on the lap of luxury


After almost 38 years since it was established in 1967, the Ayala Museum in Makati City will have a unique, but equally exemplary honoree that will visit the home of the greatest art works of finest painters in the country.


Next month, BMW Philippines will launch its top-of-the-line BMW 7-Series right at the center stage of the Ayala Museum surrounded by priceless paintings of Damian Domingo, Fernando Amorsolo, and Fernando Zobel de Ayala.

Known for their strict policy of displaying only art works of the highest standards, the Ayala Museum has allowed the official launch of the BMW 7-Series luxury sedan on its historic premises after they were convinced by BMW executives that the design of their new breed is among the "finest masterpieces of art."

It was not immediately known if both the new eight-cylinder 750Li and the 730Li with straight six powerplant will be in the launching event at the Ayala Museum.

No less than Doctor Nina Baker, a former resident of Munich in Germany and now a curator of the Ayala Museum, approved the BMW 7-Series launch in still undisclosed date next month. But the BMW Philippines President Dr. Joerg Breuer has obtained a certification from Ayala Museum for the unveiling of the 7-Series.

Last Tuesday night, nine motoring journalists were treated to a pre-launch joy ride on board five BMW 730Li masterpieces around the busy streets of Metro Manila. Clad in neatly pressed business suits, we first converged at the M-Café in Greenbelt 4 (just beside the Ayala Museum) for a technical briefing of the new BMW limousines over a chilled Martini drink.

And more about BMW style of pampering, our group boarded the brand new, chauffeured driven 730Li to the Hyatt Casino in Manila guided by several police motorcycle escorts that sneaked through the heavy traffic. At the Hyatt, next was a treat to a high-end Chinese resto for a nine-course meal with bottomless wine and tea.

And for the last stop, we headed to the EDSA Shangri-La for a night cap of acoustic music and more drinks. "It was just a taste of the lifestyle which the BMW is all about," Dr. Joerg said.

Of course, the style and elegance of the 730Li will never be outdone by fine dining on expensive chow places.

Enjoying the superb comfort provided by its full leather seats, I would have preferred taking the roasted Peking ducks from a styrofor box and munch it inside the moving 730Li until it runs out of gas.

The top-of-the-line 750Li is now powered by a 4,799cc V-8 gasoline fed Valvetronic engine that can unleash 367 horsepower at 6,300 rpm, a 10 percent increase in horsepower rating from its predecessor — the 745Li that was launched in the country in 2001.

According to BMW, it’s more powerful yet more fuel efficient. Power is up by 29 percent and the fuel consumption down by nine percent.

On the other hand, the 730Li boasts of its 3.0-liter straight six engine with the world’s first composite magnesium/aluminum crankcase, making it an ultra lightweight engine. Actually, its maximum power output rating is at 256 horsepower at 6,600 rpm. Although a luxury sedan, the BMW 730Li can speed up to 244 kilometers per hour.

While comfortably seated at the rear of the P7,300,000 car, you would not think of doing a sprint run with the big-bodied 730Li that can easily take zero to 100 kph in just 7.8 seconds. (The 750Li is priced at P10.3 million.)

Without a glass tint, it was difficult for me to take even a short nap. I had a feeling that some people from outside might wrongly identify us as those "honorables" from the August Chamber. I’ve never enjoyed power tripping that much.

Exhausted after day’s work of interviewing news sources, the BMW 730’s highly-advanced chassis control systems such as the EDC-C and Dynamic Drive made it float on Metro Manila’s road ruts despite having huge, stylish magwheels with low profile rubbers.

Now let’s talk about the BMW 7-Series bombshell – the iDrive Control Concept. Using a single button control with the display monitor positioned in the top middle of the instrument panel at the rear passenger’s center armrest, I found myself busy discovering the computer wonders of this luxury saloon that control its audio-system and video.

In developed countries, the iDrive allows the passenger to determine the traffic situation and allows access to alternative routes through the monitor located between the driver and the front passenger.

Definitely stung by this technological and artistic wonder, I tend to imagine that when the lights are turned off following the unveiling event at the Ayala Museum, I see the miniature people featured in the 60 dioramas sculptured by the talented artists from Paete, Laguna will come to life and walk out of the glass panels, just to have a glimpse of the BMW 7-Series. It would be like welcoming a new member to the exclusive art family.