BMW 7 Series News

In a world of monstrously big SUVs and terrifyingly giant utes, there still exists the super large saloons for those who prefer to maintain a powerful presence with class and sophistication. We're talking limos - not the party kind - we mean the luxurious transport for business executives or those who prefer to be driven rather than drive.We've put together the top 5 largest cars currently sold in AustraliaLength: 5139mm Width: 2241mm Height: 1464mmA Lotus was not on my list of possible big-car candidates, but here we are with the fully electric 5139mm long Emeya four-door lift back. The Emeya is the first of its kind from a brand that forged its iconic reputation by building tiny sportscars in a shed. Things have changed and Lotus is now owned by Chinese manufacturer Geely, and the Emeya is built in China. While not the longest car here, the Emeya is actually the widest with its wing mirrors out. Despite its enormous exterior dimensions the Emeya isn’t particularly voluminous on the inside, but there are four seats and a 509-litre boot. Dual motors make 450kW and 710Nm, 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds. The starting price is $190K.Length: 5139mm Width: 1900mm Height: 1450mmSecretly loving that a Toyota, sorry Lexus, quietly slipped into this top 5 elite party. At 5235mm end-to-end the LS isn’t small, and nor is it short on luxury.Lexus positions itself as a Benz or BMW on a budget, but with a starting price of $200,000 the LS isn’t all that cheap. The value is outstanding, however, compared to the others here, and while rolling up in a Lexus to meet business executives at the airport doesn’t have the same impact as a BMW 7 Series, but as a car girl, I honestly think the LS is more opulent.Powered by a V6 hybrid the LS is without a doubt the most reliable and cheapest to maintain limo here.Length: 5391mm Width: 1950mm Height: 1544mmBMW’s 7 Series is seriously imposing, a cliff face on wheels, with its gigantic grille and its sheer vertical drop, but it’s not just all front - this beast is 5.39m end to end. As a reference the Australian design rules state a car park space must be 5.4m long and 2.4m wide. So it’ll fit… just.   Updated for 2026/27 with BMW’s next-gen Neue Klasse design the 7 Series looks even more menacing and futuristic, while the interior is sporty and hi-tech with screens everywhere. As for powertrains you can burn fossil fuel with a 3.0-litre inline 294kW/580Nm six-cylinder engine on offer but the electric i7’s enormously powerful and torquey motors (making up to 400kW and 745Nm) and seamlessly brutal ability to get out of its own way suits the big BMW limo better.  The 7 Series starts at a list price of $272,900.Length: 5469mm  Width: 2109mm  Height: 1510mmThe Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is a super luxury version of the S-Class and it’s even longer than one too. A regular S-Class long wheelbase is 5289mm end to end while the Maybach version stretched 180mm at 5469mm in length.While more or less the same car as the S-Class the Maybach offers more legroom, more decadence and more engine - with a V12 offered on the higher grades.The Maybach is also more expensive - almost double the price of an S-Class LWB at about $630,000Length: 5982mm, width: 2154mm Height: 1656mmOf course the biggest car sold in Australia is a Rolls-Royce and it’s not just the Phantom Extended, it’s also the Ghost Extended at 5715mm and the Spectre Series II at 5453mm. But if we had included them, then the top 5 biggest cars would have all been Rollers.So we’ve gone for the largest Rolls-Royce car, the Phantom Extended, which at 5982mm is more a train than a car and 220mm longer than the standard wheelbase Phantom.While there are only four seats in a Phantom Extended they are the size of lounge chairs in a sumptuous hotel lobby and legroom is, well you can literally lie down back there because the seats become beds.In Australia the Phantom Extended starts at more than $1.1m but as with most Rolls-Royce’s the customers will want to personalise it with bespoke touches taking the final price much higher. 

Europe’s latest luxury EV comes with a seriously huge driving range.The new BMW 7 Series will start from $277,900 (before on-road costs) for the six-cylinder petrol variant, while the EV starts from $306,900. This means the petrol variant is now $5000 more than its previous model, with the i7 price remaining the same, despite the range-topping version of the car being discontinued.The 7 Series will continue to rival the petrol-powered Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the fully-electric EQS.The S-Class starts from a cheaper price point than the 7 Series starting at $244,700, with EQS EV starting at $219,900.BMW's twin-turbo six-cylinder engine produces 294kW and 580Nm, and also features a mild-hybrid system. Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 5.4 seconds, with a top speed of 250km. There are dual electric motors in the electric variant, boosting power to 400kW and 745Nm and improving the 0-100km/h time to under five seconds, despite a marginally lower top speed.Its whopping 113kWh battery offers a driving range of up to 727km, according to WLTP standards.DC charging from 10 to 80 per cent takes under half-an-hour, with 235km of range able to be added in just 10 minutes. The 7 Series gets plenty of high-end luxury features as standard, including a panoramic glass roof and a heated steering wheel. There is also a BMW’s 3D head-up display, spanning the length of the dashboard and automatic air conditioning.Seats come with massage function in both the front and rear seats, along with heating functionality for front and rear outer seats. The i7 adds larger wheels and automatic doors. The new 7 Series will launch in Australia in the fourth quarter of this year. 2026 BMW 7-Series pricing Australia  

BMW claims the facelift of its seventh-generation BMW 7 Series is the most comprehensive makeover ever undertaken in the 110 years since it was founded.Not that you can really tell in the flesh. Few will be likely to spot the under-the-radar tweaks when the 7 Series and its all-electric i7 counterpart land in Australia in the final three months of this year, but look closely and there are plenty of tell-tale signs.Easiest to spot are the split headlamps that now feature sparkly crystals in the upper elements. A revised front bumper, meanwhile, aims to maximise the Mercedes S-Class-rival's blocky monolithic look for extra road presence.It's a similar story for the striking glowing kidney grille and option of larger 22-inch wheels, plus the fresh new rear light bar and redesigned bumper. All contribute to ensuring the big BMW makes an equally sizeable statement.A new customisable welcome or farewell light sequence adds some theatre to the ownership experience but it's within where some of the biggest changes are found.Embracing BMW's latest Neue Klasse technology, the petrol and all-electric versions of the 7 Series now gain the firm's configurable Panoramic Vision full-width display that stretches from pillar to pillar along the leading edge of the windscreen.There's also a large 3D head-up display that eliminates the need to take your eyes off the road.Other new tech lifted from the all-new iX3 SUV and i3 sedan includes a large 17.9-inch touchscreen infotainment which integrates a dedicated passenger display for the first time.All the screens run BMW's next-generation X operating system.In the posh seats in the second row, the good news is the current car's full-width 31.3-inch cinema-grade touchscreen carries over and is improved with the facelift.There's now a camera and microphone for video conferencing, while the multiplex experience is enhanced by the addition of a fresh 36-speaker 4D Bowers & Wilkins sound system that has a Dolby Atmos capability.Airline-style executive seats remain available, while the German carmaker claims the first-class experience continues with an ambient light system that is said to provide its own immersive experience.Like before, both models come with automatic soft-close doors but now engineers have added more precise radar sensors, allowing for a smoother, more graceful ingress and egress.Both a panoramic sunroof and four-zone climate control are now standard in all markets.Beneath the skin, the major changes continue, especially if you choose the all-electric Mercedes EQS- and Genesis Electrified G80-rivalling i7.Thanks to a partnership with Croatian hypercar-maker Rimac, BMW has managed to shoehorn its most advanced sixth-gen battery tech into the i7.The all-new 112.5kWh power pack comprises of 4695 cylindrical lithium-ion cells that deliver 20 per cent more energy density than before, despite inhabiting the same space beneath the floor.Compared to the previous prismatic cells, which provided a range of up to 625km, the new i7 can now travel beyond 708km before it needs plugging in.That figure is some way off the incredible 926km range Mercedes boasts for its latest facelifted EQS, but it's worth pointing out the long-legged Benz produces less power (300kW) and is rear-wheel drive, compared to the punchier all-wheel-drive 335kW i7 50 xDrive.Unfortunately for BMW, even with all-wheel drive, the EQS goes further on a full charge than any i7 in the range, with even the fastest 430kW EQS580 4MATIC capable of driving up to 876km before needing to be plugged in versus the 707km the 400kW i7 60 xDrive and 650km the 500kW i7 M70 xDrive can travel.At least the latter flagship M70 blends its lesser range with a punchy 0-100km/h sprint of just 3.8 seconds.There's more bad news for the battery-powered 7 Series when it comes to charging.Lack of space meant there wasn't enough room to squeeze in the carmaker's most powerful 800-volt electrics that are used on both the smaller i3 sedan and iX3 SUV.The result is BMW and Rimac were only able to raise peak charging from 200kW to around 250kW – a long way off the EQS' 350kW peak rate.In the big Benz that translates into being able to add as much as 320km of range in little more than ten minutes, in the same time BMW owners will have only managed to squeeze in no more than 205km-worth of charge.A 10-80 per cent top-up, meanwhile, takes 29 minutes, although the German carmaker says the combination of optimised route planning and predictive heat management unlocks faster real-world charging.On the combustion side, there's a new entry 740 that gains 48-volt mild hybrid tech.The 740i-replacing electrified twin-turbo 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder musters an additional 14kW more power (294kW) but is no quicker from 0-100km/h (5.4 seconds) and is only fractionally less thirsty than before (7.7L/100km v 7.9L/100km).A 230kW 740d xDrive and a plug-in hybrid 750e and M760e both arrive later on in November 2026 but are uncertain for Australia.The most powerful M760e M Performance could prove an enticing proposition for limo buyers, combining 450kW/800Nm, a 0-100km/h dash of 4.2 seconds, and up to 80km of EV range, fuel use is commendably low at 3.5L/100km.Later on, a powerful V8-powered M Performance version will also follow, but there's still no sign of BMW M ever launching a full-fat M7. Instead, an overhauled Alpina variant will provide supercar levels of thrust with little compromise to comfort or refinement.New driverless tech includes a hands-free adaptive cruise control that works up to 130km/h and a new 'City Assistant' that uses AI and accurate digital mapping to support the driver in stress-inducing urban environments. A new remote parking aid is also available.Despite being locked in for a launch Down Under in Q4 of 2026, BMW Australia has yet to provide timings or pricing for the refreshed BMW 7 Series and the heavily updated i7.Currently, the luxury limo is priced from around $270,000 (plus on-road costs) for the entry 740i and around $300,000 (plus ORCs) for the battery-electric i7 flagship.

The Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts has issued a safety recall notice impacting 24,122 BMWs and Mini derivatives sold new in Australia from 2010 to 2022.It confirms that examples of the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 Series (F0x, F1x, F2x, F3x, G1, G3x), the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6 (F48, F39, F1x, F2x, G0x) as well as the Mini Cooper (F5x) and Countryman (F6x) have been impacted.The notice said, “Due to a manufacturing defect, the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler may develop an internal coolant leak. “If this occurs, the leaking coolant and recirculated exhaust gas may combine, which may result in a reduction of engine power and potentially a fire while driving,” the notice said. The department added, “A reduction of engine power whilst driving and/or a vehicle fire could increase the risk of an accident, causing injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users and/or damage to property.”All grades of the nominated models sold from 2010 to 2022 are potentially included and the department says owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by BMW requesting they schedule an appointment with their preferred authorised BMW dealer for replacement of the EGR cooler, free of charge.Alternatively, BMW can be contacted on 1800 243 675, through email info@bmw.com.au or via www.recall.bmw.com.au. This recall comes on the back of another large scale recall alert last month impacting 16,578 BMWs sold new in Australia from 2020 to 2023.In that case, examples of the 2,3,4,5,7 Series (G12, G2x, G3x, G42), X3 (G01), X4 (G02), X5 (G05) and Z4 (G29) were found to have been exposed to a potential manufacturing defect which means the starter motor solenoid switch could experience increased wear that could cause an internal short circuit and in a worst case scenario “a fire during vehicle operation”.

Sometimes secrets in the car industry make their way into the public, whether via journalists or general mishaps, but it’s not often a brand will spill its own tea.But much of the 2026/27 BMW model line-up has been revealed by an apparent mistake on the German carmaker’s USA website, where icons for some cars yet to be confirmed have appeared.As reported by Motor1 among others, a new version of BMW’s smallest M car is on the cards, with 2027 BMW M2 xDrive having been listed as one of several new models on the way.The shock addition of all-wheel drive to the only M car left without all four wheels doing the driving is just the start, with an all-wheel-drive 3 Series ‘M350i xDrive’ also apparently on the way, marking the start of the next-gen icon.It’ll be joined by the i3 40 xDrive and i3 50 xDrive, two variants of the electric version of the 3 Series in the same way the 5 Series has the i5 and so on.We don’t know what the 3 Series looks like yet, but expect it to borrow heavily from the brand’s recent Neue Klasse design concept.There’s also a BMW iX4 40 xDrive inbound, which should be the ‘coupe’ style version of the already-revealed iX3.The next-gen BMW X5 is also locked in with a ‘40 sDrive’ variant and an electric cousin in the iX5 60.Finally, the 7 Series comes along with what’s set to be a facelift of the limo that was launched in its current incarnation within the last four years. A 740i xDrive is the only variant listed, but the V8-powered 760i and electric i7 should be sticking around.The site has now removed the list of incoming vehicles, but the info is out and about now.More local confirmations will, of course, come in time despite expectations that much of what’s been locked in for the US is likely to land here anyway. Stay tuned.

The Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts has issued a safety recall notice impacting 16,578 BMWs sold new in Australia from 2020 to 2023.It confirms that examples of the 2,3,4,5,7 Series (G12, G2x, G3x, G42) , X3 (G01) , X4 (G02), X5 (G05) and Z4 (G29) have been impacted and said, “Due to a manufacturing defect, the starter motor solenoid switch can experience increased wear that could cause an internal short circuit.“If this occurs, the driver may be unable to start the engine, and in the worst case, the overheating can lead to a fire during vehicle operation,” the notice said. The department added, “A vehicle fire or the driver being unable to restart the engine could increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants, and/or damage to property.”All grades of the nominated models are included, although for reference, close to 65,000 vehicles across those BMW model groups were sold in Australia during the recall period.The department says owners of affected vehicles will be contacted by BMW requesting they schedule an appointment with their preferred authorised BMW dealer for the free of charge starter motor replacement.Alternatively, BMW can be contacted on 1800 243 675 or via www.recall.bmw.com.au. 

BMW believes its six- and eight-cylinder engines will live on well into the next decade, despite a shift to engine downsizing and electrification.

These are not cars just anyone is able to pick up from the dealer - in fact there are laws and regulations to make sure of that. But through the right channels, you can indeed have your own four-wheeled protection if you have the means.

BMW has been building armoured versions of its cars, in particular the 7 Series, for decades in order to supply politicians and wealthy buyers with cars to keep them safe from those who mean harm. BMW claims its new BMW i7 Protection is the first all-electric protection sedan in the world, set to be offered alongside a petrol-powered version of the BMW 7 Series Protection.

The premium end of the new car market in China tends to get its own special toys, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that BMW has built a specific long-wheelbase version of the new eighth generation 5 Series sedan and the i5 electric car version to suit China.