But high-end audio is to be expected in a prestigious vehicle such as the 750Li, and so is a comprehensive array of safety features - here BMW doesn't disappoint. For starters the 750Li is capable of astonishingly brief stops during which vehicular control is never marginalized. Nosedive is negligible when the brake pedal is hammered, engaging the car's massive 4-wheel antilock, fully vented disc brakes. BMW's Dynamic Brake Control
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| Nosedive is negligible when the brake pedal is hammered, engaging the car's massive 4-wheel antilock, fully vented disc brakes. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
(DBC) system aids in shortening emergency stops by speeding-up and reinforcing the braking process. Sensors in this system analyze how rapidly the driver's foot is removed from the accelerator and how forcefully it is applied to the brake. The technology then ensures that maximum brake force is rapidly generated. The only sensation detectable by the driver is instantaneous, eye-popping deceleration.
Should powerhouse braking and BMW's Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) program fail to prevent a collision, a plethora of airbags are in place to soften the blow, including dual front-impact smart airbags, front seat side-impact airbags and BMW's Head Protection System (HPS), which is an inflatable tubular airbag designed to protect the heads of front and rear seat occupants. Optional rear seat side thorax airbags are also available.
In addition to the latest airbag technology, the 750Li is fit with cutting-edge lighting front and rear. Its Xenon headlights are self-leveling
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| Its LED brake lights will illuminate with greater intensity when the brakes are forcefully applied. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
and can peek into corners when the steering wheel is turned. Its brake lights will illuminate with greater intensity when the brakes are forcefully applied. Both of these systems are referred to as "Adaptive Lighting" by BMW.
And when it comes to "adaptation," I would require very little of it to find life behind the wheel of a 750Li most rewarding indeed, only one problem for plebeians such as me - cost. This isn't a vehicle for the faint-of-wallet. It is ultra-expensive to buy and after a week of pumping premium gold into its tank, I can attest to its expense to operate. Nonetheless, for those living large the 750Li is a sweet ride. Its list of technological sophistication is as extensive as any mass produced automobile I can name. It treats its occupants to a very hushed, lavish cabin while not entirely removing its driver from the handling-senses that migrate up through the seats-of-the-pants and the road-feel that emanates from the steering wheel. Add a 5.9 second run from 0 to 100 km/h to the vehicle's breathtaking handling dynamics and a smile as wide as if brought on by a successful hostile takeover ought to emerge, as James rockets the 750Li toward the estate.
Imprimer