New BMW 7 Series aims for "leadership" not sales

BMW will set modest local sales targets for its incoming all-new 7 Series flagship.

Set to be launched to the world at next month's Paris motor show, and arrive Down Under in March 2009, the new 7's global job is to unseat the traditional favourite of auto- and plutocrats alike, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. But BMW Australia is adopting a 'softly softy' approach with the new car, says PR boss Toni Andreevski. He says the company is taking a longer term view towards measuring the success of the new car.

"The new 7 Series is about taking leadership [in the luxury large car category], not just about sales," Andreevski told the Carsales Network.

"Guenther [Seemann, BMW Australia CEO] is taking a longer term view with this car. The 7 Series will be the new benchmark in its category and we will be positioning it and selling it as that," Andreevski said.

BMW's quest to boost the volume of sales of the current E65/66 7 Series Down Under saw the car pushed into markets such as the limousine/hire car fleet via significant 'incentives'. BMW understandably is reluctant to repeat the move with the new F01/02 generation.

To be launched in long and standard wheelbase variants powered by inline six (740) and V8 (750) petrol engines -- both twin turbos -- the new models are claimed to be substantially faster than their current 7 Series equivalents, yet also use less fuel. Further, BMW claims the new 7 will deliver fuel economy improvements of up to 30 per cent over comparable S-Class models.

According to Andreevski the car's design and engineering teams "concentrated on both the dynamic and comfort aspects" of the new flagship.

"The new 7 Series will feature a number of segment firsts," he says.

One of these is the first application of electronically-controlled individually adjustable rebound and compression damping to deliver a wider range of suspension setting options.

"The car will ride like a limousine but will drive like a BMW," Andreevski said.

BMW has also confirmed the production version of Concept CS is a 'live' project. Currently under development by BMW's in-house hotshoe division, M GmbH, the car is yet to be officially named, but has been dubbed the new 8 Series by overseas media sources.

The Concept CS project is headed up by former BMW M chief, Gerhard Richter.

It's not expected that the four-door coupe -- which will take on the likes of Porsche's Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide -- will debut in production form until late 2009 or early 2010. Indeed, current betting has the 2010 Geneva show as the likely venue for the car's unveiling.

The all-new BMW 7 Series will arrive much sooner and be unveiled at the Paris motor show early next month -- look out for our launch review soon after.