["Motor Week 93 Theme Song"]
Motor Week 93, television's automotive magazine.
Well hello and welcome again to Motor Week 93.
We're glad to have you with us.
When people talk about German luxury cars,
one of the names most often mentioned is that of BMW.
The Bavarian Motorworks has produced many outstanding machines in recent years.
Some of the most popular of these have been their big 7-series sedans.
These cars offer distinctive styling, plenty of luxury, and sharp handling.
Their only failing has been a lack of punch from the standard six-cylinder engine.
Well that problem has now been solved.
BMW has just introduced a new family of small V8 engines,
and one of them debuts in this car, the 740i.
But will a V8 finally make the 7-series an ultimate driving machine?
For years, BMW has promised buyers the ultimate in driving machines.
In general, they have delivered.
As time has passed, they've improved on their promise with major engineering refinements.
To be honest, there may never truly be an ultimate driving machine.
If you talk to our staff, they'll tell you that the new BMW 740i comes darn close.
The reason lies under the familiar BMW hood.
Now with its only slightly wider twin kidney grille.
This four-liter V replacement with the familiar Bavarian inline-six
packs eight cylinders, four camshafts, and 32 valves into a compact 472-pound package.
And while this aluminum wonder may weigh only 22 pounds more than the six it replaces,
it easily pumps out 282 horsepower, only 5% less than BMW's V12, and 295 pound-feet of torque.
It's connected to ZF's innovative five-speed, that's right, five-speed automatic transmission,
the first such gearbox available on a production car sold here.
It features an unusually low first gear for much better off-the-line acceleration.
So while the 740 may weigh more than the 735 it replaces, the combination of V8 and Auto 5
lets it sprint to 60 in 7.4 seconds, a full two seconds faster than the last 735i that we tested.
The powerful engine and fast, seamless shifting automatic give the 740i a muscular feel
that one normally wouldn't associate with a German luxury sedan.
The transmission also features driver-selected shift patterns for economy, sport, or winter mode,
which allows third gear starts. An advanced traction control system is also available.
Handling is also more sports car precise than expected for a large sedan.
The 740 suspension and sticky Pirelli P600 tires allowed it to dart through our slalom.
It's only in high-speed emergency maneuvers that the car loses a bit of composure.
Recovery takes only a flick of the perfectly weighted steering wheel.
Braking is also superbly balanced. Four-wheel disc, standard ABS, stops the 740i from 60
in an average of only 108 feet. Excellent even by lofty German standards.
Stops are straight and stable. Pedal feel is plentiful.
The 740's road feel is firm but never harsh, even without the optional automatic damping suspension.
Fuel mileage is EPA rated at 16 city, 22 highway. We average 20 miles per gallon.
Of course, you do pay a price for all this prowess. $54,000 to start.
Options boosted our test car's price to $58,800. A long wheelbase 740i L starts at $58,000 even.
But the luxury price also includes the luxury features that we expect from a big BMW.
Everything from leather seats to a sunroof are all packed into a roomy, comfortable cabin.
It's luxury with a Teutonic accent. A little cold, even with all this wood, but very efficient and safe.
Both driver and passenger side airbags are now standard, along with front seatbelt tensioners.
Our car's heated front bucket seats follow the current German trend of more padding.
They're firm, supportive, and comfortable.
Ten-way power adjustments and a telescoping steering wheel are standard.
They face a typically sparse luxury car gauge package, but these analog dials are large and easy to read,
and a digital readout covers all engine functions.
Other features, such as a comprehensive trip computer, dual automatic climate controls,
and standard cassette stereo are also typically efficient.
Rear seat room is generous in the 740i. There's plenty of head and leg room.
And a pull-through ski bag behind the center armrest, part of the inclement weather package,
allows you to carry long items without messing up the interior.
The trunk looks shallow and the lift over is high, but it measures a full 17.6 cubic feet,
larger than almost any other sedan in its class.
In Europe, where top highway speeds can still be unlimited, BMW cars have always excelled.
However, in America, these same cars often seem anemic from a standing start.
Through a combination of two additional cylinders and an extra gear, BMW has now reconciled the two cultures.
Not only is the 1993 BMW 740i another expression of ultimate European-style driving,
but now it's one car that fits both America and the world.
Contrary to what some might think, the folks that spend $40,000 to $60,000 for a car
are some of the most careful shoppers around.
So in the interest of consumer education, we recently assembled six of the world's top V8 luxury sedans
for our Motor Week comparison test. Yes, it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
A decade ago, any assemblage of V8 luxury sedans would have likely been exclusively American.
In 1993, however, the highest caliber in this category have origins from across the world,
and only one carries the Made in the USA label.
All of our V8 selections cost between $40,000 and $60,000, today's most hotly contested price for posh sedans.
Half our group are built in Germany. That includes the $56,400 Mercedes-Benz 400E,
the Audi V8 also with a $56,400 base price, and the just-released $54,000 BMW 740i.
From Japan, there are two, the $45,400 Infiniti Q45 and the groundbreaking $46,600 Lexus LS400.
While carrying the domestic banner, as well as being the price leader of the group, is the $41,990 Cadillac STS.
Six expertly engineered answers to the V8 luxury car question. Which is tops?
Boy, a tougher question we have never asked ourselves, though we have to admit that we were bowled over by the BMW 740i.
Never before have we seen a single car that so perfectly lived up to the luxury car theme.
It's powerful, graceful, safe and refined.
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