It seems, on the face of it, rather rude to charge R363 000 for an extra half-second, which is the 0-100km/h advantage the BMW 760Li holds over the less-powerful 750Li.
Ultimately, as much as numbers count in this megalomaniacal contest, whether you get to 100 in 5.2 or 5.7sec doesn't make that much difference - especially since your chauffeur will probably do most of the driving.
What's more important is Status (yes, with a capital S) and that 760Li badge has that extra cachet when you're wanting to stand out from all the other CEO's. The 760Li is as high as you can go up the BMW totem pole and it's the Bavarian automaker's ultimate spare-no-money, show-the-world-how-clever-we-are car.
To go any higher in the world's luxury limousine ranks you'd need to buy something bearing a Rolls-Royce or Bentley badge.
The R1.63-million Beemer comes with a raft of all-in-the-price luxuries that are extra-cost options on the R1.27-million 750Li, which itself is hardly under-endowed.
Night vision with person recognition is one of my favourites. It's an extra set of eyes at night that shows the view ahead on a TV screen in the centre of the fascia. The night-vision cameras are so sensitive you can see objects much further ahead than with the human eye, especially pedestrians, which show up in bright contrast.
In addition, when the system picks up a person walking on or next to the road, it flashes a warning on the screen AND on to the windscreen head-up display. After spending some time driving in the dark and experiencing its stunning effectiveness, my verdict is that night vision's far more than a gimmick; it's one of the best safety advances I've seen in years.
Other dent-preventing features on the 760Li include lane-change warning, which uses radar sensors to monitor traffic in adjacent lanes and warn you if there's a car in your blind spot.
The top-dog Seven has a host of other standard gadgets not on the 750Li, including exclusive Nappa leather, climate comfort windscreen, adaptive headlights, dynamic drive (body roll stabilisation), active front seats with a massage function and an instrument panel with a leather finish, among others.
To cater for the chauffeur-driven, the rear seat comes with a phone, DVD and TV entertainment system, window blinds, power-adjustable seats, and humungous legroom (though, surprisingly, the boot isn't especially large).
Going through the whole list requires more space than I have; suffice it to say that titillation and technology are served up in equal measure.
AWAKEN THE DRAGON, HOLD ON...
So it's all fancy-schmancy inside, but what's the ultimate Beemer like to drive? Well, a bit like watching a skop, skiet 'n donner action movie with the sound turned off. Cars don't come much more refined than this and to say the six-litre turbocharged V12 engine purrs is to do it an injustice because it makes no sound or vibration when starting up and gives no clue to the performance monster lying in wait.
When you do awaken the dragon it fires up the road with brutal intensity but eerie calmess; the hard shove into your seat is out of kilter with the lack of noise.
It's a heavy car but 400kW and 750Nm have a way of making their presence felt in hard acceleration, as the Lamborghini-like 5.2sec 0-100 time attests. Not to mention in fuel consumption, which averaged 17.8 litres/100km in our test car (not 13, as BMW claims with its tongue no doubt firmly in its cheek).
The eight-speed Steptronic auto transmission (other Sevens make do with six gears) is devastatingly effective; gearchanges are lightning quick and as smooth as Cape Velvet Cream. Press a button and you can select from various driving modes - from comfort to "banzai" - by varying the suspension stiffness, the response of the transmission, steering and throttle, as well as the level of traction control.
TAKES SKILL TO MANOEUVRE
The car might be more hippo than hamster and you're always aware of its size and mass but the grip is intense and there's minimum body sway; the steering is meaty in that special BMW way.
The long-wheelbase car takes some skill to manoeuvre in a car park but making life easier are parking distance control with front and rear cameras combined with slight counter-steer being applied to the rear wheels to tighten the turning circle when driving at a crawl.
At high speed, the rear wheels turn slightly in the same direction as the fronts to improve straight-line stability when cornering or changing lanes. It works together with active steering on the front wheels which varies the steering ratio according to velocity.
The big Beemer feels utterly self-assured and calm at high speed and the cabin is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
One of my favourite features in the Sevens is not particularly high-tech, but very clever. It allows you to stop the doors in any position when opening them instead of regular hinges with pre-set notches that sometimes let the door swing too far and bash the car or concrete next to you. It's so convenient and obvious - I can't wait until it becomes a widespread feature in cars.
VERDICT
The 760Li is great big bear-hug of luxury and sophistication with the performance of a Lamborghini Gallardo.
In my book this makes it a contender for 'Best Car on the Planet'. It's not just the way it marries high tech with high refinement and pace but that it throws in BMW's celebrated driving appeal that makes it worthy of being considered for such a title.
The best BMW might not have the same stiff-upper-lip appeal as a Rolls-Royce or Bentley but it does have their measure in terms of luxury and performance. And it has them beat in technology. - INL Motoring