A midcycle freshening of BMW's 7-series changes the look of the often derided big sedan a tad, but will it be enough to quiet the critics? The redesign includes tweaked front-end styling with more conventional headlights that better line up with the new grille, as well as new bumpers and taillights. The changes seem minor, but the overall appearance is less eccentric than before.
Under the new hood is a larger, 4.8-liter V-8 producing 360 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque (up from 4.4 liters with 325 horsepower and 330 pound-feet). The
V-8-powered cars are now badged 750 in recognition of their larger engine. Twelve-cylinder models benefit from the styling changes but retain the 438-hp, 6.0-liter V-12.
Tony Quiroga is a 20-year-veteran Car and Driver editor, writer, and car reviewer and the 19th editor-in-chief for the magazine since its founding in 1955. He has subscribed to Car and Driver since age six. "Growing up, I read every issue of Car and Driver cover to cover, sometimes three or more times. It's the place I wanted to work since I could read," Quiroga says. He moved from Automobile Magazine to an associate editor position at Car and Driver in 2004. Over the years, he has held nearly every editorial position in print and digital, edited several special issues, and also helped produce C/D's early YouTube efforts. He is also the longest-tenured test driver for Lightning Lap, having lapped Virginia International Raceway's Grand Course more than 2000 times over 12 years.
