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The erstwhile East German countryside has changed a lot since The Wall came down. You see modern cars, refurbished houses and people wearing fashionable clothing. But there are indicators of the socialist past – the most obvious one was unfurling in front of the brand new BMW 750i that I was wafting around in. The black-top was narrow and winding – wide enough for two Trabants or one Trabant and a truck to pass each other without catastrophic consequences. But the 7 Series is a wide automobile and every time something larger than another car came against me, my heart skipped a beat. And when trucks sped past I simply closed my eyes and prayed.
But when there was no traffic – which was the way things were for most of the day – I enjoyed the spectacular show called ‘autumn in Germany’ that was playing all through the test loop. It was so beautiful; I felt I was driving in slow-motion in a big budget ad film – complete with colourful leaves floating down from the heavens and getting caught in the aerodynamic draught of the mighty machine.
As far as machines go, the new 7 is indeed mighty. It is bigger than its predecessor and has features that can be beaten only by the International Space Station. Well, you get the picture. Take a deep breath and read the following passage: Lane change warning, blind spot monitoring, night vision that can identify human shapes (hit the animal, swerve for the human, thank you!), head-up display that can read sign boards (when your wife is sleeping) and tell you the speed limit, and four-wheel steering. These are over and above the stunningly loaded basic car and in no way completes the options list that runs on to optional active steering and optional Dynamic Drive body roll control. And then, it has got Internet connectivity. An Internet café that can do 100 kbps and 250 kph? Yes, that would be the new 7er, sir, thankfully minus the espresso station (got you there, men from BMW who put together that expansive options list!).
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