Especially viewed from the rear, that design was ungainly at best and tested the normally steadfast loyalty of many of BMW's best customers. Second only to the howls over iDrive in the original version of this 7 Series was the reaction to the car's styling. These are long, heavy cars, but they don't feel that way from behind the wheel.
2006 BMW IDRIVE REVIEW DRIVER
Both engines feature the full gamut of BMW's engine-control technologies for efficiency and smooth running, and an advanced chassis-control program lets the driver take full advantage of the power. The L versions of the eight-cylinder 750i and the flagship V-12-equipped 760i sedans are stretched 5.5 inches in both the wheelbase and overall length. A small army of knobs and buttons might be more direct and, we dare say, intuitive but would pull the driver's eyes off the road more often. But in a vehicle with such a range of electronic adjustments and features to control and customize, BMW at least deserves points for homogenizing input to such a degree. Even with the 2006 BMW 750Li's revised submenus, iDrive is indeed difficult to master without a real investment of time. BMW's much-maligned iDrive controller for the main dashboard functions rears its head twice in 750 models equipped with the Rear Entertainment Package, as our car was.