BMW 760 LI
6.0-liter V12, 438 horsepower, 444 lb.-ft. of torque, 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds, and a aluminum engine with direct-injection & Valvetronic tuning

The revered German automaker’s flagship sedan has garnered a lot of superlatives, each of them well-earned. The universal long and short of it is this: if you’re behind the wheel of a BMW 760 LI, you have arrived. You’re there, buddy.

Forgive me if that sounded overly simplified or even pretentious, but this car is royalty in the production-sedan realm. There’s no cutting corners with this one, especially on the inside, from the abundant top-quality leather to the genuine ash trim. The body-hugging, heated front seats power-adjust 20 ways, and active head restraints decrease the chance of whiplash injury. Even the lucky backseat passengers are spoiled with 14-way, power-adjustable seats and their own climate control.

BMW’s patriarch features a 6.0-liter V12 that purrs like a kitten and hauls like a team of 438 horses. We’re talking 444 lb.-ft. of torque, and 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds, for those times when you really want to press down on that right Berluti. The aluminum engine is state-of-the-art, with direct-injection and Valvetronic tuning, technologies that not only boost output but reduce fossil-fuel consumption a tad.

The 6-speed automatic transmission communicates with the engine through a high-tech shaft-by-wire connection, and it can be manually shifted via the steering wheel-mounted controls. With fuel economy rated at 14 city and 22 highway, this royal ride doesn’t have too many friends in the Sierra Club. But thanks to a 23.3-gallon tank, at least your pit stops won’t be overly frequent.

This top dog of the 7 Series boasts a slate of features that most manufacturers haven’t even thought of yet. An example is the adaptive brakelight, which illuminates a larger area in response to emergency-style pedal-stomping, more readily catching the attention of the napping driver behind you. Another innovative function is the keyless and fobless door-locking, wherein you just push in the door handle (after the power-close feature has sealed it) to activate the locks. This, like all the other controls, is easy, intuitive, and advanced in keeping with the BMW code.

This year, adaptive front headlights that peek around curves join the list of standard equipment, as do power-folding rearview mirrors. Refinements have been rendered front and rear in the headlights, air dams, and the like, and new color choices have been added inside and out. But this long, lean Ultimate Driving Machine now stands alone as the sole 760—the shorter-wheelbase trim has been discontinued.

If you’ve driven an earlier 760, you’ll wonder where there was room for improvement, but those Bavarian perfectionists nevertheless found some places to tweak. The chassis and suspension have been further finessed for this model year, delivering the quintessential balance of taut agility, sportiness, and comfort. Looks like the cobwebs are going to thrive around that suggestion box.

GET IT: if you want a prestigemobile that is truly built for all types of touring and tooling—pure enjoyment at any speed.