ITS superfluousness chokes whatever neat tricks the car can perform. That was my assessment in a report I wrote six years ago after coming face to face with BMW's current 7-series for the first time. I also said the car was ugly and silly.
In ways which can only be deemed incomprehensible, my perception of the car has swung 180 degrees with the years.
My only excuse is that six years, in today's fickle world, is a very long time.
Also, flagship models of other notable marques have embraced the 7's ways, including its brazen scroll-and-click architecture for all manners of onboard functions.
It helps that BMW's flagship has a design quality which even animate objects seldom possess: the ability to grow on you.
Even today, the current 7-series - whose replacement will be unveiled in Frankfurt three months from now - is able to hold its own quite well against far younger rivals like Mercedes' S-class and Audi's A8.
And to think that when the car first appeared, there were calls from some quarters for BMW's design supremo Christopher Bangle to be removed.
But a car cannot be judged merely by its looks (even if the buying decision is often swayed by it). A BMW, after all, is an ultimate driving machine.
To that end, I have always found the 7 to offer a more involving drive than other limos, but never quite as satisfying as the 5 or the 3-series.
Then again, I have never sampled the flagship in conditions which it was tailored for. The opportunity presented itself recently, in an absolutely indulgent drive spanning over 1,800km of open roads up north.
The carriage at hand? A 740Li, resplendent in a reworked chassis and suspension sitting on new 19-inch wheels. The improvements include noticeably wider tracks and self-levelling air suspension.
They are a smart and fitting finish to a car that is already quite dashing and accomplished. But it is how they have given the car a new spring in its step that deserves more praise.
On gloriously winding stretches up and down Cameron Highlands, the 740Li maintains the composure of the QEII while keeping pace with a very agile 3-series driven by someone who knows the terrain like the back of his hand.
The handling betrays little of the 7's generous dimensions. After all, its length is well compensated by suitably broader stance and fatter tyres.
True, the 7 has never been quite nimble in the city. Congestion sometimes brings out the worst of the giant's gait. But this elephantine tendency magically disappears when the playground expands. And when the car can get up to speeds it is built for.
The road trip includes ample stretches for the big Bavarian to show what it is capable of. Before long, I am confronted with an embarrassing truth: I find the car more rewarding than the 330i which I took on a similar northbound journey.
Besides its surprising handling, the 740 is infinitely more comfortable, has a bassy V8 with lots of brawn and, finally, has amenities only a 7 can provide.
The final-leg 7s pack more goodies onboard than ever. There is a reverse camera - always handy for barges like the Beemer flagship.
Then, there are two TV screens mounted on the backrest of the front seats. They are hooked up to a DVD system which comes with wireless headphones.
Next to the car's stability - something rear passengers on long hauls are extra grateful for - the DVD set keeps those in the backseats suitably stimulated.
Finally, there is the automatic high-beam, which is useless in Singapore but a brilliant gadget for nocturnal navigation of Malaysian highways. The system, which turns on the high beam when all is dark and turns it off as soon as it detects oncoming traffic or the tail-lamps of other vehicles, works like a charm.
It all adds up to a package that seems superfluous at first. But after just 1,800km, I'm finding it hard to live with anything less.
Methinks the next 7 has huge shoes to fill. Especially when the current one seems as good as it gets.
Price: $318,800 with COE Engine: 4,000cc 32-valve V8 Transmission: Six-speed Steptronic Power: 306bhp at 6,300rpm Torque: 390Nm at 3,500rpm 0-100kmh: 6.9 seconds Top speed: 250kmh Fuel consumption: 16.3 litres/100km (city) Agent: Performance Motors
