The BMW 7-Series Is for Bosses and Tycoons, Without the Tycoon Price Tag

BMW Philippines held a virtual launch of the all-new BMW 7-Series for the press with no less than tycoon Ramon S. Ang, BMW Philippines’ chairman and San Miguel Corporation’s president and COO, joining the Zoom meeting. Ang promised the group attending the Zoom press conference we’ll all get dibs on test driving the new German luxury flagship sedan.  

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BMW says the 7-Series was built for those who drive the world so this writer got a feel on how it feels to be like the tycoon himself, at least for a few days. According to Forbes, Ang is the eighth richest man in the country and is one of the most philanthropic businessmen in the country today.

Photo by Alvin Uy.

“I rode in the new 7-Series and it was really fast. You will not realize it was just a four cylinder engine,” Ang said during the interview without disclosing how fast he was going. 

He also outlined his plans for the highways and skyways his company is investing and his views on why there is a need to expand the country’s network of highways, elevated or subterranean or at-grade. Ang also said that the new BMW 7-Series is amazingly quick and fast, despite its smaller displacement.

Last July, SMC opened the last phase of the TPLEX highway, and Ang was able to drive on it onboard the new 7-Series.

The base unit BMW 730i is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cyliner TwinPower gasoline engine rated at 265 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque. The smaller engine allowed the German luxury brand to lower the price tag to a game-changing P5.99 million without compromising on power and torque, thanks to its turbocharger. 

The higher BMW 745Le variant, which is BMW’s first-ever Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) luxury sedan in the Philippines uses a 3.0-liter BMW TwinPower six-cylinder gasoline paired with a powerful electric motor. The BMW 745Le is capable of up to 55 kilometers of electric range in ideal conditions, and offers a combined performance figure of 394 horsepower and 600 Nm of torque. 

Photo by BMW Philippines.

During the interview, Ang also intimated that he enjoys watching documentaries of famous industrialists and tycoons that shaped the modern world, such as the Vanderbilts, J.P. Morgan, Rockefeller, on YouTube gave us the impression that he looks at the lives of these people and how these families shaped modern America. 

The driving experience with the 7-Series also sort of gave us a glimpse on how it feels to be a tycoon, even for just a day. 

Thankfully, it was a weekend loaner so I had the chance to drive the 730i outside the metro and around town traffic-free, thanks to GCQ. I rode at the back in the sofa-like rear seats and I really felt like a boss. 

According to BMW Philippine president Spencer Yu, the first batch of 10 units were already sold out and a majority of the 20 units inbound are spoken for.

Photo by Alvin Uy.

“We did not skimp on the features of the new BMW 730i, we will still offer the Harmann Kardon sound system, it will still have air suspension and four-way climate control, despite the P5.99million price tag,” Yu said.

Driving the car was like riding a dream, power was linear and did not disappoint. This car can easily catch up with most of the bigger engine sedans in Autobahn and the ride was very plush. NVH (Noise, vibration, harshness) was almost non-existent, befitting a flagship sedan.

You, too, can experience the 7-Series during the BMW Xpo 2020, happening now until the end of the month. For more information, check out the BMW Philippines Facebook page and book a test drive yourself to see how it feels to be like Ramon Ang, even for just a day.