Last night: a camera and a new F02...

[j0shua]

Took a few pics of the lights and interior. Love the front lights, and the rear lights really stand out.Haha default forum setting for me was a 'thumbs down'

 

[j0shua]

The door handle lights are really bright, and they glow from behind, very different from the E66.

The new iDrive is so much faster, and the screen is beautiful. There's a ridiculous amount of menus and it does get confusing, but the shortcut buttons help a lot. It feels a lot better than the E66's, there's no need to remember which direction to push the controller to select a menu.

The USB interface works nicely, I stuck a 4GB stick in last night and it looks like it may stay.

 

[j0shua]

Having the gearshift back in the centre console is a big relief, I never was a fan of the steering shaft mount shift. The car now has Comfort > Normal > Sport > Sport Plus programs, haven't had time to play with them much.

The key is massive too, about 30% bigger than the E66. Any bigger and it won't fit into pockets, might need a chain around the neck.

The rear console has climate controls, and a separate DVD drive. Between the headphone outs, there are individual RCA inputs for external devices. I wonder if a PS3 can be powered off the cigarette lighter...

The rear is a pretty nice place to be, it feels a bit smaller than the E66, but you're not sitting as high. Space isn't really an issue back there, and the seats are very comfortable. Initial bum-testing by an independent and slightly unreliable source says that this car feels a tad bit more crashy on comfort setting than an E66 on Sport setting. I've hardly driven the car and have yet to test the back in motion, so I'm not so sure.

 

[j0shua]

I love the new dash. It's totally blacked out, and when you enter the car the rings fire up and the orange letters turn on. There's a great deal of info that can be taken straight off the dash, and stuff like entertainment settings show up there too. Kinda distracting, but the HUD makes up for it.

Full tank = 600km, so it says. Lies, probably haha.

 

[Eggie86]

Awesome pics bro. Thanks a lot for sharing! The F02 sure is one awesome ride! :top:

 

[j0shua]

Thanks!

The ride's very different from the E66. Having used an E66 for so long, it's easy to notice the subtle differences in the cars that make the F02 so much more better. It feels genuinely smaller than an E66, even though it looks a bit larger, esp from the front as it has a more upright grille. The E66 feels bigger on the inside, as the rear door panels curve outwards, and the central screen doesn't intrude rearward as with the F02. The F02 has no seatbelt for a rear central passenger, at least I couldn't find one. Sitting on the hard central bit would seem a bit uncomfortable, too.

Having driven the F02 a bit more, it turns in better, and while the ride is a bit harder than the E66, it's still a very comfortable place to be at the back. I spec'd the sports steering with HUD, so the car tactile-wise, it feels less like the luxobarge it actually is. The reverse camera is a like a gift from heaven, the problem I found most with the E66 was judging the rear gap so the car won't stick out that much when reverse parking. It's one thing to put it in the red zone on the PDC, but how far into the red zone?

I'll take some comparison pics sometime soon.

 

[mizhan]

thanks for the enlightenment.. keep the info coming.

 

[Eggie86]

Thanks!

The ride's very different from the E66. Having used an E66 for so long, it's easy to notice the subtle differences in the cars that make the F02 so much more better. It feels genuinely smaller than an E66, even though it looks a bit larger, esp from the front as it has a more upright grille. The E66 feels bigger on the inside, as the rear door panels curve outwards, and the central screen doesn't intrude rearward as with the F02. The F02 has no seatbelt for a rear central passenger, at least I couldn't find one. Sitting on the hard central bit would seem a bit uncomfortable, too.

Having driven the F02 a bit more, it turns in better, and while the ride is a bit harder than the E66, it's still a very comfortable place to be at the back. I spec'd the sports steering with HUD, so the car tactile-wise, it feels less like the luxobarge it actually is. The reverse camera is a like a gift from heaven, the problem I found most with the E66 was judging the rear gap so the car won't stick out that much when reverse parking. It's one thing to put it in the red zone on the PDC, but how far into the red zone?

I'll take some comparison pics sometime soon.

You mentioned that the turn in was better than the E66. Is it probably helped by the fact that the rear wheels also move once the car is making a turn?

No exterior pics? Once tailed a 740i F02 after the Damansara Toll. Awesome lah. That car is WAYYY bigger than the E32 I'm currently using. Hehe. It's like seeing Goliath in front of me, and I'm struggling to catch up with the F02.

Say, F02; means the SWB version? :top:

 

[jeffreychung]

IS this ur new ride ? ? If yes then Congratz to you bro .

 

[j0shua]

You mentioned that the turn in was better than the E66. Is it probably helped by the fact that the rear wheels also move once the car is making a turn?

No exterior pics? Once tailed a 740i F02 after the Damansara Toll. Awesome lah. That car is WAYYY bigger than the E32 I'm currently using. Hehe. It's like seeing Goliath in front of me, and I'm struggling to catch up with the F02.

Say, F02; means the SWB version? :top:

Thx for the feedback, didn't know if anyone was reading all this haha.

I didn't spec this car with Integral Active Steering, so when it turns, it's only the front wheels doing the job. It's a straight up comparison between the old car and the new one, except that the F02's sports steering may be providing a perceived tactile difference. It is a nicely sized wheel, thickness make a huge difference.

Took pics at night; was too dark for exterior pics. I figured those pics can be found all over the net anyways, so was looking to get some detail pics of things you won't normally find with ease. The car isn't that big sizewise, but it looks big, cos it's so, er, vertical... the surfaces go straight up, so it looks very imposing and has a certain presence.

F02 is LWB version.

 

[Eggie86]

Thx for the feedback, didn't know if anyone was reading all this haha.

I didn't spec this car with Integral Active Steering, so when it turns, it's only the front wheels doing the job. It's a straight up comparison between the old car and the new one, except that the F02's sports steering may be providing a perceived tactile difference. It is a nicely sized wheel, thickness make a huge difference.

Took pics at night; was too dark for exterior pics. I figured those pics can be found all over the net anyways, so was looking to get some detail pics of things you won't normally find with ease. The car isn't that big sizewise, but it looks big, cos it's so, er, vertical... the surfaces go straight up, so it looks very imposing and has a certain presence.

F02 is LWB version.

Thanks for the lowdown bro. Hey, I always thought that the active steering came as standard on the F01/F02s. After all, the 7 is the ultimate luxo-barge of the roundel right?

Anyways, the front grille still gives me mixed reactions everytime I look at it. I find it rather hideous at times. I actually kinda like the rear lights as well as the side profile. Have seen one at PBD last week, and yes, the door lights which light up once the car is unlocked is one cool touch! Don't see that with the W221 S Class.

Haha. Yup, it's amazing how the 7 has grown in size and stature. Even the previous-gen Camry and Accord is bigger than the E32!

 

[j0shua]

Comparison Pics.

Ok had some time last night to snap some pics of both the E66 and F02, just to give an idea of how different they are inside.

First, we have the keys. The E66's is smaller and blockier, and it requires insertion in the keyhole, followed by a press of the start button to operate. The F02 does not have a key slot for its much larger and curvier key, so the key fob can remain in your pocket upon unlocking the car.

 

[j0shua]

The driving seat, now. E66 on left, F02 on right.

Can't see the F02's HUD, the camera doesn't like trying to focus on it, even in manual focus mode haha. The navigation details show up there, along with speed and cruise control and check messages. Very useful. F02 sports steering is very very comfortable to use.

E66, on the other hand, as a fairly dated cockpit, the dual-binnacle setup contributes to the clutter. The stalk gearshift does allow more space in the centre, and the middle compartment is far, far larger than the new car's, and can actually swallow the owner's manual with tons of space to spare. That does not save the stalk gearshift, though, it's still a pretty crap idea. What's worse is that I'm so used to it that when driving the F02, I keep on turning on the windscreen wash jets when changing from R to D...

The E66 has individual knobs for both passenger and driver for both temp and fan speed. F02's knobs are only for temp, so fan speed is controlled by a pair of buttons, which is far less intuitive for us. I tend to leave the temperature settings at the lowest possible, and depend on fan speed for variation.

Needless to say, the new iDrive is far, far, far better... and I forgot to put the E66 key in, so the dash systems aren't on and the terribly thin steering wheel is raised.

 

[j0shua]

Front passenger compartment.

 

[j0shua]

Rear passenger compartments.

E66 feels and looks bigger, and has slightly larger rear seats. Also, E66 has 5 seatbelts and can properly fit 5 people. Also has a fridge, which gets hardly used.

F02 has a more cohesive cabin, and the rear entertainment is far improved. Unfortunately only the Pro system gets the rear iDrive controller, but there is a separate remote controller for the Mid system, which is stored in the armrest. F02 only has 4 seatbelts, which makes me wonder why they have a movable rear armrest...

 

[j0shua]

Lastly, engine compartment.

E66 has a 4.4l V8, 333hp and 450Nm, which is very smooth but not very sporting. It revs easily, but a 6.5k redline means that it feels a bit choked. Phenomenal for highway cruising, will happily do 150-160km/h at 3k rpm and feel completely unstressed, and almost in total silence. Suspension-wise, it's floaty and wafty on Comfort, and it deals with road imperfections well. Cornering at speed on Comfort will have a lot of body roll. Sport setting solves that, yet still remains very comfortable at the back, it does not get crashy or feel too firm.

F02 has a 3l twin-turbo'd I6, and does 326hp and also 450Nm. Not much difference there, but the F02 delivers the power and torque a bit earlier and has a bit more redline headroom, as well as weighing less than the V8. It's similar to what you'd find in a 135i or 335i. It has a nice, very raspy sound that gives the impression that you're accelerating harder than you actually are. It's far noisier in there when accelerating, but not a great deal more when cruising. The ride isn't as comfortable, it feels a bit harder at the back on Comfort, and even more so on Sport. This allows the car the feel a bit more agile than the old one, and gives the impression that it's smaller, too. Also, the turbo engine runs quite hot. I thought the E66 ran hot, but the F02 runs hotter 0.o

 

[j0shua]

Thanks for the lowdown bro. Hey, I always thought that the active steering came as standard on the F01/F02s. After all, the 7 is the ultimate luxo-barge of the roundel right?

Anyways, the front grille still gives me mixed reactions everytime I look at it. I find it rather hideous at times. I actually kinda like the rear lights as well as the side profile. Have seen one at PBD last week, and yes, the door lights which light up once the car is unlocked is one cool touch! Don't see that with the W221 S Class.

Haha. Yup, it's amazing how the 7 has grown in size and stature. Even the previous-gen Camry and Accord is bigger than the E32!

The front grille is pretty upright, but it does give the car a fairly imposing look. I had a good look inside the grilles the other day and saw some ED at work:

 

[JCKL]

When the E66 was first launched, most journalists said that it won't age well. Your comparison shots have just demonstrated that point.:top:

 

[Eggie86]

Haha. Nice updates Joshua. Come to think of it, the new grille is somehow starting to grow on me. Though it still gets some getting used to since the stance is so upright this time. Btw, just saw a white 740iL [F02] in Uptown during lunch time. Rear bumper [bottom] which houses the exhaust pipes seems to have fallen off... Maybe owner in the midst of putting on new bodykit? :top:

 

[j0shua]

When the E66 was first launched, most journalists said that it won't age well. Your comparison shots have just demonstrated that point.:top:

The E66 does feel a bit dated, but I used it today, and it's still a very comfortable ride. Compared to the equivalent MB which I had for a very short amount of time, the W220, the 7er is leaps and bounds ahead.

The pics don't really tell the whole story, mainly because the lack of proper lighting kinda brings out the worst in the cabin. It's actually a lot darker, a lot more cosseting. Once you get used to it, the layout is fairly intuitive, and the tactile surfaces feel solid to the touch. No doubt it has aged compared to the F02's cabin, but if you close your eyes and sink into the seats, the E66 actually might be a more comfortable place to be.

Haha. Nice updates Joshua. Come to think of it, the new grille is somehow starting to grow on me. Though it still gets some getting used to since the stance is so upright this time. Btw, just saw a white 740iL [F02] in Uptown during lunch time. Rear bumper [bottom] which houses the exhaust pipes seems to have fallen off... Maybe owner in the midst of putting on new bodykit? :top:

I saw a white F02 today, had the number plate W-- 222 but it had an intact bumper. Would it be the same car; I can't imagine there'd be that many white ones around?