Jim O'Donnell, North American CEO of BMW commented that with the collapse of U.S. credit markets, the new 7 may be too much of a luxury item for many on this side of the Atlantic to afford it.
Given that the U.S. is the car's biggest market, poor sales would mean a let-down for the flagship sedan and BMW as a whole. The prices for the car will range from $77,625 to $126,625, enough so that the recent economic woes in this country would discourage many from buying the 7-series.
Though they may be substantial, those prices offer buyers a considerable amount of amenities. The new 7 uses a substantial amount of aluminum throughout its body structure to save weight, and is outfitted with some captivating features like a lane departure warning system, night vision, and a heads-up display.
The improvements of the new 7-series over the previous model are evident, but only time will tell if predictions such as those of O'Donnell's will be right.
Source: Automotive News