I-drive is not that bad. If you can use a computer with ease, the I-drive is not very hard. No I do not have one and thus am trying to defend for some reason. (I cannot get over the looks...yet)
i know what rolls has to do to make money like bentley. they need to make a cheeper model. say a four door sedan that costs maybe $180,000. they could make it direct competition to the arnage and it would be about 20k less than one too. also they would need to make sure it has a very classy design, not sorta ugly like the phantom. they also have to create with this car a reputation that it is a drivers car, not a car to be driven in. it would make rolls lose a little bit of exclusitivity, but their sales would jump dramatically.
Theres a Phantom here in Houston and that thing is huge. It makes a S500 look like a Civic. Anyway, IMHO, Bentley and RR don't really impress me much. Sometimes I think they over do their cars.
Having read this thread, I have to express my delight at owning a RR Silver Seraph. In my opinion, it is a driver's car, and although not as sporting as my 360, I actually enjoy driving it as much as my Ferrari. It doesn't roll or wallow like, say my moms 78 Lincoln Continental Mark V (which we still have in mint condition, 8-track tape deck included), and the BMW V-12 moves that car very nicely. When I bought my new MB E-500 last month, I saw one of the Maybach cars in the showroom going for 380k, and I just wasn't all that impressed with it. Also, I detest the new styling of the RR Phantom; it's as big as an F-4 Phantom, and with all the knick-knacks and doo-dads, like the umbrella receptacles in the doors and the raised rear seats, it reminds me of the car that Homer Simpson designed that ruined his brother. Although VW got snookered in the purchase of Bentley/RR by not getting the RR name, they certainly retained the better styling path of the two. I think the new Bentleys are beautiful, and wish RR hadn't taken such a different path in terms of styling.
The 760Li is a boat of grandiose proportions. The 745Li is a much better car IMO. The V12 isn't in the same league as the MB from a refinement perspective and is only marginally better than the BMW V8. Comparing the S600 to 760Li, the MB is much better balanced, significantly lighter on its feet and on a whole different plain as far as performance is concerned. Bottom line if you are looking at the 7 get the 745Li By way of background BMW corporate flew 6 couples, myself included to the Alpine region in Victoria for a driving junket with a fleet of 7 series. Getting back into the S600 at home, made me realise how superior the MB is to the 760Li.
Rolls isn't going to go down market to sell more cars and I really don't see them building anything below $200k. They're in trouble and the fact that they are on their 3rd CEO in what, 12 months, says that they are desperate too. They took a gamble and lost. The pendulum is swinging back towards inconspicuous consumption again. Every one in the media made such a big deal that VW got the shaft by only getting Bentley. Yet no one was paying attention to the details to recognize that Bentley was the stronger brand (the turn around came with the introduction of the Turbo R, IN THE MID 80'S!!!). Does anyone else see the irony that the guy that bought RR is now the guy that has Bentley? Angelo: Great car. Last of the really good looking RRs.
I have not tried the new generation of BMW V12s, yet. The only reason I was even considering it was because our family has owned the last generation 750iL for quite a number of years, and we love it. It is much better then preturbo S class in my experiance. (One drove like a box, and it was not the BMW...) So in light of this experiance I was trying to "give the 760 another chance" despite its ungainly looks. Sad to see they did not keep up. It pains me to say that I am even considering MB over BMW in both the 7/S class and the 6/SL class. I would never have said this a few years ago.
I know the feeling. I have been very happy with my BMW 328i, but since I needed a larger family car, normally I would not have looked at an MB but wiuth the BMW styling and other factors, I just couldn't go that way.
i drive is a bit of a pain, but once you get accustomed it's not so bad. Interior room on the Li is much better than the MB long wheelbase. 7 series is not a bad car IMO, butt ugly yes, bad no, just that I believe the 745Li to be the pick of the model range. It's over 500lbs lighter than the 760Li, not a huge power difference and available with all the same options.
Bentley has always been the jewel in the crown. I only hope they can restore the marque to it's traditional splendour as the manufacturers of the worlds finest sporting saloons. The styling of the new sedan is a step in the right direction, lets hope the performance and handling are up to scratch.
does bmw not make the z8 anymore? that thing was 360-expensive. i love the rolls royce phantom. it has the most comfortable and strangely enough, best smelling interior i've ever been in. due to the size, you'd think it would handle slugishly, but it doesn't. i will probably end up buying the convertible in 07.
