2014 BMW 7 Series VS Mercedes S63 AMG BMW 7 Series VS Mercedes S63 AMG BMW 7 series Review You are looking at the fifth-generation BMW 7-series, and if you're surprised by how similar to the previous model it appears then you are quite clearly not alone. So close in feel visually is the new Seven to its predecessor -- the first BMW to boast Chris Bangle's controversial flame-surface styling, remember -- you could easily mistake it for a mid-life revamp model. In reality, of course, it's a brand new car featuring a brand new platform and an entirely new bodyshell, which just happens to look remarkably like the one before. A very broad range spreads from the cheapest 730d SE, which carries a mid-£50k price tag right up to the 760Li M Sport (an unlikely combination of attributes) that costs almost double the entry-level car. The 7-series started life, as so many of BMW's headline models did, in the mid-1980s. And although it has gained weight, size and technical sophistication across the four different models that have followed, the fundamental template has remained virtually unchanged. Just as the very first versions were, the latest car is rear-wheel drive and features a range of straight-six engines, the vast majority of which were petrol to begin with but have now been superseded by turbodiesel units. In the second-generation car a V12 option was added. A series of V8s have since joined the mix and there have been numerous long-wheelbase models as well. Mercedes Benz's performance division, AMG, has had a bit of a tinker with its S-class flagship. The changes are mainly cosmetic, with a redesigned, more aggressively beaked grille, LED daytime driving lights unique to AMG, tail-light LEDs arranged in a double C pattern and a body-coloured rear diffuser. There are also gorgeous new 19-inch multi-spoke wheels, but overall, the big S retains a fairly subtle profile. Slightly less subtle is the monster performance on offer. The S 63 retains the previous version's 6.2-litre V8, which gives the two-tonne Merc the necessary poke to reach 62mph in just 4.6 seconds. Compared to its more refined, genteel S 65 V12 sibling, the S 63 is the swaggering hoodie of the family. AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg describes it as "more sporty, more raw, more loud." Well, that's a pretty eloquent description: get hard on the throttle and that V8 transmogrifies a fairly subdued low-speed woofle into a hard-edged, hammering wail as the needle swings to the 7200rpm rev limit. Shifting through that ultra smooth (and quick) seven-speed automatic with the requisite flappy paddles, the S 63's straightline performance remains titanic. Which brings us neatly to the new S63's most significant dynamic upgrade. Asking a two-tonne lump of steel to go around a corner with anything approaching poise and agility is inevitably a losing battle with physics. However, AMG has invested the S 63 with the amusingly named Torque Vectoring Brake. This brakes the appropriate inner rear wheel during cornering to help the car turn in with more conviction. But while the big S does corner with a reassuring degree of plantedness and security, there's always that point when you think 'ah yes. Two tonnes.' Other fresh mechanical tweaks include a crosswind stabilisation function based on the car's Active Body Control -- sorry, couldn't find a crosswind to test this one -- and a variable ratio steering set up, which felt very natural with first-rate feedback.

• published: 26 Aug 2013
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