It’s been a good long while since the BMW 740Li badge graced American shores, and even longer since the entry-level 7 Series packed anything other than eight furious cylinders under its hood. The last time a straight-six lurked behind the quad head lights of the big Bimmer here in the Land of the Free, Bill Clinton was still hanging around Arkansas and the only Cyrus terrorizing the airwaves was Billy Ray. Since then, an entire culture of consumption has blossomed and withered under the glare of questionable loans and fluctuating oil prices, and as such, automakers like BMW have begun to alter their wares to fit the times.

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When it came to the long-wheelbase 7 Series, BMW decided to abandon larger displacement engines options for smarter, more efficient powerplants that wouldn’t disappoint buyers accustomed to a world-class performance threshold.

Full story and pics: Autoblog