BMW's flagship 7 Series limousine has generated controversy since the international release of the Chris Bangle designed E65/E66 series in 2001.
Judged by some aesthetes as ungainly and heavily rumped, the car has nonetheless proved to be the most successful 7 Series ever - both overseas and over 'ere. Indeed, almost 160,000 have been delivered worldwide to customers (bettering the more conventionally styled E38 by almost 10 per cent in the same timeframe) and last year the car was the best-selling in its class with 311 Australian deliveries.
Almost as controversial as the E65/E66's looks was its complex multi-level menu-driven car accessory and setting control system. Few if any automotive enthusiasts would have missed the storm the system, dubbed iDrive, created. In the end almost as much misinformation was disseminated about the centre console mounted 'captive mouse' as information. Everybody had an opinion - even those who had not even sat in the car, let alone driven it!
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