BMW 7-Series: Before we go any further, let's pin our colours to the mast. There are the vociferous masses who ridiculed the previous 7-Series' design and technology - and there are the silent masses, albeit a minority, who admired it. I'm one of the latter group, though not quite silent.
Designer Chris Bangle, noted that customers in the luxury market needed a car to match their egos. He grabbed his pencil, and drew a car that looked like it had overdosed on steroids with a cockpit that threw out the traditional template of gearstick, radio controls etc.
And why not? Customers for these cars are generally older than, say, those that buy 3-Series or 5-Series. Most got where they are today by taking risks and refusing to accept the norm.
Still, it's a fine line between being different and being daft - those behind the three-wheeled Reliant Robin undoubtedly thought they were challenging common perceptions for the good. The 7-Series of 2002, with its bold styling and iDrive interface, dared to be different and stirred up a healthy debate on technology and design.
Ironically, many risk-taking businessmen seemed to baulk at such a challenge to tradition. Yet, while the detractors still debate the merits of Bangle's bold lines, the fact is that his 7-Series outsold all its predecessors.
Perhaps Bangle has a right to feel some justification, despite all the criticism at the time. Even the iDrive system has been adopted in some form or another by several competitors. At the very least he made his mark on the automotive world.
In Ireland, luxury car buyers remain a conservative lot. It's been tough for the otherwise successful Bavarians to see the lukewarm response to their flagship. In recent times even Lexus has overtaken it with the ultra-conservatively designed LS430. (All the more embarrassing since it comes with only one engine option, a 4.3-litre petrol, against BMW's array of petrol and diesel units.)
All these factors undoubtedly influenced this latest 7-Series, though you'll be hard-pushed to get a BMW employee to admit as much. The new version has certainly toned down its bold design ever so slightly to attract a wider audience and win back BMW lovers scared off by the last one.
Initial reviews from potential buyers seem promising. We came across one ardent BMW fan who was delighted with the arrival of the new model. He had always opted for the 7-Series in the past, owning four previous versions up until 2002. That's when he changed.
It wasn't the iDrive that scared him off, though he did find it frustrating. It was the giant leap in size that put him - and his wife - off.
The new look is something of a merger of the two previous generations. As our 7-Series fan rightly pointed out, the 2002 model was a massive leap in terms of size from its predecessor.
It certainly made an entrance. As well as intimidate spectators, it made potential buyers break out in cold sweats at the thought of getting it into tight multi-storey parking spots.
The new version hasn't shrunk, but the dip in the nose and more slanted bonnet makes it look less imposing, more like older versions of the 7-Series.
The car was never that unwieldy in any event - the dynamic power steering let you fling it round with ease and its many sensors made Washington's anti-terror early warning system seem like something from the Middle Ages.
The technology doesn't end there. With three suspension packages on offer, the 7-Series easily sees off the likes of the S-Class on driving dynamics. There's just so much more information being fed back to the driver, so much more confidence in the handling.
Our test car was the 730d, featuring BMW's well-regarded 3-litre turbo-diesel engine. It was the best-seller in the previous range here and, with slight revisions, it's likely to continue to be so in this. The rest of the range features several new engines, all with improved performance and fuel economy.
The 3-litre diesel is well-suited to the executive feel of the car, its cocoon of padding keeping out the diesel drones. BMW has also managed to incorporate some of its traditional six-cylinder whirr into the straight-six of the diesel.
Acceleration is swift but suave, the upside being plenty of low-end pulling power, or torque. The six-speed ZF gearbox is smooth enough to make the frequent changes without disturbance. In fact this 3-litre diesel offers more torque than all the other petrol engines save the 6-litre V12. So, there's plenty of low-end grunt when pulling away.
Again, there's no gear lever as such, instead a stalk near the wipers through which you select reverse, neutral or drive. It's as smooth as one would expect from a car starting at €99,050 for the 730d entry model.
Cabin peace is disturbed only when you go a touch heavy on the brakes. My right foot has all the grace of a disgruntled jennet, so every time we dropped anchor there was that champagne-spilling jolt forward. The positives are that the brakes will stick you to the road in an emergency and the interior leather is easily wiped clean of Bollinger.
Another cabin disturbance is the colourful language emitted every time you try to do something with the iDrive. This latest version has been designed to be more user-friendly, but it's still incredibly annoying at times (usually early in the morning on the way to work).
Our car featured several optional features, including multi-adjustable seats which not only move up, down, back and forward at the touch of a button or the twist of a knob, but also hug you with the side bolsters. Feeling a bit low? Shareholders making life a misery? Then sit back and let your 7-Series give you a reassuring hug.
There's one glaring omission amid all this high-tech: despite leading the charge with iDrive, BMW has still to bring a Bluetooth mobile phone system to its flagship.
In Britain's corporate market, the 7-Series has proved particularly popular with CEOs who don't actually drive themselves . . . the great and the good will be happy to learn that the back seats are big enough for even the plumpest Bavarian backside. Our test car also featured the rear iDrive control package with individual TV monitor.
Overall, it's a better car to drive than the S-Class and a lot more distinctive. Perhaps the Audi A8 has more urbane looks, but BMW still carries slightly more cache and, on the 20-inch spoke wheels of our test car, looks every bit as striking. (It also featured a full-size spare in the boot, contrary to BMW's run-flat crusade with other models).
Our biggest criticism has to be price. It's nearly €10,000 more than the equivalent A8 and even outprices the equivalent S-Class. Sure, at this level a couple of thousand euros would seem like pocket money.
Yet, you can't help wondering if it's €10,000 better than the Audi. Add in the few extras, such as the rear entertainment function at €7,060, or the electric blinds package at €1,660 and you don't get much change out of €125,000.
Despite all this, it's still the one we'd opt for - for now. It's biggest challenge, however, comes at the end of the year, when the supposedly much-improved S-Class arrives on the market.
There's no doubting that, at the luxury end, the Germans rule the roost. And, for now, the 7-Series is the one car in its class which leaves owners loathe to let the chauffeur do all the driving.
