L.A. Auto Show Top 5 New Cars

It isn't about the few who can afford this $80,000 car, it's about the invention the car brings to give them their money's worth. Exploration of technology is what the all-new 7 Series contributes - clean diesel technology in the new 700d to be sold in Europe but not the U.S. (although the 335d will be), as well as the test-bed Hydrogen7 and the Concept 7 ActiveHybrid with lithium-ion batteries, destined for production.

Here's a sneak peek into the car-driving future - or the present, for the technological tour de force that is the 2009 BMW 7 Series.

Night vision. Rear wheel steering. Absolute state-of-the-art redesigned V8. Intelligent Lightweight Design. Integrated Chassis Management with FlexRay data transmission. iDrive (with "more intuitive operation"). Driving Dynamics Control. Dynamic Damping Control. Active Cruise Control. Lane Departure Warning. Active Blind Spot Detection. Head-Up Display. High Beam Assistant. Integral Active Steering. Active Roll Stabilization. Park Distance Control with sideview cameras. Integrated Owner's Manual on screen with sound and slide shows. You're going to need that.