To whet our appetites, BMW has published a brief teaser video that highlights the 7’s laser beam headlights, its sculpted surfaces and its LED tail lamps. The flick also reveals that BMW’s next big sedan will boasts air breathers behind the front wheel arches, a feature designed to reduce turbulence in the wheel housings.
The video does a good job of keeping the 7’s overall design under wraps but numerous leaks and a big batch of official spy shots have given us a very good idea of what to expect from it. More of an evolution than a revolution, BMW’s next flagship will ride on a new modular platform made out of lightweight materials such as aluminum and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and, as a result, it will weigh nearly 300 pounds less than the outgoing model.
The 7 will inaugurate BMW’s remote-controlled parking technology. Likely offered as a costly option, the feature will allow 7 owners to maneuver the sedan in and out of tight parking spots by simply using buttons located on the key fob to control the gas, the steering and the brakes. Inside, the sedan will inaugurate the next generation of BMW’s iDrive infotainment system, which will be able to recognize hand gestures.
Mechanically, the next 7 will get the same straight-six mill as the 2016 340i that was introduced a couple of weeks ago. A 460-horsepower V8 will likely be the volume engine, and BMW will also offer the 7 with a 600-hp 6.6-liter V12 engine designed jointly with Rolls-Royce. Finally, German media outlets report that a M7 will join the lineup for the first time ever, but BMW has not confirmed the rumors.
Stay tuned, we’ll bring you full details about the next 7 when it goes official next week.
