Including shots of the updated interior
It may feel like only yesterday that BMW introduced the new 7 Series, but it’s actually been on sale since late 2015. That means it’s due for a midcycle refresh in the next year or two. Heavily camouflaged mules have been running around for a while, but this lightly disguised prototype is the first one we’ve seen that actually shows what changes BMW has in mind for its updated full-size luxury sedan.
As you can see, BMW only bothered to cover up the front and the rear, leaving the majority of the car exposed. Still, the camouflage can’t hide the car’s massive new grille, updated headlights, and lightly reworked hood. The larger grille appears to also use an updated version of the active shutters BMW uses to make the current 7 Series more aerodynamic. The bumper looks more aggressive than before, but since this prototype is an M760i, that change may not make its way across the lineup.
Out back, it looks like the most notable change is to the taillights. The camouflage does an admirable job of obscuring their shape, but even so, they look better integrated. The exhaust finishers have been tweaked, too, but like with the bumper, there’s a good chance you’ll only see them on the M760i.
Our spy photographer was able to get a few shots of the interior, but as far as we can tell, the updates are minimal. The steering wheel is different, and the digital gauge cluster looks a lot like the one found in the 8 Series concept, but that’s about it. The center console even still proudly displays its V-12 badging.
BMW hasn’t said much about its plans for the refreshed 7 Series, but hopefully, the changes under the skin make it a better competitor for the recently updated Mercedes-Benz S-Class. As we saw in our last comparison, the current 7 Series is a great car in a lot of ways, but it doesn’t quite have what it takes to dethrone the mighty S-Class. With the right updates, perhaps that could change.
Photo source: CarPix