Gracefully sporting proportions and a progressive interpretation of luxury mark out the exterior design of the new BMW 7-Series. Its alluring bodywork reflects the supreme dynamics and exclusive comfort that shape the luxury sedan's unmistakable driving experience. The latest edition of the 7-Series features neatly judged exterior flourishes, which underline its status and advanced technology even more intently. The design updates reach every area of the body and strengthen, above all, the confident presence with which the new BMW 7-Series sedan advertises its position as the brand's flagship model. The far-reaching exterior redesign accentuates the cultured elegance of the BMW 7-Series and takes in the front apron, bonnet, headlights, front side panels, rear bumper trim and rear lights.

The BMW 7-Series will continue to be offered in two body variants. The longer version of the luxury sedan has a wheelbase extended by 14 centimetres over the standard car - to 3,210 millimetres - and gives rear-seat passengers the extra space to match. The standard 7-Series (5,120 mm) and its long-wheelbase twin (5,260 mm) are both 22 millimetres longer than their respective predecessors. The new model's width (1,902 mm) and height (1,467 mm / long-wheelbase version: 1,479 mm) remain unchanged.

Taller front end, significantly larger BMW kidney grille

The extensive design refresh at the front end plays a particularly prominent role in giving the new BMW 7-Series its more powerful visual presence. Catching the eye most vividly is the significantly expanded surfacing at the front of the car, which now rises around 50 millimetres taller at its foremost point. The result is a verticality that projects the prestige and status of the luxury sedan.

The dominant force of the front-end design is the BMW kidney grille, now framed by a single-piece surround whose surface area has grown by some 40 per cent. The grille has active air flap control with adjustable vanes which only open when the need for cooling air is increased. The bars of the kidney grille come in Aluminium satinated as standard and in High-gloss Chrome on cars with Design Pure Excellence specified. The fronts of the air vanes between the kidney grille bars are likewise in High-gloss Chrome - or black if the M Sport package is specified. The new BMW M760Li xDrive has a kidney grille surround and kidney grille bars in Cerium Grey.

Slim headlight units, BMW Laserlight available as an option

The new design of the super-slender headlight units provides an attractive visual contrast with the significantly enlarged BMW kidney grille, adding a new strand to the character of BMW's luxury-class models and lending the front section of the new BMW 7-Series an expressive and highly distinctive flavour. The modern take on the BMW's signature four-eyed face combines with the efficiency and lighting power of LED technology, whose sophisticated functionality is brought visually to the fore by the design of the light sources.

Standard equipment for the new BMW 7-Series includes Adaptive LED Headlights with variable light distribution, adaptive and cornering light functions, and the BMW Selective Beam non-dazzling high-beam assistant. BMW Laserlight can be ordered as an option. This system employs a BMW Laserlight spotlight with Selective Beam to optimise the high beam function, whose range increases to a maximum 560 metres as a result. Blue elements inside the hexagonal light sources make a distinctive visual statement.

The only disquieting aspect of BMW's N74 6.6-liter V12 is the gossip around the engine; the V12 itself is the smoothest powerplant in the automaker's stable. Debuting in 2017 in the imperial 7 Series trim, the M760i, rumors of the engine's death began only a year later. In 2018, BMWBlog wrote that the mill would disappear once the 7 Series facelift hit the market in 2019, the move having "everything to do with regulations imposed by EU." The engine stuck around through the change, and in 2019, BMW's head of powertrain for the 7 Series told Top Gear, “We will keep [the V12] for the rest of this generation at least, until 2023.” Demand in China and the Middle East compelled V12 production to run "at maximum capacity."

One year on, it's back to premature death: BimmerToday reports (translated) the aluminum block V12 is on its last cylinders, with the caveat, "According to our information, the production of the twelve-cylinder sedan for the European market will be finally stopped in autumn 2020." That means the markets sponging up the V12 supply, like the Middle East, China, and the U.S., should continue to get their fix.

Demise in Europe makes sense, with automakers watching CO2 figures there like keto dieters watch carbohydrates. In the U.S., the M760i makes 601 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. Thanks to the Otto particle filter required on the European model, the M760Li over there produces 577 hp and 627 lb-ft. Meanwhile, output from the un-crimped 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 in the 750Li has climbed to 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. The 54 additional horses in the V12 likely get lost in the 7 Series' weighty shuffle, but a keen driver should feel the additional 74 lb-ft.

Are those numbers worth the €57,400 ($62,300 U.S.) difference in purchase price between the V8 and V12? That's hard to argue, especially when performance is so close between the V8 and V12. Chinese and Middle Eastern buyers don't bother with such trivialities since the V12 is a status purchase and their chauffeurs aren't concerned with shaving 0.3 seconds off the sprint to 62 miles per hour.

It's fair to believe the V12 will last outside Europe until the new 7 Series arrive for the 2023 model year, after which the V8 and V12 are predicted to leave the lineup. The N74 engine could live on after that for BMW-owned Rolls-Royce, which has stated its desire to keep its 6.75-liter version in production "as long as possible" before going straight to electrification.

April 20 will be the day when BMW is going to unwrap the 7 Series (G70), complete with a purely electric i7 counterpart. Until then, prototypes are racking up the miles during final testing to iron out any last-minute kinks. Our spies caught several camouflaged cars testing with internal combustion engines, some of which were paired with electric motors as denoted by the "hybrid" stickers on the doors.

To address the elephant in the room, the fullsize luxury sedan will lead the way for BMW's already controversial split headlight design. The X7 facelift and production-ready XM will follow shortly, but not all future models are going to inherit this look. Elsewhere, the front end appears a bit sharper than before even though the prototypes still have multiple layers of disguise.

We can also observe the redesigned taillights, seemingly with a slimmer shape. The 7er will usher in a new quad exhaust setup likely reserved for the flagship ICE version. It won't have a V12 under the hood since the M760i is being retired with an already teased Final V12 special edition. Going forward, you'll have to step up to a Rolls-Royce for a twelve-cylinder car from BMW Group. RR too will abandon the powerhouse as the Goodwood brand will go EV-only from 2030.

Those white door handles are actually just stickers positioned above the real ones. Rather than sticking out as before, the 7 Series will adopt flush handles in the same vein as recent BMWs. Airflow is becoming more and more important as a smoother side profile improves efficiency, which is of particular importance for the i7 by unlocking a few extra miles of range.

As part of the teaser campaign, BMW has already previewed a good chunk of the avant-garde cabin. The Mercedes S-Class rival will transition to the iDrive 8 infotainment system while adopting a massive 31-inch screen for rear passengers. A so-called "Touch Interaction Bar" will be standard equipment and is going to take the shape of a dashboard-mounted screen reserved for the front passenger.

The 2023 BMW 7 Series will feature a new family of gasoline and diesel engines that have already been engineered to meet Euro 7 regulations. Even though these won't come into effect until later this decade, BMW is futureproofing its range-topping model’s ICEs to avoid paying hefty fines for exceeding emissions limits.

Beyond ICE-only versions and the i7, we also know a plug-in hybrid derivative is in the works. Rumor has it an M750e xDrive is happening and is going to boast somewhere in the region of 560 horsepower. In some countries with hefty taxes on vehicles with large-displacement engines, we won't be too surprised if BMW will once again sell the 7 Series with four-cylinder units.

All will be revealed in about three weeks, prior to a market launch taking place towards the end of 2022.

BMW is leading the luxury segment into a new era that will be shaped by innovations in the fields of sustainability and digitalization. With the new BMW 7-Series, the world's most successful manufacturer of premium vehicles is creating forward-looking ways to enjoy pure driving satisfaction, unsurpassed long-distance comfort, and a top-end digital experience. Central to this reinterpretation is the BMW i7. The all-electric luxury sedan is a fully integrated member of the 7-Series line, and clearly demonstrates how an exclusive driving experience and the ultimate feeling of on-board wellbeing can be combined with an unwavering commitment to sustainability.

The models at the pinnacle of BMW's luxury range are wrapped in a new definition of luxury that focuses on the individual and their personal attitudes, needs and emotions. In addition to presence, elegance and exclusive premium quality, there is a progressive approach characterized by innovations that directly enhance the user experience, wide-ranging connectivity, and standard-setting sustainability of the new 7. In this way, the new BMW 7-Series has been designed to meet the needs of a clientele that sees itself as committed to meeting challenges in a responsible manner - and one that views personal mobility as a way to experience unique moments in everyday life and on trips away.

Three models available at launch, including the first purely electric 7-Series

The 2023 BMW 740i is powered by a thoroughly upgraded version of the iconic B58 3-liter TwinPower Turbo inline six-cylinder engine. Now dubbed B58TU2, the new Miller cycle six-cylinder features redesigned intake ports and combustion chambers, electronically controlled VANOS variable camshaft timing, and 48-volt mild hybrid technology. All of this adds up to a typical BMW outcome: more power, lower emissions.

The 760i xDrive combines the relentless power of the 4.4-liter TwinPower Turbo V8 with BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive. The new V8 borrows technology from BMW Motorsport, and features a new exhaust manifold, external oil cooling, and further developed turbocharging. The V8, too, gains 48V mild hybrid technology, and with the electric motor integrated into the new eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission delivers the twin benefits of optimized response and power delivery under acceleration, and greater efficiency thanks to adaptive recuperation.

And for the very first time in its history, the 7-Series is now available fully electric. Featuring two highly efficient current-excited electric motors with a combined output of 536 horsepower and 549 lb-ft of instantaneous torque, the i7 xDrive60 will sprint from 0-60 in about 4.5 seconds while returning an estimated range of up to 300 zero-emission miles in utter silence and profound luxury (estimated range of up to 300 miles according to preliminary BMW AG tests based on the EPA's test procedure standards).