The current-generation BMW 7 Series will stay in production until June 2022 - that's what our spy photographers on site told us after sending us the latest batch of spy photos with the next-gen model. This may look like the G11 sedan but it's actually a mule for its replacement expected to arrive at some point in 2022.
Nothing has changed dramatically since the last time we spotted a 7 Series prototype and the lack of an "electric test vehicle" sticker on the body tells us this is not an electric test car. There seems to be an exhaust system underneath the rear bumper and this means this car has a combustion engine at the front. Whether it's supported by an electric motor for a PHEV setup or not can't be confirmed at this point.
The trial car runs with just a small amount of camouflage covering its headlights and taillights but, again, this is not the production body of the next-gen of Bavaria's flagship sedan. Even at this early development phase, however, it's obvious that BMW is working on upgraded headlight technology which should replace the laser headlamps of the current model.
Big changes should happen underneath the hood. The automaker will downsize the engines of the 7 Series family and the V12 engine will most likely disappear from the range together with the quad-turbo inline-six diesel. The biggest addition will be an all-electric powertrain, which will motivate the i7 with a potential i7S range-topper offering as much as 670 horsepower (500 kilowatts) and a range of 360 miles (580 kilometers) based on WLTP.
