- New design direction from the Bavarian carmaker

- Will also spawn an all-electric version

BMW is back on the drawing board with the 7 Series. With the seventh generation ripe for its arrival, the Bavarian carmaker is looking for some radical changes both in terms of styling and under the skin. Spied near the Nurburgring, the upcoming 2022 7 Series prototype is hiding some interesting elements.

First up, the new headlamps look boxy – like they used to in the 80’s sedans. Although the concealment doesn’t give out anything, there are rumours of a split design for the headlamps. Moreover, the position of the narrow lights and the sloping bonnet looks much more like the old E31-gen 8 Series. Is BMW going retro with the design?

Another interesting thing about the prototype is where the licence plate is placed. The lower bumper has some weird looking vertical louvres that may or may not be a part of the final design. The grille design of the upcoming 7 is another controversy waiting to happen. Like the iX and i4, the license plate will move to the grille if the Kidney grille grows any further.

Under the skin, the new-gen 7 is expected to shift to a newer underpinning shared with its electric version – the i7. We could expect some S-Class beating autonomous tech – given the number of sensors seen here on the test mule. The future of the V8 and V12 being placed under the 7’s engine bay is undecided. But the flagship i7 is expected to arrive with close to 650 horsepower. It will also have an EQS rivalling technology and comfort levels in a bid to keep up with the electric Luxo-barge race that’s blooming up off late and will see the arrival of Audi E-Tron GT and Jaguar XJ Electric soon.