April is finally upon us and it means we’ve entered the month when BMW will unveil the 7 Series G70. We’re going to see the flagship car from Bavaria not only with combustion engines but also with an electric powertrain. In fact, the prototype caught at the Nürburgring was the i7 carrying the full production body under heavy camo.
Looking large and in charge, the BMW’s belated answer to the Mercedes EQS is seen being pushed hard by the test driver. One would argue that such a large and heavy sedan has no place at the Green Hell, but automakers would beg to differ. The Nordschleife is where the vast majority of European (and South Korean) manufacturers test their future models. It’s a challenging and long track, allowing companies to test different components to solve issues before starting production.
Such is the case with BMW and its i7, lumbering around the ‘Ring. With no noise coming from a gasoline or diesel engine, all we get to hear are the tires screeching. Much like the iX, the electric sedan is expected to be sold strictly with xDrive. It effectively means all flavors of the 7 Series EV will have one motor at the front and another at the rear.
An i7 xDrive60 version has already been confirmed by BMW USA on its website, but it won’t be the flagship trim. Instead, we have it on good authority an M Performance version will be the crown jewel, potentially dubbed i7 M70. It should serve as an indirect replacement for the soon-to-be-discontinued M760i and its mighty V12. Nothing is official at this point, but we’re expecting roughly 640 hp to top the 610-hp iX M60.
Love It Or Loathe It, The Next 7 Series / i7 Will Adopt A Whole New Look
What you see is what you get in the sense that the prototype had the full production body. That includes BMW’s already teased split headlight design, along with the pop-up door handles and a thin strip for the taillights. The test vehicle’s driver must’ve changed the air suspension settings since the road clearance varies throughout the spy video.
The 7 Series and i7 are next in line to get the bigger grille, not that the outgoing 7er LCI has small kidneys anyway. Although the footage only captures the exterior, we know for a fact that the cabin will be radically changed. Aside from the adoption of iDrive 8, the range-topping BMW will have a screen just for the front passenger. In the back, a huge 31-inch panoramic display will take rear entertainment systems to a whole new level.
All will be revealed in less than three weeks.
Source: Automotive Mike / YouTube
