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Latest Generation BMW Flagship – The all new 7 series & the i7
As we are getting closer to the world premiere of the i7 and the all new 7 series, BMW is intensifying the teaser campaign and spy photographers keep spotting pre-production prototypes undergoing final testing. Meanwhile, independent artists are trying to put together pieces of evidence in a bid to accurately render the electric luxury sedan.
Next Generation BMW Design Philosophy
BMW premiered the striking Concept XM last November, but is yet to take centre stage in an auto show. Meanwhile, BMW did show the 750-horsepower machine behind closed doors in the United Arab Emirates and its dealer in Abu Dhabi organized a private event where a select few got up close and in person with the radically styled V8 hybrid beast. The dealership invited only “premium customers” and select members of the press to discover the Concept XM. All who were present at the event touts it as the “most extravagant BMW yet,” which is something we can all easily agree with.
The Concept XM looks polarizing and it remains to be seen how the overly angular design will make the transition to the production model. Also of great interest is the split headlight layout which will be adopted to the next-generation 7 Series, i7 and the X7 facelift.
BMW 7 Series and the i7
A bold approach of the digital interpretation has given the 2023 BMW i7 the polarizing front fascia of the Concept XM plug-in hybrid SUV. Both the sedan and XM’s dedicated model will usher in the already controversial split headlight design. Citroën has been taking a similar approach since 2013 when it introduced the second-generation C4 Picasso. If the Concept XM is any indication to go by, the electrified SUV has an interesting headlight setup with the main clusters almost “hidden” in the bumper, making them far less visible than the upper daytime running lights. Spy shots and teaser images of the i7 suggests that the grille won’t be as in-your-face as on the SUV, but who knows what is hidden underneath the camouflage.
It is good to believe that BMW is the most courageous in terms of design compared to its archrivals Audi and Mercedes. The i7 will be nearly identical to the 7 Series as both are built on the same CLAR platform which is not the case with the S-Class and EQS as the two are completely separate models.
Testing of the all new BMW i7 – The only True Electric Sedan 
BMW is gearing up to launch the all new 7 Series alongside the all new i7 full electric sedan which is seen testing as in the pictures.
BMW has also made the claim that this will be the worlds first true all electric luxury sedan as it considers the 10 year old Model S, the Lucid Air, Mercedes EQS & others as hatchbacks and not sedans.
BMW has said it will be so quiet and refined that it will be in a class of its own. Their updated wind tunnel & audio facilities aim to remove any disturbing noise from the occupants in a “precise and selective” manner. Even the electric drive units have noise cancellation material, foam absorber tyres & weight optimized sound insulation throughout the vehicle. The i7 also has a totally flat under body, and clean cut body lines to eliminate buffeting
BMW is currently hard at work fine tuning what is going to be its most important luxury car, the i7 sedan. When it debuts, the BMW i7 is going to need to take on a row of electric luxury sedans, such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS, the Lucid Air, and the Tesla Model S. This is why interior refinement is so important and why BMW is making sure its i7 has acoustic levels up to par with its competition.
Electric cars need extreme levels of interior acoustic refinement, as their lack of power train noise allows other road noises to stand out. This is why automakers go to such extreme lengths to rid their electric vehicles of wind, tyre, and other road noises. BMW is currently going to such extremes for the i7 at the new Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich.
Some of the measures BMW has taken to ensure the absolute least amount of wind and road noise enter the cabin of the i7 are clear-cut body surfaces, flush door handles, aerodynamically-optimized exterior mirrors, and an almost completely closed under body. Sound insulators are also added to the pillars, seats, and even the headliner of the BMW i7, all to reduce exterior noise from getting inside.
Interestingly, BMW’s FIZ R&D centre can simulate many of the extreme climate conditions from around the world. It can produce extreme hot and cold environments, as well as extreme wind, to ensure the i7’s acoustic set its own standards in the industry. There’s even a lab at the FIZ centre which hits the i7 with electromagnetic fields, to make sure its electric systems continue to work properly during such an event.
Additionally, BMW has to make sure the sounds that do make it into the cabin are good ones. For instance, to give the electric power train a bit of emotion and excitement, without sounding obnoxious, BMW has partnered with Hans Zimmer to create its
“IconicSounds Electric”. We’ve already heard what that sounds like in cars like the BMW iX and i4 and it will be interesting to hear what it’s going to be like in the BMW i7.
The BMW i7 is going to be one of the most important cars in the brand’s history. It will simultaneously set the standard for BMW’s luxury and electric vehicles, as it will be the flagship for both. So it is encouraging to see BMW go to such extend to ensure its quality.
All new BMW 7 family to break cover on 20th April 2022 
It is now clear that the company’s flagship car will inherit the bold front kidney grille design from the Concept XM. It has an illuminated contour and is complemented by the backlit roundel. The thin LED strip serves as the daytime running lights since the main clusters are located lower on the bumper. We have seen this on the Concept XM already, and spy shots have revealed that the X7 LCI will adopt the same unconventional layout. Flush door handles that electronically pop out are also noticeable in the BMW i7 and they are likely similar to those of the iX.
The Interiors
The cars will come equipped with
iDrive 8 with the dual screens, and
31-inch, 8K-compatible Theatre Screen in the back. The familiar crystal finish has been implemented in the dashboard of the i7 where it is illuminated by the ambient lighting. Speaking of which, there are LED light threads that can be individually adjusted. Interestingly, there is an extra screen with built-in controls on the passenger side of the dash, called
“Interaction Bar”. For its next-gen range topper, BMW has developed a new Sky Lounge panoramic glass roof.
Powering the BMW 7 family
BMW i7 will have over 600 hp, making it the most potent 7 Series. The unspecified battery pack will enable a maximum range of 379 miles (610 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle. For the US-spec i7, the company estimates a range of 305 miles (491 kilometres).
In addition, the 7 series will pave the way for cleaner gasoline and diesel power trains which may include Turbo 6, PHEV & PHEV V8 options. The V12 is officially dead. These combustion engines will arrive in anticipation of Euro 7 regulations expected later this decade.
i7 supports Level 2+ autonomy and is technically capable to meet Level 3 requirements.
All the renders of the next-gen 7 look quite ugly to me. BMW better watch out because it risks alienating a large group of BMW fans. I love their rev-happy engines, gearbox tuning, suspension & reliability, but there is no way I'm living with those ugly grilles and staring at one everyday.
Ironically, except for the strange obsession with big grilles, their cars are actually nice looking. But they're ruining it at the front.
BMW 7-Series
For its segment, the expectations would be a smart and elegant design, and the aggressiveness and confidence can come from refinement and performance. I guess BMW here looks like redefining the segment with this real brash face – almost a visual pollution. Happy days for the S-Class!
Quote:
Originally Posted by volkman10
(Post 5279306)
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Man, that grill is almost as big as Rolls Royce front air dam. You can probably photoshop it to the picture above and it won't look out of place.
Evolution of the BMW Grille
While there been a hue and cry over the design of the massive grille on the modern BMWs; what most of us don't realise is that the original BMWs of yore had such massive grilles upfront. Have a look at the evolution of the original BMW grille designs from 1936 to 1962 in some of its icons. By 1966, with the introduction of the 02 serie, there was a drastic reduction in the size of the kidney grille which we all are very much used to.
The problem is we are very familiar with the BMW kidney grille from the 80's, 90's and the early 2000's and anything bold and out of the box screams
ugliness. Everyone was shocked when Audi introduced the
Bulgarian Beard on its vehicles in 2004. Over the years the Audi Bulgarian Beard too has grown in size and we have come to terms with it. When Lexus introduced its
Spindle Grille in 2011 on Lexus LF-Gh and LF-CC concepts, it was too much in-the-face that people nicknamed it as
"PREDATOR MOUTH". As I had mentioned somewhere in my original post; BMW has been courageous enough to bring out such bold designs and let us appreciate Domagoj Dukec, his boss Adrian van Hooydonk and the entire team in their approach to design vehicles that stand out from the rest tracing its roots to the rich tradition and history of BMW. The new age design philosophy under the brand
BMW Vision iNEXT which in short is
BMW iX will definitely grow on each of us and time will definitely heal all the heart broken BMW enthusiasts. BMW uses a differentiation competitive advantage which set itself apart from the others through innovative products. The company builds consistent theme through the product line that enabled BMW to pass Mercedes, its biggest competitor in unit sales and dollar sales in the United States, which was a very difficult task since Mercedes had held a significant lead.
As per auto manufacturers statements, their largest market is in China and they design cars to cater Chinese' taste. And large grills and dallop of chorme is part of their taste apparently! As long as Chinese consumers change their vogue, this design statement is bound to follow.
Can't stop sharing :Frustrati
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asish_VK
(Post 5279842)
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rl:
To me, the decent looking BMW's right now, in the current gen would be, the M340i, and probably the M5, though, the grill is wider on that..
I think that, the F series is the last time we'll get to see normal sized grilles..
The XM is, uh.. I don't even.
These new grills are completely out of line! Paired with the truly garish amounts of chrome, they're quickly exiting as my preferred German brand. Hard pass!
Have you seen even the current gen 7 series on the road? That gargantuan grille with the chrome has me retching! Whoever approved these needs to be confined to a room playing a 24 hour loop of Baby Shark.
As someone who appreciated BMW's simple lines and timeless designs from the yesteryears, it is very difficult to justify this polarizing design philosophy. Some say that people also hated the Bangle era designs but then as years passed by, started warming up to it. But this!
I assume there is some small crowd of cyberpunk lovers who may fancy this design, and that's what BMW may be targeting - a forward thinking approach, because that's where the world of VR and Minecraft is going. And I am under 30 years old, treasuring my old Beemers, they are never going to make 'em like that again. That's how fast generations are evolving, making us sound like gate keepers of what should be the right design.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adorablejim
(Post 5279765)
Evolution of the BMW Grille
While there been a hue and cry over the design of the massive grille on the modern BMWs; what most of us don't realise is that the original BMWs of yore had such massive grilles upfront.
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There is one huge difference. The old style had only height. This abomination has width as well.
The current / proposed one immediately reminded me of this.
Close enough?
I am not aware if BMW does user testing for aesthetics as well and if it also includes the grille. If not they definitely should.
Stay classy BMW. Leave everything else to monster trucks and energy drinks.
Seems like the current crop of designers at BMW are inspired by cubism. It is a good philosophy when it comes to art but adopting it to design your top of the line cars is taking it too far. The car looks hideous to say the least no matter how much tech it packs in.
Quote:
Cubist design assessed objects, deconstructed them, and finally put them back together in a highly abstract form. The end result was that viewers saw these objects through the lens of numerous viewpoints as opposed to just one, bestowing on the subject a farther-reaching context
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I think BMW is simply following today's trends. Lexus/Audi started it first with their Darth Vader/Bulgarian beard garishness. Mercedes followed with their very angry / aggressive grills on some of their AMG badged models. The Korean fellows have also caught up. Some of the US fellows (Lincoln) are even bigger and with more chrome. BMW can't be left behind with a benign front. At the end of the day these cars also have an aspirational aspect to them and nothing like a big grill to say "I have arrived".
Though aesthetics is a personal choice, the market is showing that the people seem to like their new design philosophy.
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