2016 BMW 7-Series leaks online ahead of full reveal ~ station of gear

Images of BMW's new flagship saloon are uploaded by accident by Austrian blog, reveals new look and new generation of tech

2015-06-08 10:20

The 2016 BMW 7 Series will be revealed in full this week but BMW's Austrian configurator has mistakenly leaked pics of the new model online. The luxury saloon gets an evolutionary look and a host of new technology to take the fight to the current Mercedes S-Class.

Although full details of the new 7 Series are yet to be revealed, this exterior image gives us more than a glimpse at the new look for the firm's flagship. The overall design appears similar in execution to the older model, but the front-end receives a larger kidney grille and new LED headlamps that stretch towards it.

The side profile is near-identical to before, bar an L-shaped chrome strip that runs the length of the bottom of the doors. The rear-end isn't revealed in these pics, but we can expect a subtle yet sharper redesign.

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The new dashboard is also visible, showing classier materials and BMW's new freestanding infotainment/navigation screen, replacing the current car's item which is sunken into the dash. We already know about some of the car's neat new features from our prototype drive earlier this year, but new 'Laserlight' headlamp tech from the i8 supercar is also shown on the options list.

The 2016 7 Series is aiming to be a lighter proposition than the old car, thanks to the extensive use of CFRP (carbon-fibre reinforced plastic) in the body and passenger cell, with a mixture of aluminium, magnesium and steel used elsewhere.

Three engines will be available from launch in Europe; a 261bhp 3.0-litre six cylinder diesel engine in the 730d, a 321bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol in the 740i and a 444bhp twin-turbocharged V8 in the 750i. We'll have full details on the Audi A8 rival in the next few days.

Check out our round-up of the best luxury cars you can buy now...

Lawrence Allan

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