Shaping up to become one of the lightest German flagships

The 2015 / 2016 BMW 7-Series has been caught undergoing testing on and around the Nürburgring.

Still heavily disguised, the redesigned flagship has an evolutionary appearance which will likely draw cues from the Vision Future Luxury concept. We can't make out of lot of details but BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer has previously said we shouldn't expect anything too radical as he believes a "major design change" would be "wrong" for 7-Series customers.

While the exterior styling will likely be conservative, Reithofer has said the model will set an "example in terms of weight reduction" thanks to "intelligent composite construction." That's pretty vague but the Vision Future Luxury concept had a carbon fiber and aluminum chassis and previous reports have suggested the model could weigh 450 lbs (204 kg) less than its predecessor.

Engine options will likely include the usual suspects but there have been rumors about an entry-level model with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an M770i xDrive with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that develops 475 bhp (354 kW) and 480 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque.

Shaping up to become one of the lightest German flagships

Should be introduced sometime next year

Our spies have managed to snap the first interior photos of the 2015 / 2016 BMW 7-Series.

Caught on the way to the Nürburgring, the pictures reveal the model will have an evolutionary interior that echoes the rest of the BMW lineup. This is tad disappointing but the car features leather seats, a freestanding infotainment system and a wide center console with a large iDrive controller. We can also see a three-spoke steering wheel and what appears to be a digital instrument cluster. Unfortunately, there's still a lot of camouflage on the dashboard and doors but we can expect plenty of wood trim and metallic accents.

The exterior styling will also be conservative as BMW Chairman Norbert Reithofer has previously said he believes a "major design change" would be "wrong" for 7-Series customers. Despite this, the model will be significantly lighter than its predecessor as it will use a carbon fiber and aluminum chassis that could enable it to drop up to 450 lbs (204 kg).

Engine options will likely include the usual suspects but there have been rumors about an entry-level model with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an M770i xDrive with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that develops 475 bhp (354 kW) and 480 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque.

The next far forward-looking view of BMW’s design themes and luxury concepts will come at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, in the form of the BMW Vision Future Luxury concept, previously shown at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show.

“We use visionary concept vehicles like the BMW Vision Future Luxury to show where we may be going with these themes in the future, and to give us new inspiration and motivation,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW Group Design senior vice president in a statement. “The BMW Vision Future Luxury—with its innovative technologies and with meticulous precision and quality in every detail—takes our thinking on modern luxury a logical stage further.”

One of BMW’s previous forward-looking design and inspiration concepts was 2008’s GINA Light Visionary concept. The new Vision Future Luxury concept pushes forward the boundaries of design in a similar fashion, but in entirely new directions.

With lightweight engineering and user interface concerns at the forefront, the Vision Future Luxury concept aims to provide exactly that: a vision of luxury in the mid-term future, as viewed through BMW’s characteristic lens.

Carbon fiber, predictably, plays a large role, much as it has already in the BMW i3 and i8. In the Vision Future Luxury concept, the material can be found not only in the structure, but in the interior, where load-bearing aluminum aspects create contrast, and wood surfaces add warmth. A minimalist, seamless design theme predominates.

Other future-looking aspects include a pared-down B-pillar, seat frames integrated into the vehicle’s core structure, and connections with the door sills and center console for greater structural rigidity while allowing for a more open design.

BMW’s ConnectedDrive telematics and remote access system is also made future-oriented, with a wrap-around display of instruments in 3D. A Vision Head Up Display adds to this with overlaid information about traffic, road hazards, and navigation data, as well as directing the driver’s attention to potential areas of concern, highlighting speed limit signs, or providing information about traffic light phasing, for instance.

The rear seat gets some upgrades, too, with a special Rear Seat Touch Command Tablet offering communication with the front displays and access to the ConnectedDrive services. The rear seats are large and deeply contoured for what BMW calls a “luxurious haven of personal space.” Aniline leather, Silk nubuk leather, and layered lime wood predominate, offering a warm, rich look and feel.

The exterior of the Vision Future Luxury concept also points toward some of the BMW design themes to come, including a long wheelbase, short front and rear overhangs, and a low, rear-biased cabin. Surface styling, including a long front-to-rear arc, as well as Liquid Platinum Bronze paint accentuate the futuristic take on traditional BMW design themes.

BMW’s Vision Future Luxury concept will be on display at the Concept Lawn outside The Lodge at Pebble Beach after a preview launch at BMW’s Villa on Thursday, August 14.

Extra-long wheelbase planned

British media is reporting the sixth generation BMW 7-Series will be unveiled in September 2015 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The 2016 BMW 7-Series will ride on an all-new platform called "35up" using a combination of aluminum, magnesium, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and high-strength steel which will make the flagship BMW a lot lighter than today’s 7-Series. It is believed up to 200 kg (440 lbs) will be eliminated which would make the lightest 740i version weigh approximately 1,650 kg (3,637 lbs).

The vehicle will benefit from a double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear setup made mostly from aluminum and benefiting from a new generation of air springs, stereo cameras and road-scanning tech - all for the purpose of providing a more luxurious and comfortable ride.

Besides the usual standard and long wheelbase variants, the next-gen 7-Series is expected to be offered in an extra-long wheelbase variant, just like Mercedes-Benz will be doing with the S-Class Maybach.

There will reportedly be a range-topping sport variant called M750i/M7 featuring an uprated variant of the M5's V8 4.4-liter twin-turbo tweaked to develop more than 600 bhp (447 kW). In addition, a plug-in hybrid 7-Series is also in the works but details are not available at this moment. The regular engine lineup will include a wide variety of four- to twelve-cylinder motors mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox and rear- or all-wheel drive.

Thanks to a significant diet, BMW will be able to install a small 4-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine while for more power clients will be able to opt for an inline-six 3.0-liter diesel offered in three states of tune and with twin and triple turbo configurations. On the gasoline side, expect an upgraded version of today's inline-six 3.0 and newly developed 4.0-liter V8 and 6.0-liter V12 engines which will also power future Rolls-Royce models.

Following its September 2015 introduction in Frankfurt, the next-gen BMW 7-Series will likely go on sale at the beginning of 2016 with an exterior styling influenced by the Vision Future Luxury concept.

It is believed up to 200 kg (440 lbs) will be eliminated which would make the lightest 740i version weigh approximately 1,650 kg (3,637 lbs).