Could be introduced late next year

BMW has been testing the 2016 7-Series for months but it's finally inching closer to production as our spies have caught a prototype with production headlights.

While the lights are partially camouflaged, they are significantly smaller than the headlights used on the outgoing model.

BMW has been relatively tight-lipped about the car but it is expected to ride on the new 5up platform that features aluminum, magnesium, high-strength steel and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. These lightweight materials could enable the model to weigh up to 200 kg (440 lbs) less than its predecessor.

Under the hood, we can expect a variety of familiar engines but previous reports have suggested there could be a new 4.0-liter V8 and an entry-level variant with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. There have also been rumors about a plug-in hybrid variant and a range-topping M7 or M750i with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 that cranks out 600 bhp (447 kW).

Full LED is a given

A prototype of the 2016 BMW 7-Series has been spied undergoing testing while featuring the production taillights.

At the end of August we saw the next-gen 7-Series testing with the production headlights and now a prototype was spotted carrying the series taillights as well. It seems BMW has decided to change the layout as the taillights no longer extend onto the tailgate but that could change with future prototypes. Both headlights and taillights appear to be considerably smaller compared to the outgoing model and come with full LED technology.

Allegedly arriving at next year's Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the sixth-gen 7-Series will ride on a newly developed platform called "35up" which will shave as much as 200 kg (440 lbs) thanks to a construction combining aluminum, magnesium, high-strength steel and carbon-reinforced plastic. The flagship BMW is bound to receive a double wishbone front & multi-link rear suspension made mostly from aluminum all wrapped around in a design said to be influenced the Vision Future Luxury concept.

An extra-long wheelbase is allegedly in the pipeline to rival the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Maybach while on top of the range will be an M750i/M7 version equipped with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 sourced from the M5 but further tweaked to deliver more than 600 bhp (447 kW).

Our spies have caught the very first shots of the next generation BMW 7-Series luxury sedan's dashboard.

There are plenty of new elements making their appearance in the next 7er's cabin, including the standalone screen for the infotainment system and what looks like BMW's latest digital instrument panel and touch-sensitive controls for the air-conditioning system, but overall, the dash has a familiar feel to it.

And no, it doesn't really look anything like the Vision Future Luxury Concept from the Beijing Auto Show unless you have an overly vivid imagination.

The iDrive system has a similar controller and buttons as the current model positioned next to the automatic gear lever selector, but the screen has a different layout with mobile- and tablet-like icons in a tile format selected via swiping.

The new 7-Series, codenamed G11, is believed to be be the first BMW to ride on the brand's new "35up" rear-wheel-based scalable platform architecture before it rolls out to other models in the range, including the next 5-Series and 6-Series.

The use of lighter materials, including a mix of aluminum, magnesium and steel as well as carbon fiber for various parts of the car such as the hood and roof, are expected to help the G11 shed up to 200kg or 440 pounds over the current car, even though it will have the same footprint.

We could see BMW launching smaller displacement engines such as a 2.0-liter turbocharged four for the 725i fitted with its Efficient-Dynamics Toolkit, in addition to the regular straight-six, V8 and V12 turbocharged engines with improved performance and efficiency. A plug-in hybrid model and possibly sportier M Performance editions will be added to the lineup as well.

The 7-Series will be offered in two-wheelbase lengths and with the option of all-wheel drive when it's launched late next year.