Latest 7-Series Photos With Less Camoflage Than Ever.

Another stupid time-wasting teaser. Fire the BMW marketing guys! I can only hope that the wide black side stripe represents a proper rubber molding to protect against door dings from lo-lifes who might park next to you in a parking lot.

Enn,

This is not 'BMW marketing' at work, it is final-stage development testing that happened to be snapped by photographers.

And look at the buzz it generates! Speculation, guessing, arguments....it's PERFECT marketing.

Matthew1, I get totally bent out of shape every time I see camo. Auto industry marketing guys are usually paranoid about early release of style info to consumers. I am a consumer and I don't want to work hard to plan my next car vehicle acquisition. I want full and early disclosure of all fact about future models.

In this instance I still demonize the good folk at BMW for allowing this vehicle to drive around with ugly pimpmobile camo.

But everyone does it!

And it's the same in any industry. They don't want to give anything away until the last moment, to build up the hype and speculation.

Could you possibly imagine a luxury car manufacturer revealing the design for their flagship car as a dirty test hack? What image does that portray?

You need to get off the 'I hate camo' bandwagon.

The car industry has always been about secrecy, they don't want to give away their future model plans because they want one up on the competition.

You want automotive transparency, and it won't happen.

Mathew1, I agree that most companies do it but they have a harder time getting my business and because everyone is doing something nasty is no excuse for an industry leader to be nasty also. Without full and early disclosure, I have to assume the worst. I plan my vehicle purchases on the basis of known facts not unknowns hidden by ugly camo or expectations raised by the marketing guys.

The car industry has to learn that making it difficult to business with them is a road to failure. I hate working extra hard to dig up informations that these companies are trying to hide from me.

I hate the fact that the same high ethical standards that govern the relationship between auto makers and their supply chain do not exist between the auto makers and their retail customers.

EnnNorak--

The issue isn't the relationship between the automakers and their retail customers--in fact, most luxury automakers engage their retail customers with special preview events and offers.

The issue is the relationship with automakers and their competitors. When a market reaches saturation / commoditization (such as the auto industry has, relatively), they need as many differentiating competitive advantages as they can get.

If you don't like that model, then you will need to find some insiders to provide you with inside details confidentially, or you'll learn to live on the back side of the early adopter curve.

Looks good!

From here the rear light resemble those of a Maxima

009 you ought to cite Autoblog for the maxima comment seeing as that's where you got it

I personally cant wait to see the final product. I think its the most anticipated car for BMW fans, as it will show the new BMW design direction.

Once again, I said it before and now its clear it was the next 7 series not 5.

Its ultra conservative and looks more like a modern evolution of the 1990s model (which is a good thing IMO)

i wouldnt be surprised if this car could hover over puddles being that hi-tech and all

lexus LS exhauist inspiration...love it!

car is still to camo-ed to give any real insight...

LOL, NO sir. That is a Mercedes-Benz inspired design cue (seen on 08 and 09 models) Not the fake silver painted "air outlets" (notice I didnt say exhaust) on the Lexus LS. Unlike the LS' these will be actual exhausts.

content with a little critique are we...

notice i said inspiration...and i beleive the LS is a 2007 introduction, ohh yeah thats rite!!!

lol...getting red over their???

Just to reiterate, w209w114 believes it is OK for BMW to use MB design cues.

When he makes some future crack at Lexus for "copying" other companies, please refer to his above post for your rebuttle.

Those exhaust tips are related to the BMW X5 4.8 FYI.

Answer,

Its never ORIGINAL to copy, (obviously) and this is just an exhaust tip. They only come in so many shapes. Dont twist my sentences into fanboy propaganda.

You mean A8L W12 inspiration. It had those exhausts long before Lexus.

Just so you know s209, when taken as a whole, your posts transparently show your anti-Lexus bias and illogical standpoints.

Fact is that your comment above gives BMW a free pass for being "inspired" by Mercedes, but you've got an extensive history of knocking Lexus for even the slightest hint of not being completely original.

One of us is a fanboy, and it's not me.

Look at the back of the BMW X5 4.8 and you will see the family resemblance in the exhaust tips.

Answer,

1. Lexus was never original - They never created the Premium Car segment but merely jumped in by copying Mercedes-Benz (you think I havent seen that Toyota propaganda with the Lexus driving around in Europe, where they werent even seen at the time? I wonder why not Japan)

It is overhype by people like you on Toyota products that drive the rest on this site to burst your bubbles. Mercedes Benz and BMW are still the most prestigious brands in the world (exclude ultra premium cars such as bentley, ferrari etc) Who said anything about a free pass for copying the "shape" of an exhaust. I think we all know BMW is a leader in pushing the envelope when it comes to automotive design (whether for the better or worse) Lexus plays it safe and dare I say? Bland!

Lexus did do something original, it took the levels of quality and service to heights the segment had not imagined before. Oh and there is the small issue of being the leaders in refinement. (Something the likes of BMW are distinctly lacking in) At about that time Merc took a quality nose dive, so hard and so long that it is nostalgia, naivety and just blind stupidity to think that they were contenders in the Premium Car Segment over the last 20 years. They do appear to be on the up again now and could easily be considered to be the current pretenders trying to gain entry, albeit re entry after 2 decades...

Again w209, I am not exuding the the virtues of Lexus here, just making the point that you and people like you treat the Lexus brand differently.

Lexus is better in every aspect than a BMW, MerC or an Audi, period. Now, get that in your head and stop arguing, kid.

I don't know if you guys scrolled down but the car at the top and the car at the bottom are different cars all together. I thought the top car looked kind of big for a 5 until I saw the one at the bottom. The top one looks really good and does look like an evolution of the last 5 series which can only be a good thing. The one at the bottom looks huge and has to be the 7 and as usual doesn't look quite as nice as the 5.
T

I hope the new 7 isn't made to be "safe" design wise.

The current one was quite funky at first, but it really does look awesome after some getting used to.

Looks less offensive. Hope they wake up and get rid of I DRIVE!!!!

What don't you like about it? It is going to be an ideal stepping stone to unlimited in-car internet (which BMW already debuted). After living with the latest generation of iDrive I won't buy a car without it.

It sure looks like a 7.

If you look at the picture of the front 3/4, the body panels are not quite as simple as it first seems. The strips along the side actually mark off some lines that appear to be somewhat similar to those appearing on other BMW models.

From what I can see, I suspect that I will like it more than the current design.

Not bad, based on what we can say.

Great pictures.They are making the final technical touches...It will be officially unveiled at the Paris Auto Show.Damn I can't wait.It's gonna be awesome.

BMW is going very, very conservative with the upcoming 7. I guess the managers were offended when the last Bangle version was slammed by the auto press and doesn't want a repeat.

Kinda like the Flower Power camo.....NOT!!! What next?? Tie-Dye? hehe

I am sure it will be another great BMW.It appears that BMW is going the Porsche route with exhaust being framed by rear valance. Similar to..can I say...Lexus. Wheels look good for a test mule =)

When revealed, I hope it's not as conservative as it appears. Form follows function BMW - stick to it!

"Less Camoflage Than Ever" -- Is that like "hardly any spam?" :-(

not a fan still. I miss the old 7 that was long, low, and had a big hood. This this seems to blend and be a larger 5 series, nothing special on the outside. I'd rather get a Mercedes S. At least those stand out in a crowd.

Looks like a Crown Victoria or an old Marquise. I prefer to wait because right now it looks realy ugly, so lets waite until final product see the light.

Looks Good. BMW has been doing everything right.

I really want to like this car, but based on that side profile, its not looking too pretty.

I see CS concept grill in the front, looks good but I need to see how they integrated the bumper with it, I dont want it to look like a charger. Not that the charger is bad. That car looks smaller and has better lines than the current 7. And for people that are bagging on the exhaust, I think it looks nice and even if they didnt have the tips it would have still been ok because its a big luxury sedan. by not having tips I mean like the current seven and I think old s class. you cant really see the tips in those.

Hmm, the front looks will have the CS concept lines, but the doors and roof don't. Maybe this isn't the real deal.

yeah i was expecting a lot more CS design cues than just the grille. Hopefully there are more cues.
btw till now New 7 is not looking very good.

JUGNU

F01 7er can't afford to be CS-replica. Why? Because the production version of CS is coming (the "new 8-series") - with almost same styling as seen on CS concept. And BMW can't offer two models (7er & 8er) with the same design. BMw ain't Audi. ;-)

But some CS design cues can still be seen on the F01 7er: big grille, shark-like nose, fancy side turn signal, Hofmeister kink echo printed in C-pillar metal, exposed exhaust pipes, CS-like LED tail lights , high positioned & sharp shoulder line, lower character line, heavily sculptured hood etc. Not enough CS features?

But F01 still has to be instantly recognized as E65 successor: horizontal shoulder line, L-shaped rear lights, pointed triangular headlights with quasi eyebrows, rear door cut-line etc.

New (CS cues) meets old (E65 cues) meets older (E38 cues - horizontal low & wide sleek stance).

Perfect combination.

maybe they decided on a new direction the earlier spy shots had the car looking alot like the CS, even had some of the same body lines, this car looks like a big 3 series with a rakish roof. I was hoping that wasnt the way they would be going, though it makes sense the next generation of cars wouldnt be a completely new desighn theme

Mind that changing design theme with every generation would be extremely costly - since the company would have to change all the (molding) tools etc. But after 2 generations (after 14 years) it makes more sense - new tech available, new techniques & methods available, new knowledge, new trends etc.

And again: the "new 8er" - the production version of CS - will look like CS Concept. That was the car previewed by CS, not the F01 7er. Yet the F01 still features some CS design elements - as described above.

I KNOW IM GOING TO GET BEAT UP FOR SAYING THIS...BUT I DO LIKE BMW...BUT IT LOOKS SORTA LIKE THE 09 NISSAN MAXIMA FROM THE SIDE ...IMO.....

Hmmmmm BMW copying the new Hyundai Genesis. How low will BMW go?

WOOOOW !!!!!
now thats a real bimmer.
i think chis bangle came up with this redesign after smoking afghan polem.