SPY PICS: Facelift for BMW 7 Series

Minor update in the wind for BMW flagship saloon
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Could there be more than meets the eye with BMW’s upcoming mini-facelift for its 7 Series range?

Poring over these snapshots from spy photographers Carparazzi, there seems to be precious little about the updated 7 Series that even the keenest car-spotter would be able to detect.

Square exhausts, revised tail lights, suggestions of a modified lower front bumper and new headlights incorporating LEDs are about all that can be readily picked. It has also been suggested the BMW kidney grille in the 7 Series will be subtly changed to fit better with new 5 Series and 3 Series models.

But the most significant updates are likely to be mechanical, with BMW embracing its EfficientDynamics technology to squeeze more kilometres out of the 7 Series drivetrains while lowering CO2 emissions at the same time.

Part of the efficiency drive is the upcoming adoption of a new ZF eight-speed auto transmission to replace the current six-speeder.

Currently the BMW 7 Series is nudging ahead of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in a tight battle for outright honours in the luxury sedan segment, although Benz is expected to experience a surge when its next generation S-Class comes into the marketplace in 2013.

Word is that the updated BMW 7 Series will be introduced internationally early in 2012.

— with Carparazzi

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