The next-generation 2023 BMW 7 Series has been spied wearing an unusual new split-level lighting set-up.
It’s expected to debut in late 2022 or early 2023, but will most likely be shown as a concept during 2022.
BMW has begun stripping away the camouflage from the 7 Series compared to previous spy photos.
One prototype was spied at the Nürburgring, with another one wearing sportier-looking wheels spied in Munich.
On the Nürburgring prototype, the front end is more visible showing us the outlines of the grille and bumper design.
The front fascia has somewhat of a ‘shark nose’ look and includes some diagonal elements, as well as a kidney grille that houses a radar sensor and a front-facing camera.
The other prototype that was spied on the streets of Munich shows the split headlight design more clearly.
Its upper LED strip works as a daytime running light as well as an indicator, and the lower section is the main headlight unit.
We’ve also gotten a closer look at the tail light design, although it’s still heavily camouflaged for now.
On a previous 7 Series prototype there were a number of cameras and sensors scattered around its body, which pointed towards a new autonomous driving system. Neither of these prototypes appear to have the same hardware.
Although it isn’t shown in these spy photos, the next-generation 7 Series is said to feature a ‘curved’ dash like the one seen on the BMW iX and i4, with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment display.
This eighth-generation 7 Series will offer internal-combustion and plug-in hybrid powertrains, plus an electric version set to wear the i7 nameplate.
Our spy photographers have spied it testing. It’ll rival the Mercedes-Benz EQS, but details about the electric variant are still scarce.
The 7 Series isn’t the only BMW that’ll be adopting split-level front lighting.
The facelifted BMW X7 is also set to receive similar lighting. That’s less unusual, however, given the vast number of SUVs on the market – including those from Hyundai and Nissan – that feature such an arrangement.
MORE: Everything BMW 7 Series
