The first hints as to the styling of the next generation BMW 7 Series suggest the car, which will be officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September, will abandon some of the current model's controversial styling. The current 7 Series was the first BMW to use design chief Chris Bangle's flame surfacing. Instead, the newcomer is expected to enjoy a smoother, more conventional look.

Buyers will notice the biggest difference at the front and the rear of the car, where the head and tail lamps set the look for the next generation of BMWs. At about 5100mm, the new 7 Series will also be slightly longer - and marginally higher - than the outgoing model. According to Bangle though, it doesn't look it because the car has been designed to hide the extra bulk. While the new model will retain BMW's controversial iDrive system, there have been improvements. The controller has been moved from behind the gearshift, and the column shift has been dropped in favour of BMW's joystick style controller to the right of the shifter. The rotary controller also has function buttons around it, like Mercedes' 'Command system'. Some of the new 7 Series' panels are aluminium, which helsp reduce the car's weight, and it's also the first BMW to get the firm's eight-speed gearbox, which can be fitted with a stop-start system, though there is no word yet on whether the 7 will get a stop-start facility. BMW technicians are also believed to be working on a four-wheel drive 7-series for the first time.

In a market dominated by Audi's Quattro A8 and Mercedes 4Matic S-class, BMW acknowledges it is currently missing out on an important sector of the market. A 4x4 7 would come with BMW's new DPC system - a torque vectoring unit that allows drive to be varied between the front and rear axles dependent upon traction, and between the left and right wheels for greater agility. This will be seen first on the new X6 and eventually on all BMW's 4x4 models. The V8 diesel from the current model will be discontinued in favour of developments of the twin turbo six-cylinder diesel engines. And it's likely that the V12 petrol will live on as a flagship model for the brand, especially in markets such as China.