BMW’s future starts with the M7

Concept CS shows new design direction - Bigger than a Bentley, lower than an Aston DB9 - Production version could get 6.0-litre V12

We were expecting a two-seat sports car, but instead BMW pulled off a major coup by unveiling its new design language in a saloon concept and it could also be a pointer to a forthcoming M7.

The Concept CS is a large four-door, four-seat sports saloon in the mould of the Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera. But there’s more to it than that. It gives us a look at the beginning of a new design direction for BMW as it starts to move away from the look pioneered by design director Chris Bangle and first featured on the current 7-series.

The car’s heavily sculptured look will set the tone for the next generation of BMWs. “We wanted to do a big, sporty car without making it appear heavy,” said BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk. BMW puts a lot of emphasis on the car’s sporting potential, saying it “combines the qualities of a luxury saloon and a high-performance sports car”.

BMW has often said it wouldn’t do a straight M version of the 7-series because getting a large saloon to handle and perform to M division standards wouldn’t be possible. But last year then-chairman Helmut Panke raised the possibility of an M7 model, adding that it wouldn’t just be a 7-series with a big engine.

He also said the company was looking at a new flagship model for the BMW range as a replacement for the Z8 roadster. This car would seem to fulfil both of those criteria.

Concept CS is big; at 5.1 metres long and 1.98 metres wide it’s larger than a 7-series and has a longer wheelbase. It’s also bigger than a Bentley Continental GT and almost as low as an Aston DB9 (1.36m), pushing it into a new market for BMW. Underneath, it will be based on a modified version of the next-generation 7-series platform.

The most significant new features are the blunt front end, dominated by an oversized version of the BMW kidney grille, and the way the roofline runs into the rear wings, echoing the Jaguar C-XF concept. There is also an unusual depression that divides the rear of the roof, creating a channel above the rear window.

The CS rides on a set of complex 21-inch wheels, behind which sit drilled and grooved brake discs, more often associated with cars such as Porsche 911s. Other fast-car touches include large intakes in the lower front spoiler to channel air over the brakes.

Inside, the layout and detailing of the dashboard point towards a new format for BMW cabins. The centre of the dash is angled towards the driver, reviving BMW’s trademark interior feature from the 1980s, but it now sweeps down into a high centre console that wraps around the gear lever. It also creates a cockpit feel by separating the driver and passenger. That console runs the length of the interior into the rear, dividing the individual rear seats. BMW claims elbow room in the rear is as good as it is in the front.

Much of the car’s interior lighting is provided by light strips in the dash and the roof, running from the windscreen to the rear glass. BMW claims this creates an ambient lighting effect, currently one of the most fashionable trends in concept car interior design.

While touches like the ceramic switches for the iDrive system are pure concept, plenty of parts have production potential. The dash top mouldings and centre console are clearly more realistic than many concept car interiors.

There’s no guarantee that BMW would badge a production version of the CS as an M car. Such a large car would be at odds with the current philosophy of the M division, and that would also mean it wouldn’t use an M Power engine. Instead, a less highly strung V12 powerplant is more likely. It would be possible to add a pair of cylinders to the M5’s V10 to create a 6.0-litre V12, which could have up to 600bhp.