BMW is just days away from unveiling the mid-cycle facelift for the 7 Series G70 at the Beijing Auto Show. Ahead of the flagship’s LCI debut, the brand’s head of design is revisiting one of the luxury sedan’s predecessors. Widely regarded as the most controversial-looking 7er, the E65 could have taken a very different path. These rare sketches left on the proverbial cutting room floor offer a glimpse of what might have been.
BMW Group Head of Design Adrian van Hooydonk was directly involved in the car’s development while Chris Bangle led the design team. One of his proposals was ultimately approved for production in the spring of 1998. The first sketch shown here dates back to the previous year and features an almost vertical grille flanked by alternative headlight designs, with the turn signals relocated to the front fenders.
Other notable elements include horizontal slats beneath the headlights and near the lower edge of the bumper. Round fog lights are positioned higher and closer together, while the sloping roofline gives off a Gran Coupe vibe. However, sketches often exaggerate proportions that rarely carry over to production.
The absence of door handles and B-pillars cleans up the profile, while pronounced fenders enhance the car’s sporty stance. Although the low resolution makes it difficult to confirm, there appears to be a chrome “V12” badge on the front fender. That would suggest this proposal was intended for the range-topping 760i, powered by the naturally aspirated 6.0-liter N73 engine.
A second sketch, dated 1998, presents a slightly different interpretation of the infamous “Bangle Butt.” It appears sleeker, with a less pronounced trunk lid. The taillights are mounted lower on the trunk, rather than near the top as on the production model. There’s also a “750i” badge nicely integrated into the horizontal chrome strip.
The final sketch is our favorite. Created in 1999, it likely previews an early vision of the E65 LCI. The facelifted model didn’t arrive until 2005, roughly four years after the original debuted. This design looks like a spiritual successor to the E31 8 Series Coupe that never materialized. As a refresher, the original 8er ended production the same year this sketch was drawn, so this would’ve been a natural follow-up.
Fast-forward to 2009, Adrian van Hooydonk succeeded Chris Bangle as BMW’s head of design, and as they say, the rest is history. Next week, the 7 Series LCI will signal the next step forward for Munich’s flagship sedan.
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
