We're just days away from the official debut of the new 2016 BMW 7 Series, although there is quite a bit that we already know. The latest news is that the U.S. will only be getting the long-wheelbase version of the car, but that it will be sold with just the “i” badge instead of the “Li” which usually denotes long-wheelbase versions. It's an unusual move, but in the absence of a short-wheelbase version to set it apart from, it's not really a big deal.

Since it was first introduced, the BMW 5 Series->ke317 has grown a full foot in length, as well as 7 inches in width. In fact, the current 5 Series is now bigger than the original 7 Series. The 7 Series->ke323 has grown as well, but at a slower pace than the 5 Series, and the difference in length has shrunk to just a few inches. So perhaps BMW->ke178 is worried that Americans will walk into a dealership, see the cars next to each other and ask just why they should pay the extra for the 7 Series. But this won't be as much an issue with the long-wheelbase, so it's a logical move.

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Why it matters

Another thing the U.S. is unlikely to get is the turbocharged inline-six engine that will be offered for the new 7 Series. It is expected that U.S. options will be limited to the 4.4-liter V-8 and the 6.0-liter V-12, bigger options for the bigger version of the car. But even with the car being big, BMW has done all it can to keep weight down. The chassis makes extensive use of aluminum, and the body contains a fair amount of carbon fiber, all making for a 7 Series that is 286 pounds lighter than the outgoing generation. It's light enough that the V-8-equipped 750i will reportedly hit 60mph in 4.3 seconds, just a 0.1 second slower than the M5. The 7 Series isn't really about speed, but that's still mighty impressive. We're looking forward to the official reveal.

2016 BMW 7 Series

You can check our speculative review here.