In a rare showing of public humility, BMW is throwing flowers in Mercedes-Benz's direction. The Bavarian automaker has taken to social media to acknowledge what a lot of people already know: the all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is balls-to-the-wall awesome.

BMW seems to think so, too, telling its fierce rival that it is a big fan of the S-Class. It’s a nice acknowledgment from BMW’s part, though it is worth mentioning that the next-generation BMW 7 Series is already in the works. Seems like BMW knows that Mercedes raised the segment's bar with the all-new S-Class. Now it's BMW’s turn to meet Mercedes at that level with the next-generation 7er.

What’s the message?

BMW posted a short clip on its Instagram account. The clip starts with an S-shaped road where a car is driving along. It’s hard to see the make and model of the car, but noting how short it looks from a bird’s eye view, it’s unlikely that the car is the S-Class W223 or even BMW’s 7 Series.

A caption that reads “Nice S” then appears, which, in one way, describes the road, but, more importantly, describes BMW’s sentiments towards the all-new Mercedes S Class. The clip then cuts to action shots of the current BMW 7 Series, which, admittedly, is on its last legs as a model.

In case the clip wasn’t clear, BMW added a message, congratulating Mercedes for the all-new S-Class W223 and admitting that, even with the rivalry between the two brands, BMW is a big fan of Merc’s range-topping luxury sedan.

Is the Mercedes S-Class W223 all that?

It is. That’s why BMW is also under a lot of pressure to make sure that the next-generation 7 Series is about as evolutionary a model as the S-Class W223 is to its nameplate. Make no mistake: the current-generation BMW 7 Series G11/G12 is five years old already. It received a facelift recently, but that’s still not enough to stem the tide against Mercedes, especially with the latter now offering a completely new S-Class with enough modern tech to make you feel like you’re sitting inside the USS Enterprise.

Look at the interior of the current 7 Series G12 and you’ll still see a traditionally laid out cabin with buttons, switches, knobs, and dials. The setup still looks good for a luxury saloon, but it’s no match to the S-Class W223’s interior. Mercedes went all-out and redefining what the cabin of a super luxury car could look and feel, and the S Class has it in full bloom. From the advanced ambient lighting setup, the prevalent aluminum parts throughout, the fully digital instrument cluster, and the massive — and also fully digital — infotainment system, the Mercedes S-Class W223’s interior is in a complete class of its own.

Granted, the 7 Series G12 has as many engine options to choose from and a model like the 750i boasts more power — 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque — from its twin-turbo V-8 engine than the new S 580 4Matic’s 496-horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque output.

But even the advantage in power isn’t enough to compete with the fact that the all-new S-Class W223 is a next-generation model that’s packing all the newest technologies that Mercedes has to offer. The BMW 7 Series will have its day in the sun. We just don’t know when that will be.

When will the next-generation BMW 7 Series arrive?

We know that BMW is already hard at work developing the next-generation 7 Series. We also know that the current 7 Series’ facelift happened just last year. That could mean that we’re going to be in for a bit of waiting for the next-generation 7 Series.

Rest assured, BMW’s going to make sure that the wait isn’t as long as it should because the all-new Mercedes S-Class is poised to eat into BMW’s 7 Series sales. That’s something that BMW is trying to avoid with all its might and capability.