--- title: "New BMW 7 Series Gets the Controversial Neue Klasse Dash: TDS" date: "2026-04-22" modified: "2026-04-22" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/new-bmw-7-series-gets-the-controversial-neue-klasse-dash-tds" categories: - "News" - "The Downshift" tags: - "7 Series" - "BMW" - "luxury" - "sedan" --- # New BMW 7 Series Gets the Controversial Neue Klasse Dash: TDS ![BMW 7 Series interior]() *\Daniel Kraus/BMW\* Good morning and welcome to *[The Downshift]()*, or *TDS* for short. *The Downshift* is *The Drive’s* morning summary of all the auto industry headlines you need to know. News is condensed into a few sentences, including links to dig deeper if you wish. Let's hit the road. 🔊 [The latest episode of *The Drivecast*](), *The Drive’s* new weekly podcast, is live. Be sure to stay tuned, whether you listen on *The Drive*, [Apple Podcasts](), or [Spotify](). 7️⃣ BMW has [unveiled a facelift]() for the seventh-gen 7 Series, and it's as comprehensive as facelifts get. The 2027 model completely cleans up the exterior, aligning it more with the Neue Klasse design language, while also introducing Panoramic iDrive inside the cabin, a standard passenger touchscreen, and that controversial vertical two-spoke steering wheel. 🤑 Ferrari intends to price its Luce EV at about $650,000, according to a report from *[Bloomberg]()*. 🔥 Ford is recalling about 140,000 Ranger pickup trucks for improperly positioned or secured wiring harnesses behind the sun visor and headliner, which could short and result in a fire around the A pillar, *[Reuters]()* reports. 📉 EV registrations in California are down 40% compared to their status a year ago, and Tesla has been hit particularly hard, with its sales down 24% in the state over that time, per *[Reuters]()*. ⚡ Remember the Smart Fortwo? It's back—though not in the U.S.—as the Smart #2, evoking its predecessor's design and promising about 186 miles of all-electric range, according to *[InsideEVs]()*. 6️⃣ Porsche specialists Gunther Werks have introduced the last act in their Speedster series, appropriately called Project Endgame. A thoroughly rebuilt 993, Endgame features an 840-horsepower, 660 lb-ft 4.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six built by Rothsport Racing, according to *[Top Gear]()*. *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()