BMW debuts 9 Series concept to compete with S600 Maybach

BMW will preview its upcoming 9 Series sedan with a concept car at the Beijing auto show.
The extra-long-wheelbase 9 series will take on the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S600 Maybach, which itself is production ready and is set to debut within a few months.
The 9 series will be based on a new lightweight platform codenamed G11, which will be shared with a number of upcoming BMW and Rolls-Royce models.
The new platform is expected to offer considerable weight savings, reducing the weight of the next-generation 7 series down to the weight of the current 5 series.
The G11-based 7 series and 9 series are both expected to go on sale in 2016.
The 9 series will be positioned alongside the Rolls-Royce Ghost in BMW’s global lineup, and is expected to feature packaging and interior appointments similar to that of the S600 Maybach while building upon the design language recently seen in the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupe, unveiled at the 2013 Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance in Italy last May.
BMW has been without a halo sedan since the departure of the 1995-2000 E38 BMW L7, an extra-long-wheelbase luxury car based on the 7 series.
The L7 featured a short inserted section from the B-pillar and backwards, giving the rear seat passenger more legroom and an optional powered partition window between the front and rear seats.