The all-new BMW 7 Series and i7 were unveiled in New York earlier this year and went into production a little over a month ago. So why is BMW running a fleet of 7s at the Nurburgring?

At the unveiling of the new 7, BMW said it would start shipping in November and that customers would receive their vehicles from late 2022 or early 2023. But BMW boss Oliver Zipse also claimed that BMW has the largest fleet of vehicles with over-the-air updates, which means the German giant can tune a new 7 even after it drives itself off the assembly line.

BMW needs to get its new luxury barge right, and a big part of that is constantly refining the vehicle during its lifespan.

As you can see from the footage above, both the ICE 7 and the i7 lean heavily through the corners. If we were Porsche, we wouldn't be too worried about the Nurburgring record for an EV.

If we had to guess, BMW is simply finetuning the handling software or working on updated driving modes. It's a common misconception that the Green Hell is only used to develop sporty cars. The 'Ring also happens to be a safe space for manufacturers to test the handling limits of a vehicle and feel how the various electronic nannies react when pushed to the limit.

As you can hear in the video, the ICE 7 doesn't even appear to be in Sport mode as it awkwardly shifts gears mid-corner.

Looking at the footage, you can also see the all-electric i7 struggling a bit more. There's an excellent reason for this. Weighing in at just under 5,000 pounds, the i7 is roughly 900 lbs heavier than the ICE 7. Thanks to the teaching of Colin Chapman, we know that weight ruins just about everything.

Not that it matters, because EV powertrains and luxury barges are a match made in heaven. Just think about it. EV motors provide low-down torque for effortless driving, zero vibration, and almost no noise. Being driven around in an i7 equipped with the BMW Theater Screen experience will be one of life's greatest pleasures.

As long as the chauffeur doesn't hoon it like the test driver in the video above.