The Seven Series may not have the luxury car status it once enjoyed thanks to the rise of the ultra luxury car segment from the likes of Bentley and Rolls Royce.
The bosses at BMW realise this and are reportedly deciding whether to build a flagship luxury car to sit above the BMW 7 Series.
BMW are quite relaxed about making the decision final but could decide whether to go ahead with the 9 Series, as it could be called, before the year is out.
It all depends on what new boss Harald Krueger thinks, he is apparently interested in a pursing the idea of range topping Beemer.
The 9 Series could well be a stretched version of the new 7 Series when the latter is revealed later this year before becoming available to the market in 2016.
Unconfirmed speculation suggests that the 9 Series could be based on the Vision Future Luxury Concept revealed last year.
It seems likely BMW will follow the S Class Maybach route, a stretched S Class with a re-designed rear quarter to distinguish it from the S Class.
BMW could well wait until the launch of the S Class Maybach and monitor how well it performs in the market before making a move.
If there is demand for the S Class Maybach then there will be demand for the 9 Series.