In Latvian modified car circles, this wide-body BMW G11 7 Series has really had people talking. Of course, seeing the car framed in a small square on your phone is one thing, but can you really get a true sense of something like that? I don’t think so, hence why I jumped at the opportunity to see it for myself.
My first in-person impression? It’s a big, luxurious 7 Series wearing a tracksuit – that’s the easiest explanation I can give.
Many people mistake this car for a 5 Series, and I don’t blame them; German carmakers do tend to carry their design language right throughout their ranges. I think in this case though, it’s the custom parts that make the G11 (G11 – short version, G12 – long version) look a little more athletic.
In reality though, it’s massive – two meters wide thanks to its custom wide-body conversion that we’ll talk about in a second. First, I want to draw your attention to the custom deep-dish Z-Performance forged ZP.12 wheels that measure 22×11-inch in the front and 22×13-inch out back.
The reason I mentioned the wheels first is because the carbon fiber wide fenders were designed around them, not vice versa as you might expect. It’s all the vision of automotive designer Kasim Tlibekov, whose 3D renders were brought to life by ProTuning Latvia, a tuning parts manufacturer. ProTuning Latvia’s CEO Andrejs Tkacenko is the car’s owner.
Nothing so bespoke comes together overnight, and in the case of this project it took a couple of years to go from concept to finished product. All parts are autoclave pre-preg carbon fiber composite, and there’s a lot of them. On top of the front fenders, which are 60mm wider than stock per side, and the rear fenders which have added 80mm per side, Kasim designed the side skirts, a splitter, diffuser, winglets, air scoops, side vents, and a beautifully sculpted ducktail.
Pieces like the forged carbon front grille add extra style to the build. I find it funny that while forged carbon is made out of leftovers, it’s considered to be more valuable than the traditional weave. What a weird world…
Tweaks to the OEM air suspension have resulted in a sporty stance. The modified system has two modes: a 40mm drop from stock for the perfect drive height, and dropped completely for a flush stance at shows. It’s not all looks either; the 7 Series’ diesel engine has been remapped to supply 400whp.
Behind all the modifications is a modern, luxurious, high-tech sedan with laser lights, gesture recognition, all the infotainment you can think of, adaptive cruise control, and a revolutionary ‘carbon core’ chassis structure.
I’m interested to hear your thoughts on this build. For me, the idea of custom-modifying a high-end modern vehicle like this is a totally different endeavor to doing it with an older car. It requires a different mindset, different skills, and a bigger budget. For those reasons alone, I think this 7 Series deserves respect.
Vladimir Ljadov
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