BMW Sticks First 'M' Badge on 7 Series, Creating Sporty V12 Beast
For the first time, BMW has given its flagship 7 Series an M badge. And while that may conjure up images of a standard 7 Series with a bit of performance tinsel, that’s not really the case here. The numbers are quite impressive.
The full name of this new model is a mouthfull: M760Li xDrive. Though that sounds more like a fax machine from about 1997, there are a few differences between the BMW and a dated beige electronic.
Let’s have some stats:
- V12 engine displacing 6.6 liters and carrying twin turbochargers
- 610 horsepower at 5,500 rpm, and 590 pounds-feet of torque at 1,150 rpm
- Combined fuel economy figure of 22.1 miles per gallon (somehow)
- 0-62 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds
- 155 mph top speed, revised to 189 mph with optional Driver’s Package
The speedy sedan has an 8-speed automatic that’s specially tuned by the M Division, featuring gear changes assisted by navigation data like on some recent Rolls-Royce models. Auto start/stop is also standard, because fuel economy is important in your long-wheelbase V12 sedan — obviously.
Other special features include active suspension named Executive Drive Pro, which sort of sounds like a brand of golf driver. Very appropriate. Four-wheel-steering is also on board for those tricky track-handling situations your chauffeur tackles on your way to the board room meeting.
As you’d imagine in such a vehicle, the back seat is rather opulent, in serious Germanic tradition. Suede, leather, Alcantara, tablets — all there.
In the unlikely event that you’re in the market for such an upscale vehicle, TopSpeed has the specifics. A standard 750i xDrive starts at $97,600, and stepping up to the special Alpina B7 xDrive starts the bill at $137,000. This M760Li xDrive tops the 7 Series range, starting at $153,000 before options, destination, and handling fees.
Unfortunately, the superlative power figure does not belong to this 7 Series, as the twin-turbo V12 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG pumps out eleven full horses more: 621. Sad!
[Images: BMW]
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
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I can not say I know what it's like to make 6+ figures a year and how that would shape my opinions about purchases. Value is "relatively" low for this car obviously though, IMO. Even my ego says I can do much better. What sedan has the most unhealthy ego dynbang for the buck for you? For me it would be the GS-F. My ego gets a boost from reliable, fun, and luxury. I buy into feeling smarter than the average B&b.
Just one more car to run from when the warranty expires...