BMW’s sporty division has blossomed to include a plethora of M Performance and actual M models, and yet there has never been an M7. The closest Bavaria has ever gotten was with the M760i, a V12-powered luxobarge no longer available in the lineup. With the G70 launched last year, the twelve-cylinder engine was retired in light of stricter emissions regulations. In its place, an M760e pairs an inline-six engine with an electric motor.
But what if BMW were to green-light a proper M7? Some would argue it’s more necessary now than before considering ALPINA won’t be doing another B7. A new unofficial rendering dreams the impossible dream by giving the seventh-generation 7 Series the full-fat M treatment. It starts off as an M760e and gets the updated kidney grille with horizontal slats we recently saw on the facelifted X5 M and X6 M. A more angular bumper design gives the front fascia a meaner look.
The Munich-based automaker already has the technology to build an M7 considering it could adapt the plug-in hybrid powertrain from the XM. The electrified SUV uses a twin-turbo, 4.4-liter V8 engine and an electric motor to deliver a combined output of 653 horsepower (480 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters). Coming this summer, the XM Label Red will pack an even greater punch by offering a colossal 748 hp (550 kW) and 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft).
Lest we forget that aside from the M760e, BMW has a second M Performance version. Coming soon, the i7 M70 will offer well over 600 hp (447 kW) and in excess of 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft). The fully electric 7 Series has already been confirmed to cover the 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in less than four seconds.
BMW has made it crystal clear the V12 is not coming back. As a matter of fact, even Rolls-Royce recently announced it won’t launch a new car with a twelve-cylinder engine, mentioning all future products will be EVs. With Euro 7 regulations coming into effect in a few years, large-displacement engines are gradually becoming extinct.
Source: Germany’s Finest / Instagram