BMW never took the time to build an M7 because that’s not what the 7 Series is about – it’s about luxury and comfortable driving (or riding) and not warping a big sedan around the track. With the new BMW i7 on the way, it was assumed that BMW wouldn’t build an M7 because it simply doesn’t need to, but now we’ve learned there might be a change of heart inside the walls of BMW HQ.
Where the BMW M7 Would Sit in the 7 Series Lineup
According to a report from Autocar, BMW is considering building an M7, but it won’t sit at the top of the 7 Series hierarchy. Instead, it’ll sit in line as an indirect replacement for the BMW M760i. It will apparently be powered by the same plug-in hybrid V-8 as the Concept XM, which will also eventually transition into a full-fledged production model with somewhere around 750 horsepower. Logic would then dictate the that first-ever M7 would also have a similar output.
More importantly, a 750-horsepower hybrid M7 would allow BMW to compete with Mercedes' own AMG S63 E Performance, which will also have a PHEV setup. The elephant in the room, however, is the BMW i7, which will still sit at the top of the range. It has been confirmed to deliver at least 600 horsepower, and while an exact figure hasn’t been disclosed, the iX M60 delivers 610 horsepower, so that could be what we can expect. So, the range-topping model will actually offer less power – strange, right? Perhaps not.
See, the i7 will sit at the top of the range, but it will also be, somehow, more luxurious. And, there will be multiple versions of the i7 too. An M Performance i7 is also on the cards, and using the XM’s powertrain in other models, like an M7, would make sense – BMW can spread out development costs among models. The way this will probably play out is that the i7 will be the most luxurious of the luxurious, while the M7 will be more geared more toward performance with an aggressive look too. The M Performance i7 will fill the performance gap between the base i7 and the M7.
As for the M7, BMW has filed a trademark for it. That’s not to say that the company will ever use it, but it’s certainly evidence that it might actually happen.