Customers of the BMW 7 Series have been asking for an M version ever since the first S-Class AMG came out. With Audi also offering a sporty version of its top of the range limousine in the shape of the S8, it seemed like BMW was the only manufacturer of the three German giants that wasn’t going to take this bold step forward. That all changed this year when we were introduced to the BMW M760Li xDrive model.
While it’s still not a full-fledged M model, the M760Li is a significant improvement over the standard 7 Series limousine. Many are still hoping for an M7 in the future, but the level of performance the new M760Li xDrive brings to the table is absolutely unbelievable, making the case for an M7 rather redundant.
Under the hood of the new car hides a 6-liter V12 that’s twin-turbocharged, good for 610 HP and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) of torque. Thanks to those specs, the M760Li xDrive became the most powerful car BMW ever put in production while also trumping its V12 rival from Mercedes-Benz, the S65 AMG, in terms of sheer acceleration. Both cars are powered by V12 units but, even though the Mercedes-Benz has more power and torque at its disposal, it’s slower to 100 km/h (62 mph) by 0.2 seconds.
Accelerating to 60 mph takes 3.9 seconds and it’s hard to imagine how that feels inside a limousine the size of the new 7 Series. However, if the most recent commercial for the car is anything to go on, it must feel like something being launched into the space. At least that’s what we’ve come to understand from the video below.
