NEW 2018 BMW M7 760Li xDrive Review & Much More

FEATURES IN M7

BMW still hasn’t built an M7, but here is the M760i xDrive to almost satisfy that craving. Think of it as the epidermis of an M5 stretched thin over a big, twin-turbo V-12–powered, all-wheel-drive 7-series. It’s a translucent layer of M over a car optimized for transporting the Norwegian Minister of Finance to meetings of the International Monetary Fund. And like Norway itself, it’s attractive but threatening to no one.

MUCH INTRESTING

Sibling Rivalry

Then there’s the other direct competitor: the Alpina B7. Technically, the B7 doesn’t come from BMW but is a product of the famed Alpina tuning house.

While the B7 packs a V-8, that vitamin-fortified twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter engine is rated at an even 600 horsepower and is installed in what is otherwise a similar 7-series xDrive sedan. However, whereas the M760i’s 590 lb-ft of torque peaks way down at 1550 rpm and remains available to 5000 rpm, the B7 hits its 590-lb-ft peak at 3000 rpm, also holding constant to 5000 rpm.

BMW claims the M760i will roar to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds, and that’s probably a conservative estimate. It seems likely that it will match the B7 step-for-step and hit 60 mph in about 3.4 seconds. In standard configuration, the M760i will be governed to 155 mph, but when equipped with the optional M Driver’s package, the top end will be raised to 190 mph, although that upgrade currently isn’t available in the United States.

The last 577-hp, V-8–powered Mercedes S63 AMG that C/Dtested ran from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. We haven’t tested the latest S65 sedan yet, but we have strapped our gear to two other 621-hp variants of that car, a coupe and a convertible: They each blitzed to 60 mph from rest in 4.1 seconds.

Everything the M760i does is impressive. And of course it’s gorgeous in every detail. But there’s this nagging feeling that the sensations it generates are more a simulation than a genuine reflection of the car’s mechanical substance.

INTRESTING…..

The steering is mediated by electronics, the throttle is a rheostat, the shifting wand is a goofy and complicated switch, and the suspension is always working hard to ensure the car remains entertaining without disturbing anyone. The transmission shifts better than you can, and the exhaust noise is amplified for aural pleasure. It takes some suspension of disbelief to fully enjoy what this car offers.That in mind, the M760i is a relative bargain. At a starting price of $156,495, it undercuts the S65 AMG sedan by $73,030. As strange as it seems to report, that makes the M760i the cheapest V-12–powered new car available in America. Hallelujah.