On Second Thought, the BMW M7 May Live

2016 BMW 7 Series (Credit: © BMW)

It wasn’t but a few days ago that we were talking about the 2017 7 Series and its new driverless Park Assistant. Along with that news, we passed on that the new 7er lineup will not include an M-Series, once again. Well, apparently we were a tad premature on that, as AutoBild.de is reporting that the M7 is coming with the new 7.

According to the report, the 2017 M7 will arriving carrying a 6.0-liter V-12 engine that will produce at least 600 horsepower, which is at least a 65-horsepower increase over the V-12’s output in the 2015 760Li. That is not a very big bump in power, but I think we are only scratching the surface of what the M7 will bring to the plate.

Along with a more powerful engine, the M7 will use the new Carbon Core construction of the 2017 7 Series to its fullest. This construction uses special steel, aluminum, and strategically positioned carbon fiber to increase rigidity and reduce weight. The M7 will take this further with a lighter cabin, lower unsprung weight, and a suspension tuned to handle the twist like a champ.

This report does pose an issue, however. BMW already allows Alpina to build the B7, which is essentially a hotter version of the 750i, and Bimmer even markets this tuned 7 Series on its website. So, what happens to the B7 once the M7 takes the performance reins?

AutoBild.de sheds some light on how these two can coexist within the 7 Series lineup, as it estimates the M7’s starting price at €140,000 ($155,666). That would put a nice price gap between the M7 and the $132,200 Alpina B7. Additionally, the performance gap and the likelihood of all-wheel drive in the M7 would put a comfortable gap between the two.

For now, this remains an unconfirmed report, but with the Mercedes S63 already in the market and the Cadillac CT6-V likely lurkng in the shadows, BMW needs to act now or lose out.