You don't usually hear a twelve-cylinder luxury sedan when it bends around the block. At most, a subtle noise can be heard. Times are changing, at least at BMW, The M760Li xDrive sometimes roars like a sports car and makes it unmistakably clear: Here comes something special.
Well, a dozen cylinders under the hood are exceptional. Only a few manufacturers still treat themselves to the "king of engine construction", intended for wealthy customers who are more concerned with prestige and status than with horsepower or even consumption. They live primarily in America and Asia. And should probably be surprised about the strange name on the trunk lid of the new flagship seven. What is the letter M doing there? And why suddenly xDrive? So far, there has never been a twelve-cylinder.
The answer: For the first time in the history of the seven, the performance subsidiary M GmbH has taken on the brand's flagship. The result is a rolling superlative. The twelve-cylinder sedan marks the top end of the product portfolio. Never before has there been a stronger BMW. 610 HP and 800 Newton meters of torque should put the provisional, no probably the final point in Bavarian engine construction. The power is sufficient to catapult the 2,2-ton luxury liner from zero to 3,7 km / h in just 100 seconds. This is the best level of Porsche. "No competitor sprints faster," says M GmbH boss Frank van Meel. Not even a more powerful Mercedes-AMG S65 can help here. The Schwaben sedan lacks all-wheel drive.
For some years now, BMW has put a kind of bridge between a pure M model and the strongest model from the core brand. In the case of the five, this is, for example, the M550i below the M5. Both will go on the market this year. However, there is and will not be an M7 in the seven. "Our customers would probably not approve of the very sporty positioning of the vehicle," says Timo Resch, Head of Product Management for the large series at BMW. As a result, the M760Li xDrive is the top model in the series and is only available with a long wheelbase and all-wheel drive.
The look is unusual for a seven-seater, which will certainly appear too sporty to some customers. No chrome, huge air intakes, blue brake calipers, powerful, black-painted 20-inch wheels and M logos on the flanks and rear. If you then add a matt varnish - as with the test cars provided - the luxury liner lacks the class-typical elegance. "We have the Excellence version for these customers," says Resch. Chrome plays the main role for her, the front apron is more subtle and M badges are nowhere to be seen. Only the V12 emblems on the C-pillar and trunk lid and the four-pipe exhaust system indicate that someone has spent at least 166.900 euros here. That sounds like a lot, others see it as a bargain. The BMW is the cheapest offer among the twelve cylinders in the world.
And it is certainly the sportiest in its segment. The engineers achieved a unique combination of driving dynamics, smoothness, smooth running and long-distance comfort. One could think more is not possible when the landscape flies by outside. The M760 seems to hover over the asphalt, and at the same time can sweep around the curves almost as handy as a compact sports sedan, despite its heavy weight. The Munich company achieved this balancing act by means of adaptive air suspension, electromechanical roll stabilization, integral active steering and a steering rear axle. Especially from tight bends you can clearly see how the rear wheels are trying to pull the rear around. On the other hand: Which customer in this class beats his luxury sedan around the corner like a racing driver?
He will rather want to enjoy the incredible sovereignty of the twelve-cylinder. Already at 1.500 revolutions, the dozen pistons balance 800 Newton meters on the crankshaft. In this speed range (and slightly above), the M760 moves more than 95 percent in everyday life. This means that full power is always available, a quick kick on the gas is all it takes and the load shoots forward, pressing the occupants deep into the leather seats. The maximum speed of the Bavaria bolide is 305 km / h. We like to believe that, but couldn't try it out: BMW presented its flagship in speed-limited California. (Michael Specht / SP-X)