I hope you didn’t think Munich had ended its big electric fare offering.After picking up the XM Label Red and XM 50e set last week, next of course is the 2024 BMW i7 M70 xDrive. Not only is it the most powerful electric car in the BMW range, it’s also the most powerful 7 Series. A motor on each axle makes his xDrive ‘x’ on the rear axle even more powerful. The pusher unit is six-phase instead of the common three-phase electric motor. Doubling the number of turns gives a power density of 2.41 kW/kg, a 25.5% increase in density over the i7 xDrive60’s rear motor. In numbers, this means 483 peak horsepower from the rear motors corresponds to 255 horsepower from the front for a total of 650 horsepower. Torque numbers rewrite BMW’s books, and the e-motor produces 748 lb-ft in sport mode. Activate either M Launch Control or M Sport Boost balloons up to 811 lb-ft.
From a standstill, the M Launch will get the speedometer needle to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Only her one trim of M8 and M3 and M4 can beat it. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.
101.7 kWh of available 105.7 kWh battery powers an EPA-estimated range of 295 miles if the driver does not pass out while accelerating. Owners who have forgotten their throttle discipline can take advantage of a new driving mode called Maximum Range to reach their chargers. In electronic wicking mode, the i7 M70 lowers the top speed cap to 56 mph and turns off climate control and heated seats and steering wheel comfort. Home AC charging in the wallbox replenishes the pack at up to 11 kW and DC fast charging at up to 195 kW, 5 kW below his DC fast charging cap of the Mercedes EQS 450+.
A tuned chassis allows for spirited daily driving between the aforementioned extremes. The standard adaptive air suspension is self-leveling, M-specific parameters and smaller hydraulic volumes in the rear dampers said to fine-tune dynamic response. BMW has yet to give curb weight. There are additional braces throughout the body for added stiffness, plus active roll stabilization and rear-wheel steering to counteract what has proven to be quite heavy.
All models come standard with an illuminated kidney grille, 21-inch Jet Black light-alloy wheels with high-gloss inserts and blue M Sport brake calipers. High-performance tire options are available to buyers for the first time on the i7, but these come with 20-inch wheels, and it’s not clear if the reduced diameter will change the range significantly. The M Performance Professional package dresses up the black brake calipers, black high-gloss grille surround, sculpted M side skirts, M logo on the fenders, decorated borders, M high-gloss Shadowline trim, black M exterior mirrors, Black M rear spoiler, black accent strip between the taillights and a unique diffuser insert for the rear apron.
Customization options have grown again, with BMW saying a range of individual finishes are available for the two-tone exterior. The hero car above is finished with a Sapphire Black Metallic upper and a BMW Individual Liquid Copper Metallic lower, punctuated by black coach lines.
Under the hood, the big upgrade will be iDrive 8.5. Fingers crossed for that.
The new 7 will debut at this week’s Shanghai Motor Show. Pricing will be closer to launch later this year.
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