Yahoo Autos First Drive: 2017 BMW M760i xDrive
THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO KNOW about the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive is that it is not— repeat, not—an M7. In BMW-speak, it's an "M Performance automobile." Translation: It slots into the territory between a standard production car and a performance-optimized M vehicle. M-influenced, rather than M-badged. It's an important distinction, but one that should not get in
the way of the fact that the M760i is the most powerful and expensive vehicle BMW sells. Its twin-turbo V-12 is awesome. That cylinder count still means something, even in the face of increasingly ridiculous and brawny forced-induction engines. Some relevant numbers: 601 hp from 5500 to 6500 rpm, 590 lb-ft of torque starting at 1500 rpm, and a claimed 0-to-60-mph time of 3.6 seconds.
Are those bragging rights worth the $72,300 premium over an entry-level, six-cylinder 740i? Well, that depends on the size of your investment portfolio. But also on how you look at it: Yes, it's an expensive sedan. The M760i comes off the same assembly line as the 740i. Yet it's the cheapest option in a rarified V-12 market dominated by supercars (Ferrari/Lamborghini/ Pagani/Aston Martin) and wretched-excess mobiles (no fewer than four Rolls-Royces). The M760i also undercuts the price of the V-12-powered Mercedes-AMG S65 by $73,030, although Mercedes still dominates with 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. At the same time, the new Bimmer steals some of the thunder from Audi's autobahn-stormer, the S8 Plus, which boasts 605 hp but a measly eight cylinders.
The 7-series interior, already pretty swell, gets a few upgrades (brushed-aluminum inserts, stainless-steel pedals). Ditto for the exterior, which gets unique bumpers and special gray trim. But the M760i is more of a sleeper than a look-at-me totem. The most obvious sign that this BMW is something special is elegant 20-inch wheels painted in a stylish matte finish.
Of course, it doesn't take much to make a luxury car more luxurious. The real challenge was sharpening the handling of a four-door that weighs as much as a Lincoln Town Car ferrying a couple of drunks. The solution was equipping the M760i with virtually every electronic stability-augmentation system in BMW's toolkit, from adaptive air suspension to electromechanical active roll stabilization.
