2018 BMW M760Li xDrive: the Most Potent 7 Series Driven This Week
The Car Guide is heading to Palm Springs in California this week in order to get our hands on this latest version of the 7 Series. We’ll be driving it on The Thermal Club circuit as well as on the roads of this fantastic region.
I drove the 2017 Acura NSX on The Thermal Club track in the spring of 2016, and I was a little surprised to see that BMW chose this race course for testing this new iteration of the luxurious 7 Series, with its stretched wheelbase and all-wheel drivetrain. It seems as though the Munich-based company is pretty confident about the M760Li xDrive’s performance and handling envelope, which is almost an M7 as its development was taken care of by the brand’s Motorsport division.
A rival to the Mercedes-AMG S 65, the 2018 BMW M760Li xDrive inherits the twin-turbo, 6.6-litre V12 and eight-speed automatic transmission that are found in the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Wraith models. With an output of 600 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, this engine allows the M760Li xDrive to clear the 0-100 km/h dash in only 3.7 seconds, accompanied by a rich and powerful sound, thanks to the twin exhausts and their flap activation system. The M760Li xDrive sets itself apart from its direct rival by offering all-wheel drive, thus providing all-season driving, even in winter.
To ensure enhanced driving dynamics compared to the other 7 Series variants, the M760Li xDrive receives a standard-issue air suspension. However, it’s been recalibrated to better suit the car’s sportier personality. In addition, the car is also equipped with an active steering system that slightly pivots the rear wheels in the opposite direction as the front ones for improving low-speed manoeuvrability, and in the same direction at higher speeds which improves stability during lane changes on the highway, for example.
The price of the 2018 BMW M760Li xDrive has been set at $159,900 in Canada, and it’s scheduled to arrive in the summer of 2017. Stay tuned for our full report in a few days on the most dynamic and most luxurious member of the BMW 7 Series line.