2017 BMW M760i xDrive: Alarmingly quick and competent on road or track

[The Ga[M]er.]

More often than not, my glances down at the speedometer of the 2017 BMW M760i xDrive proved startling. On straight roads outside of Palm Springs, California, I found myself doubling the posted speed limits without even realizing it.

I partially blame the luxury cocoon that is the M760i's Nappa leather-lined cabin, which stays well isolated from unwanted road and wind noises. Then throw in an adaptive suspension system delivering road compliance fitting of a flagship luxury sedan when set to Comfort mode, but is also forgiving in the Sport setting.

What's most at fault? That would be the 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V12 monster sitting under the hood, the centerpiece of the new range-topping 7 Series model. Sharing a block with Rolls-Royce powerplants, the M760i's 12-pot engine is subtle and smooth, while yielding 601 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Peak torque is available from just 1,550 rpm and remains until 5,000 rpm helping to explain how the big sedan effortlessly builds speeds even without a heavy right foot.

 

Bolting to the V12, a slick ZF eight-speed automatic transmission responsible cracks off quick, imperceptible shifts, and offers a responsive manual shift function for drivers looking for a bit more involvement.

The other downside to the fire breathing drivetrain is it's thirst for petrol, resulting in a 13 mpg city rating from the EPA. However, on the highway it returns 20 mpg, which isn't bad, all things considered.

A typical consumer in the market for a V12 luxury cruiser likely won't care about fuel figures, but simply want the bragging rights and capabilities that come with it. Dropping the hammer will get the all-wheel-drive M760i to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds with launch control. Triple digit speeds are a cinch to achieve with the M sports exhaust system providing a fantastic growling soundtrack, and zero complaints about turbo lag.

 

To go along with its meaner performance, the M760i gets more visual attitude with larger front bumper air intakes for better cooling, 20-inch split-spoke M alloy wheels and special M and V12 badging. BMW jazzes up the interior with an M leather steering wheel, pedals, driver's footrest and speedometer to go along with the soft leathers and piano black trim.

The M760i accompanies its big power with a big helping of luxury and technology, which is to be expected from any 7 Series. From the supremely comfortable front seats, the optional 14,000-watt Bowers and Wilkins audio system sounds concert hall good, and controlling infotainment functions like navigation and BMW Connected Apps is easily done through the intuitive iDrive 5.0 controller.

Loading up Apple CarPlay to handle infotainment duties is also an option, but Android Auto is currently not supported. BMW says they are evaluating Android Auto integration into its cars, but didn't confirm if or when it was coming.